It is increasingly evident that the "marriage of equals" (as the merger between Britain's dominant ITV duo was once billed) is anything but -- except in the Orwellian sense.
The overriding dominance of Granada in the merged ITV's executive echelons [WAMN: 13-Oct-03] was underscored by Monday's appointment of Graham Duff, former head of Granada Enterprises, as boss of the broadcaster's single integrated sales organization.
His first task, says Duff, is to ensure that "the right people, sales structure and processes" are in installed in the new expanded division -- the creation of which is bitterly opposed by Britain's advertisers and agencies.
Duff hopes to pour oil on these troubled waters: " ITV Sales will need to work in very close partnership with advertisers and media buyers and really let TV and ITV deliver for advertisers' brands," he soothed.
Top of his agenda will be the so-called Contract Renewal Rights formula [WAMN: 06-Nov-03], which many see as a sop thrown by the Office of Fair Trading to disgruntled advertisers and agencies. Its provisions include the appointment of an independent adjudicator with a TV advertising background .
Data sourced from: mad.co.uk; additional content by WARC staff
