OnDigital to switch on channel

Design appointments are expected following confirmation that Carlton Communications and Granada are to launch a new sports channel and website and rebrand pay-TV operation OnDigital as ITV Digital.

Under the proposals, ITV will operate three businesses, ITV Channels, ITV Digital and ITV.com. The ITV Sport Channel, which will launch in August, is part of ITV Channels. ITV.com will launch by the end of the year.

No dates have been set for the appointment of consultancies, but work is likely to include branding, website design and on-screen idents. However, an ITV spokeswoman says, “We do a huge amount of design work in-house.”

An OnDigital spokesman maintains that it is still too early to comment on appointments to rebrand or design projects for the ITV Sport Channel. However, the company is known to have had discussions with at least one consultancy, Hobbins Sides, about the OnDigital project.

The initiatives form part of Carlton’s and Granada’s plans to align ITV and OnDigital to create an integrated free-to-air, pay television and on-line media business.

ITV Channels will encompass its terrestrial and digital channels. ITV Sport Channel will combine ITV and OnDigital’s sports rights, showing Nationwide League football and UEFA Champions League, as well as the Worthington Cup.