Carlton Interactive is to close its consumer entertainment websites, Popcorn and Jamba, while Granada plans to cut 80 jobs from its health TV channel and website, Wellbeing.
Carlton’s online ad sales arm, Carlton Hyperactive, will cancel all ad campaigns booked across its Popcorn and Jamba sites from 1 September, all third party contracts will cease from that date and the new-business development team will close.
Head of Carlton Hyperactive, Harvey Sarjant, today said: “Popcorn and Jamba were, in our eyes, very effective sites and came with strong brand values, so we are naturally very disappointed to hear about their closure.”
He added: “Unfortunately it wasn’t our decision, Carlton Interactive decided it was time for the sites to close.”
The move leaves 12 staff, 4 of which will sell advertising space on the remaining Carlton sites; Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Survivor, Taste and Carlton.com.
Granada has announced that it plans to cut 80 jobs from Wellbeing, the joint venture which it launched with Boots four months ago. It was hoped that the venture, which was conceived as a broadband operation combining a TV channel and interactive services, would be a blue print for future joint ventures.
However the future of Carlton and Granada’s internet sales operations remains uncertain now that the launch of ITV interactive, a centralised division for the two companies to run their online and interactive sites, has been confirmed.
Carlton Interactive: 020 7663 3663 www.carlton.com Granada: 020 7620 1620 www.grandamedia.com
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