Granada plc

Granada plc (previously called Granada Ltd, Granada Group plc, and Granada Media plc) was a British conglomerate best known as the former parent of the Manchester-based Granada Television.

The company merged with Carlton Communications in 2004 to become ITV plc. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

Granada has its origins in Sidney Bernstein's Granada Theatres Ltd, a cinema company founded in Dover in 1930. The company was incorporated as Granada Ltd in 1934, with Granada Theatres Ltd turned into a subsidiary. Granada has been listed on the in one form or another since 1935. It was awarded the North of England ITV franchise in 1954. For more details on the history of that part of Granada's business, see ITV Granada. Granada also established a chain of television rental shops from 1959 onwards.

During the 1980s, Granada became involved in the British Satellite Broadcasting satellite television company. This went on air in March 1990, but merged with Sky Television plc in November 1990, to form British Sky Broadcasting, in which Granada had a minority shareholding for some time. In 1991, Granada Theatres Ltd was sold to Bass. In 1994 Granada acquired London Weekend Television. In 1997 it acquired Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television plc, forming Granada Media Group plc.

Granada also bid together with Carlton Communications and British Sky Broadcasting for the UK Digital terrestrial television licence. They won the licence, though BSkyB was excluded from the company, ONdigital for competition grounds. It went on air in 1998.