The appointments see control of the ITV network jobs split equally between Granada and Carlton. Desmond is currently chief executive of Granada Broadcasting and Enterprises while Jones is chief executive of Carlton channels.
The two have said their first task will be to get more agreement between the two parties over the running of ITV and end the lobbying between the ITV companies and Network Centre.
Desmond said it was time to bring to an end the "them and us culture" and that he and Jones planned to "reposition the network on two fronts -- with the audience and with the advertisers".
The new managing directors are expected to look at channelling some of the money the network will save now that it no longer has to carry ITV Digital, which was haemorrhaging £1m a day, into ITV's programming budget, which has been capped at £747m a year.
"What you will see are some announcements coming out in the next few weeks and some of that will be financial. We have a clear statement of intent to focus on our core business," Desmond said.
ITV will also have to build some bridges with advertisers. It is locked in a legal battle with the IPA, after the broadcaster insisted on enforcing tough new credit assurances on advertising, which could cost media buyers as much as £250,000.
The IPA threatened ITV with legal action after the broadcaster refused a media buyer credit and threatened to pull its client's ads while negotiations over the issue were continuing.
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