[Stuart]

Apart from Thames losing, it's all moot now anyway of course. Everything would've still consolidated. Thames survived as an indie, so they're the one thing that would've been different. They'd surely have eventually been taken over by Granada instead of Fremantle Media.

It didn't really matter who the players were in the end. As much as it was touted as a 'merger' in 2004, it was a takeover by Granada.

I suspect that eventually STV would have settled for the right price. However, things have now moved on. You don't need a physical UK-wide transmission network through buying up all the franchises, you can simply peddle your wares online (rights permitting) and reap the advertising revenue.

I know ITVX ask for your location when you first register, but do they actually have any way of checking?