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Popcorn: one of Carlton's web properties |
In the week that the ITC reiterated its desire for the airtime sales houses of Granada and Carlton to remain separate entities, industry sources suggested that the two company's online sales teams would merge before the end of the year. The move is seen as the logical outcome of ITV's desire to pool its new media activities into a single operation, ITV.com. Talks between senior executives at Granada, Carlton and ONdigital began this week in order to determine a timetable for the consolidation. Senior sources also suggested that the sales function on digital channels, including ITV2 and the new ITV Sport channel could also be merged. The two interactive sales houses - Carlton Hyperactive and Granada Interactive - currently pitch against one another for the right to sell advertising on high-profile ITV sites such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Survivor and ITV Weather.
Carlton Hyperactive was launched as a third party sales house late last year and it has since won a number of third party sites - including WebBaby.co.uk, Girland.co.uk and Darkerthanblue.com - and increased its team.
It also sells across Carlton web properties such as Jamba, Popcorn and Taste.co.uk, while Granada is responsible for ITV.co.uk and a smattering of third party contracts.
Carlton Hyperactive chief executive Taryn Newlove said that no decisions had yet been taken.
"It doesn't necessarily follow that as a third party sales house we'd be better off being merged into a single entity," she added.
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