TW to buy ITV?

BuffyBot

Time Warner may bid for ITV

I wonder if this will go through. Since Carlton and Granada merged, I figured it was only a matter of time before some of the big US companies came sniffing around ITV

byte

Wow. Wonder what changes would be made if TW did take over. I don't think they can make the network much worse than what it is now... though you never know.

BuffyBot

I don't think they would make all that many changes in terms of programming etc - ITV (in commercial terms) is making a nice bit of cash, which of course would make them happy enough. If we're lucky, we might even see some investment in programming from TW's deep pockets (maybe even some co-prodiuctions).

If anything I can see them "cross-pollinating" between divisions, which is you see a lot of in the US (exclusive Warner Brothers movie trailers on AOL, CNN providing news content etc).

If anything was to change, you might see ITN being merged with CNN Europe (in the long term) and the news for ITV being sourced from CNN. Other deals would be made with ITV getting first call on terrestrial rights to WB/New Line movies etc and possibly programming the Time Warner portfolio for broadcast on ITV2/3/4 etc.

All just speculation, but it would be interesting to see what might come of a deal like this should it come about.

Oh, and if they do decide to make radical cuts, lets pray that Ant and Dec are first in line

Elmo

For us over here in Ireland.

It will prob mean that TV3 will get contract for US shows from Time Warner.

And it may put ITV in a position to buy the rest of TV3 from Canwest.

I might be a good thing if Greg Dyke gets to be ITV CEO.

Ulsterman 1690

Probably lots more reruns from their US network WB :rolleyes:

Elmo

Time Warner own alot of other TV and Film companies, so their is a huge selection to choose from.