BSkyB To Go After ITV Partners?

BSkyB would be interested in buying a stake in ITV companies Carlton and Granada if the Government changed the current cross media ownership laws, according to CEO Tony Ball.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge Sky’s chief executive said that that if the current broadcasting laws, which prevent BSkyB from owning more than a 20% stake in any commercial broadcaster, were changed, Sky would consider investing in one or both of the ITV partners.

Hall’s comments come at a difficult time for the ITV companies which are suffering falling share prices due to the advertising downturn affected the broadcasting industry.

Granada chairman Charles Allen and CEO Steve Morrison warned the Government in July about the possibility of being bought out by outside investors unless the media ownership laws were reformed (see Granada Warns Of ITV Disaster). In a leaked letter published in the Sunday Times Allen said that he had already received offers from foreign investors tempted by Granada’s increasingly depressed share price.

Rupert Murdoch was rumoured to be in talks with Channel 5 last week over the possibility of acquiring a stake in the company (see BSkyB To Buy Into Channel 5? ), and has made no secret of his ambition to enter into mainstream TV.

BSkyB: 020 7705 3000 www.sky.com

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