ITV Takes Full Ownership of GMTV

LONDON: ITV has acquired the remaining 25-percent stake in GMTV from The Walt Disney Company, giving it full ownership in the breakfast-time channel.

ITV, which had already owned a 75-percent share, said the acquisition is part of its strategy to focus on its core activities and will allow closer integration between ITV and the breakfast service. John Cresswell, the COO at ITV, said: “GMTV is the gateway to the ITV day and a perfect fit with ITV’s existing daytime programming. It represents an exciting opportunity to create a highly complementary daytime schedule offering great programming from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.”