Editing Granada plc (section)

== Merger with Carlton ==
In 2002 speculation began to centre on when, not if, [[Carlton Communications|Carlton]] and Granada would merge. In 2003 a merger was agreed between the two companies, with Granada shareholders owning two-thirds of the new company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3450397.stm|title=ITV shares on London stock market|date=2 February 2004|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> That the new company was in effect a takeover by Granada of Carlton was admitted in the first annual report of the new company, [[ITV plc]], which treated the company as effectively a continuation of Granada plc (with the Carlton merger regarded as an acquisition) for accounting purposes.

The Granada name continues on as the official name of the North West ITV region and its on air regional news programme [[Granada Reports]] and was used to brand productions of ITV plc companies on channels other than ITV branded channels in the United Kingdom until it was replaced by the [[ITV Studios]] brand in 2009.