What will ITV deal mean for UTV Ireland?

Will UTV Ireland’s home-grown programming survive a takeover by ITV? Bill Kinlay, chief executive of media buying agency Mindshare, thinks not

Will UTV Ireland’s home-grown programming survive a takeover by ITV? Bill Kinlay, chief executive of media buying agency Mindshare, thinks not.

UTV announced earlier today that it has agreed to sell its television assets to British TV network ITV for £100 million (€136 million), subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.

If the transaction goes ahead as planned, ITV would probably turn UTV Ireland into an opt-out channel, according to Kinlay. This would mean ...