Carlton HTV purchase details Posted Tue Oct 24 09:53:03 BST 2000 by 'Weird Al Yankovic'

A press release from Carlton today:

Carlton Communications Plc ("Carlton") announced today that it has agreed the terms for the acquisition of HTV, the ITV broadcaster for Wales and the West of England, from Granada Media plc ("Granada Media"). The consideration consists of net cash of £181m payable on legal completion of the transaction and Carlton's 20 per cent stake in Meridian, the ITV broadcaster for the South East of England, already 80 per cent owned by Granada Media.

HTV broadcasts to 4.5m people and is the neighbouring ITV broadcaster to Carlton's Midlands and West Country stations.

Including HTV, Carlton will broadcast to over 26m homes or almost 50 per cent of the UK population. Carlton's stations will account for 40 per cent of ITV's net advertising revenue and just over 10 per cent of UK total television viewing, below the legislative ceiling of 15 per cent.

Carlton is acquiring net assets of £33m, which generated operating profits of £14m in the year ended 31st December 1999. HTV's advertising sales were £110m in 1999. In the same period, Meridian made pre-tax profits of £30m on sales of £232m and had net assets of £63m.

Gerry Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Carlton, said:

"Bringing HTV together with Carlton's ITV stations makes perfect sense. We will build on HTV's strong track record of delivering high quality news and regional programmes while offering advertisers the whole of the West of England and Wales as a package."

"ITV is the most watched television channel in the UK and one of the most successful free-to-air broadcasters in the world. This move adds to our strong position in ITV and represents good value for our shareholders. Carlton and Granada Media are now better placed to work in partnership to maximise the value of both ITV and ONdigital, our jointly owned digital terrestrial television business."

Carlton has assumed immediate management and control of HTV and Granada Media has assumed effective control of Carlton's stake in Meridian pending legal completion of the transaction. Legal completion will follow completion of Granada Media's acquisition of HTV from United News & Media plc, which is expected to occur by the end of 2000


Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Dan F (on a black day for broadcasting)' on Tue Oct 24 09:57:05 BST 2000:

HTV RIP

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Damian' on Tue Oct 24 10:06:01 BST 2000:

On the contrary, I don't think this will be too bad. My main gripe with Carlton is renaming other channels, but there would be extra political pressure on them not to rename HTV (Wales anyway).

Carlton's investment in Westcountry was much needed, and (this is one for the idents fans among us) their presentation is much, much better than Granada's.

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Dan F (on a sad day for ITV)' on Tue Oct 24 10:11:23 BST 2000:

>On the contrary, I don't think this will be too bad. My main gripe with Carlton is renaming other channels, but there would be extra political pressure on them not to rename HTV (Wales anyway).
>
Will they finally carry out the merger of the South-West and West of England franchises? Westward TV campaigned for this in the 1970s, and wound up the IBA no end, contributing to the list of reasons to take their franchise away. HTV West would then become Carlton, with Mendip providing another opt-out during Westcountry Live. And if Damian's political pressure theory is correct HTV would be reduced to Wales only.

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Bods on Tue Oct 24 10:14:12 BST 2000:

As the press release will look in a few years time:

"Carlton Communications today announced that it is buying Carlton Television Broadcasting In The West And Wales".

In Carlton's dreams it would be:

"Calrton is purchasing the station from the Carlton Media Group, which owns Carlton, Carlton, Carlton, Carlton Weekend, Carlton and Tyne Tees Television.

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Anonymous' on Tue Oct 24 20:05:43 BST 2000:

I think that Carlton have realised the mistake they have made with Central & Westcountry.

Don't expect a change in the near future.

PS. If they change the name, the Welsh will give Carlton WAR!!!!

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Mich' on Wed Oct 25 12:13:37 BST 2000:

It will be interesting to see if they rename it, if they do it will be a black day for all of us but if they don't it should surely mean caentral and westcountry will come back, or am I just being optimistic.

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Dan F' on Wed Oct 25 12:30:02 BST 2000:

>It will be interesting to see if they rename it, if they do it will be a black day for all of us but if they don't it should surely mean caentral and westcountry will come back, or am I just being optimistic.

Just a little.

Subject: Re: Carlton HTV purchase details [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Anonymous' on Wed Oct 25 14:43:45 BST 2000:

Just turned on the TV and HTV's ident now has a Carlton one!!!!













.........that was just a rehearsal.

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