ITV Digital 'up for sale' (From Western Telegraph)

ITV Digital 'up for sale'

ITV Digital is to be put up for sale.

In a statement on Monday evening, administrators Deloitte and Touche confirmed that it had 'not been possible to restructure the cost base of ITV Digital'. They had been given an extra seven days by the High Court to negotiate a deal with the Football League.

Uncertainty has hung over the 900 jobs at the Pembroke Dock Call Centre for several weeks.

Adminstrator Nick Dargan said: 'We are now in discussion with the Independent Television Commission about an accelerated process leading to a sale as a going concern.

'We expect to make an announcement about the process on Thursday. We can confirm that services to subscribers continue.'

Mr Scott Henricks, operations director for 7C which manages the centre, said: 'The fact that there is an accelerated sales process means we are hopeful there will be a successful completion soon.'

He stressed that instrumental to the success will be the continuation by staff in carrying out a 'fantastic job' of delivering a good service, just as they had done in the difficult circumstances over the past few weeks.

He said that staff had been immediately briefed on Monday's announcement.

Meanwhile, Preseli MP Jackie Lawrence is calling for an 'early and specific' debate on the future of digital television.

'Our first concern in Pembrokeshire must be to preserve the 900 jobs that have been created at the Cleddau centre over the past two years and everyone is pulling out all the stops to do that but there are also other important national issues involved if ITV Digital goes to the wall,'' she says.

She suggests that the difficulties faced by both ITV Digital and cable companies in recent weeks raise important competition issues and have implications for the Government's plans to switch off the analogue signal in 2006.

Support from Rhodri

ASSEMBLY First Minister Rhodri Morgan gives the thumbs up to staff during a visit to ITV Digital's Pembroke Dock call centre on Friday. Admitting it was a difficult time for them, he told the Western Telegraph: 'If ITV Digital does go, then I am quietly confident that we, the Welsh Assembly, and Manpower can find another operator to move into the call centre.' He added that it would not be difficult to find another employer who wanted to use such a very highly qualified workforce. Local Assembly Member Christine Gwyther said she had been keen for Rhodri Morgan to visit the centre. 'Things are looking good. Manpower has assured us that they will seek another employer if ITV Digital leaves,' she said. 'The reason why politicians have got involved at this stage is to show their support for the staff and to recognise that they are among the best trained call centre workforce and that the facilities at Pembroke Dock are the best in the UK. They have everything to play for.' * Mr Morgan is pictured with customer services representative Jerome Bartlett, of Haverfordwest, and Tony Williams, team manager. PICTURE: Western Telegraph.