Open Letter to the OFT, MMC, BSC, ITC regarding Carlton & Granada Merger
devolution
(cc: The Broadcasting Standards Commission)
(cc: The Office of Fair Trading)
(cc: Usenet)
Dear Sir(s),
I would like to complain unreservedly about the potential for the biggest
Television monopoly the world has ever seen.
I refer to, of course, the forthcoming, seemingly inevitable merger between
the two (corrupt*) ITV companies Carlton and Granada.
I don't know how anyone can let them proceed after the way they destroyed
the UK's Digital Terrestrial Television service, and defrauded millions of
customers in the UK out of billions of pounds, and their TV channels..
I wholeheartedly demand an investigation into the practices of the said ITV
companies.
They should not be allowed to merge together and further destroy the
so-called Independent TeleVision in the UK. That's what ITV is supposed to
stand for. At the moment, it stands for Irresponsible, Infidel, and if this
merger is allowed to go ahead, anyone in their right mind will realise that
things will only get worse.
Independent - that's supposed to mean operating Independently, Individually.
I have repeatedly submitted complaints about these companies to the
Independent Television Commission, yet I have been fobbed off on every
occasion. I don't know why they are blind to see the damage ITV has caused
to so many countless people, organisations and companies.
If these ITV companies are allowed to continue their devilishly corrupt
acts, millions of children will grow up on a diet of despicable filth and
materialistic hollowness - following the trash that ITV does and will output
in even greater quantity. They will be slaves to what ITV says they have to
wear, what ITV says they have to buy, who ITV says they have to go out with.
ITV will ruin them, because no-one, except me bothered to stand up for the
public and point out how disgraceful the companies have behaved, and would
continue to behave.
(* How can I say this - well I used to work in the Music Industry and I
discovered the corruption etc. going on with regards to the Pop Idol et al.
'talent' shows. And it doesn't take much of an intellectual leap to conclude
reasonably what ITV is trying to do.).
ITV is supposed to represent the nation's interests in Televisual
entertainment. Instead, it promotes it's own greed and brand of religion to
naive individuals. If these companies are allowed to merge, then the
situation will be beyond dire.
We must not forget all the damage that these two companies, Carlton and
Granada, have created through their own greed: Shareholders losing billions
of money; Millions of people losing their TV service and their pre-paid
money; Football clubs closing down; ITV programming so awful, that it was
voted worse than Channel 5 - I remember when they said hell would freeze
over first.
I speak on behalf of most of the UK who are fed up at the appalling conduct
of these ITV companies, as many aren't articulate enough to vocalise these
damning issues. I feel that I must highlight these issues to the relevant
authorities, bodies and commissions, as it is in their foundational charters
to provide the best deal for the general public of the United Kingdom, and I
sadly feel that the public's views are being repeatedly overlooked in favour
of greater tax returns and lower unemployment.
I am prepared to start and formulate a petition to stop these companies from
merging.
I would be grateful if you could advise me on what is the best course of
action.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr Matt Warne
__________________________________________________________
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Andrew MacPherson
cheek...@NOSPAMhotmail.com (devolution) wrote:
> I would like to complain unreservedly about the potential for the
> biggest Television monopoly the world has ever seen.
I heard someone talking on Working Lunch (or maybe Breakfast) about how UK
TV companies are currently vulnerable to a buy-out by one of the big
American players. In light of this I'm inclined to accept the proposed
merger as the lesser of two evils.
Andrew McP
wstott
> (cc: The Independent Television Commission)
> (cc: The Broadcasting Standards Commission)
> (cc: The Office of Fair Trading)
> (cc: Usenet)
>
> Dear Sir(s),
>
> I would like to complain unreservedly about the potential for the biggest
> Television monopoly the world has ever seen.
Never heard of SKY?
> I refer to, of course, the forthcoming, seemingly inevitable merger between
> the two (corrupt*) ITV companies Carlton and Granada.
>
> I don't know how anyone can let them proceed after the way they destroyed
> the UK's Digital Terrestrial Television service,
The football clubs did that with their greed.
> and defrauded millions of customers in the UK out of billions of pounds,
> and their TV channels..
Billions of pounds / millions of people = thousands of pounds each.
They owe me about Ł108, I have their reciever worth aboutŁ100.
We're quits.
