Carlton merger plan in jeopardy

THE chairman of ITV company Carlton has threatened to call off its planned merger with Granada if the two groups are forced to sell their

According to reports yesterday, Michael Green said he would pull the plug on the planned tie-up if the Competition Commission orders the sell-offs in order to allow the deal to go ahead. Last week, the competition body included the spin-off of both advertising sales houses on list of possible remedies which could prevent the tie-up being derailed.

But Mr Green was yesterday quoted as saying: “It would not make commercial sense; what would be the point of being divorced from our principle income stream?