Granada And BBC To Form Regional Production Facilities Joint Venture

Their flagship soap operas may be the battle ground for top ratings, but the BBC and Granada Media are planning to join forces to create a joint venture company offering production facilities from Granada’s Manchester home.

Granada Media will own 80% of the joint venture, called 3sixtymedia, while the BBC will own the remaining 20%. The assets at launch for the venture are expected to be around £11m. The production facilities of BBC Manchester and Granada Television will combine for an expected autumn launch, with services including studio, post-production, graphics and creative. Granada’s site in Manchester has invested in digital wide screen technology for all stages of the production process.

Brenda Smith, managing director of Granada Television said,”The creation of this new independent company with the BBC will enable Manchester to compete strongly with London facilities businesses and secure creative and technical jobs in our region.”

Although the BBC has no plans at present to move from its site in Oxford Road, some 340 Granada and 85 BBC staff will be transferred into the joint venture. The launch of the company will be subject to the approval of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

The board of the new company will be made up of five directors, three from Granada and two from the BBC. Brenda Smith will chair the business, and will be joined by Granada colleagues Mike Taylor, currently general manager of Granada Television, who will be managing director of 3sixtymedia, and Richard Gerard, currently financial controller of Granada Media Resources. The BBC directors will be Stephen Killick, BBC Resources’ director of finance and Paul Grice, currently the BBC’s director of operations, nations and regions.

BBC Manchester: 0161 200 2020 BBC Resources: 0121 432 8822 Granada Media: 020 7620 1620