[snip]
>
> If these ITV companies are allowed to continue their devilishly corrupt
> acts, millions of children will grow up on a diet of despicable filth and
> materialistic hollowness -
At this point I stopped reading, concluding that Mr Warne should
"calm down".
Willie
--
------ wil...@riscpc.co.uk ------
Philomena
>"devolution" <cheek...@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
>
>> and defrauded millions of customers in the UK out of billions of pounds,
>> and their TV channels..
>Billions of pounds / millions of people = thousands of pounds each.
>
>They owe me about Ł108, I have their reciever worth aboutŁ100.
>We're quits.
Not to mention that there weren't millions of customers. 1.2 million
is the highest figure I've heard mentioned. I believe that was part
of the problem!
Steve
"Philomena" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3da80778....@news.cis.dfn.de...
Don't forget that a only a proportion of the 1.2 million will be owed money
as it will only be those on prepay (excluding those that got prepay when we
all knew it was going tits up in order to get a box).
Steve
Philomena
So instead of millions of customers losing billions, it's more likely
to be a few hundred customers at most -- the ones who were on prepay,
couldn't get a credit-card refund, and who don't actually want the box
they've been left with because they've moved to satellite or cable or
prefer to buy one of the new boxes.
I didn't know that people were subscribing just to get a box, after it
was obvious ITVD was collapsing. Was that good value? For less than
the sub they could've had a more uptodate box, and the Pace box had
been pre-announced by then.
Steve
the Pace was either out or its release had been announced at the time
though.
Steve
David Lees
I subscribed at the end and never paid anything. I have still got the box
but of course they could still ask for it back.
Philomena
Unlikely though. Looks like you got yourself a free box.
David Lees
Well, that was the plan. Actually, the plan was to pay for a couple of
months worth of ITV Digital and end up with a cheap box but the way things
happened is even better.
Rincewind
believe.........or select the ultimate sanction.....the OFF button?
Oh....and you don't speak for "most" of the UK....just for yourself!
"devolution" <cheek...@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ao7nsk$qra$1...@helle.btinternet.com...
Tony Walton
>
> (cc: The Independent Television Commission)
> (cc: The Broadcasting Standards Commission)
> (cc: The Office of Fair Trading)
> (cc: Usenet)
Typed in green ink, presumably?
>
> I don't know how anyone can let them proceed after the way they destroyed
> the UK's Digital Terrestrial Television service, and defrauded millions of
> customers in the UK out of billions of pounds, and their TV channels..
"Defrauded millions of customers" how, exactly?
<rant snipped>
--
Tony Walton
devolution
---------------------------
Dear Mr Warne
Thank you for your letter.
Unfortunately, the Competition Commission does not have the authority to
initiate its own investigations. It only has jurisdiction to investigate a
matter if it receives a formal reference from the appropriate authority;
generally the Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) in the case of
monopolies or the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (DTI) in the
case of mergers and certain other matters.
If you would like to follow up this matter, please write to Office of Fair
Trading
"devolution" <cheek...@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ao7nsk$qra$1...@helle.btinternet.com...
Tom Hawley
> Trading
Yeah and this time don't drag me and most of the UK into it. This is your
personal battle not ours.
Steve
"Tom Hawley" <motREVER...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:M3Vq9.3530$Vv3....@newsfep1-gui.server.ntli.net...
Philomena
>Reply from MMC:
>---------------------------
>Dear Mr Warne
>
>
>
>Thank you for your letter.
>
>
>
>Unfortunately, the Competition Commission does not have the authority to
>initiate its own investigations. It only has jurisdiction to investigate a
>matter if it receives a formal reference from the appropriate authority;
>generally the Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) in the case of
>monopolies or the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (DTI) in the
>case of mergers and certain other matters.
>If you would like to follow up this matter, please write to Office of Fair
>Trading
It's a form letter. They have a selection of letters and a secretary
or mail clerk picks the most suitable one out of those available and
sends it to the enquirer. It doesn't mean anything.
The proposed Carlton-Granada merger will automatically trigger a
referral to the regulators, as has been endlessly reported and
speculated on in all the different newspapers. There is no need for
individuals to beg for it to be investigated. Just follow the news
and you'll no doubt be able to trace the progress towards success or
failure of the merger proposal.
Tony Walton
Perhaps this *is* his hobby?
--
Tony