Granada Restructure Heralds Expansion

Granada has announced the formation of a new division within the company. The Granada Media Group will spearhead the growth of the media and leisure group’s television and media interests. A prime function of the new division will be to manage the launch of Granada’s national pay television project in the Autumn and to help expand Granada’s TV interests both nationally and internationally.

A new triumvirate management team will lead Granada Media Group. They are Charles Allen, Granada Group Chief Executive, who will become GMG Chairman; Duncan Lewis, formerly Chief Executive of Mercury Communications, who is to be the new GMG Chief Executive; and Steve Morrison, currently Deputy Chief Executive of the TV division and Managing Director of LWT, who will be GMG’s Chief Operating Officer.

Charles Allen commented: “Establishing the Granada Media Group creates a cohesive organisational structure within which new acquisitions can be fitted and growth opportunities beyond the ITV Network properly explored.”

This expansion could well include buying the remaining stake in Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television as soon as changes in broadcasting ownership rules come into force through the Broadcasting Bill now before Parliament. Granada recently increased its stake in Yorkshire TV to 20% (Newsline 16/02).

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