Tech
Carlton shareholders will demand closure of ITV Digital in six months time if there have been no signs of improvement, according to an article in the Independent On Sunday today.
Major investors in the company, which has a 50-50 stake in ITV Digital alongside Granada Media, are worried that the platform will fail to become a serious contender to Sky Digital, the market leader.
It has been predicted that a further investment of £250m will be needed for the outfit to break even, equating to 1.7 million subscribers. Analysts suspect that is unlikely to happen until 2003 at the very earliest.
One unnamed investor told the 'paper: "We think Carlton's investment is too aggressive. It is funding they can ill afford. We are biased towards Carlton significantly reducing its investment. If there are no signs of improvement in six months, then I don't think our patience will last."
The future of ITV Digital may not be so bleak, however. It has been heavily rumoured that the company has been in talks with BSkyB over the last month concerning a possible tie-up, or co-operation, in managing the service.
Earlier this week, the Government unveiled its Digital Action Plan, which hints at an acceleration towards analogue shutoff. Predictably, ITV Digital welcomed the plans.
Major investors in the company, which has a 50-50 stake in ITV Digital alongside Granada Media, are worried that the platform will fail to become a serious contender to Sky Digital, the market leader.
It has been predicted that a further investment of £250m will be needed for the outfit to break even, equating to 1.7 million subscribers. Analysts suspect that is unlikely to happen until 2003 at the very earliest.
One unnamed investor told the 'paper: "We think Carlton's investment is too aggressive. It is funding they can ill afford. We are biased towards Carlton significantly reducing its investment. If there are no signs of improvement in six months, then I don't think our patience will last."
The future of ITV Digital may not be so bleak, however. It has been heavily rumoured that the company has been in talks with BSkyB over the last month concerning a possible tie-up, or co-operation, in managing the service.
Earlier this week, the Government unveiled its Digital Action Plan, which hints at an acceleration towards analogue shutoff. Predictably, ITV Digital welcomed the plans.
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