Granada to cut 100 jobs

The last six months have been busy for U.K. media bigwig Granada, with the purchase of United News & Media's broadcasting assets (for £1,750 million/US$2.5 billion) and the sale of HTV to Carlton (for £181 million/US$255.5 million). However, the combination of significant expansion and a drop in ad sales means the company's next step is to streamline its operations.

Granada has announced plans to phase out 100 jobs over two years, which works out to approximately 2% of the company's total staff of 5,000. A Granada spokesperson says that most of the staff reductions will come from the company's broadcasting side, rather than production.

Granada has also unveiled a new structure consisting of two general divisions: Granada Platforms and Granada Content. Platforms covers off the company's broadcast interests in ITV, ITV digital, ITV2 and the soon to be launched ITV Sport Channel. Content encompasses all of Granada's production companies, including United Production (of which United Wildlife, now headed by Phil Fairclough, is a part), London Weekend Television and Granada TV. Simon Shaps is the new managing director of the Content division. An MD for the Platforms division is yet to be named.