[Rdd]

It was floated in July 1986, Thorn EMI and BET retained significant shareholdings (more than they had intended) after then until Pearson took over. If you look at late 1980s programmes you will see it had become “Thames Television plc” at that point (though re-registration as a plc does not definitively indicate a stock market listing, it is a prequiste to doing so).

[James2001]

Did the Thames name ever truly disappear though? I do remember the late 1990s logo with “Thames - A Pearson Television Company” with the once proud logo reduced to just Tower Bridge, but was there any period when it was just Pearson TV, with no sign of Thames? If there was I think it may have been very brief.

No, it never disappeared entirely, but Pearson did use several brand names in the late 90s/early 00s (Grundy and Fremantle most notably) and they did seem to start getting more prominent at the expense of Thames before the end, then in 2001 they got rid of the other names, in the UK at least, and used the Thames name exclusively.

[Bluecortina]

It was floated in July 1986, Thorn EMI and BET retained significant shareholdings (more than they had intended) after then until Pearson took over. If you look at late 1980s programmes you will see it had become “Thames Television plc” at that point (though re-registration as a plc does not definitively indicate a stock market listing, it is a prequiste to doing so).

Yes, I see that now on Wiki etc - thank you for the clarification.

[Stooky Bill]

Did the Thames name ever truly disappear though? I do remember the late 1990s logo with “Thames - A Pearson Television Company” with the once proud logo reduced to just Tower Bridge, but was there any period when it was just Pearson TV, with no sign of Thames? If there was I think it may have been very brief.

No, it never disappeared entirely, but Pearson did use several brand names in the late 90s/early 00s (Grundy and Fremantle most notably) and they did seem to start getting more prominent at the expense of Thames before the end, then in 2001 they got rid of the other names, in the UK at least, and used the Thames name exclusively.

Pearson were the first production company (I think) to split their productions brands into genres, which is fairly common now. 

So if their programme was a game show it became a Grundy Production, if it was drama it was Thames - both The Bill and Family Affairs were Thames, and IIRC Alamo was comedy. There were a few exceptions, for example Neighbours sensibly stayed a Grundy production, not Thames, and This is Your Life stayed Thames

This changed towards the end of Pearson ownership when they bought Talkback and merged that with Thames to become Talk back Thames. This was the nearest the Thames brand came to disappearing. 

In 2011 the new owners RTL/Freemantle split Talkback and Thames and did the genre thing again with Boundless for factual shows.
Retort for scripted comedy. Talkback for comedy entertainment.Thames for entertainment shows.... hence X Factor was a Thames show

[Stooky Bill]

It was floated in July 1986, Thorn EMI and BET retained significant shareholdings (more than they had intended) after then until Pearson took over. If you look at late 1980s programmes you will see it had become “Thames Television plc” at that point (though re-registration as a plc does not definitively indicate a stock market listing, it is a prequiste to doing so).

They tried floating it in 1982 but were blocked by the IBA. Then EMI and BET almost sold the company to Carlton in 1985 but that was also  blocked by the IBA. 

The listing of Thames didn't go as well as Thorn and BET wanted - they wanted to have only a 28% stake, but ended up with 56%. They did try and sell Thames in 1990, with Carlton as a potential buyer but it didn't happen and they eventually sold to Pearson in 1994

[JAS84]

I assume Carlton saved money by outbidding them for the London Weekday ITV franchise instead of buying them directly?

[Stuart]

I assume Carlton saved money by outbidding them for the London Weekday ITV franchise instead of buying them directly?

I think at that time Carlton just wanted to be a 'publisher broadcaster', commissioning programmes instead of making them, rather like C4.  It was only when they bought Central that they became more involved in production.

I'm surprised that they seriously considered buying Thames in 1985, who were quite a prolific production house.

[Stooky Bill]

I assume Carlton saved money by outbidding them for the London Weekday ITV franchise instead of buying them directly?

I think at that time Carlton just wanted to be a 'publisher broadcaster', commissioning programmes instead of making them, rather like C4.  It was only when they bought Central that they became more involved in production.

I'm surprised that they seriously considered buying Thames in 1985, who were quite a prolific production house.

I'm not sure what was cheaper, buying an ITV company or starting one. Certainly by 1993 it could be done on the cheap, as a publisher and hiring facilities but in 1985 that wasn't an option, and of course there was no other way to enter the system or get a TV broadcast license. Also in 1985 there was a lot of money to be made from ITV - it was still the proverbial 'license to print money'.

They were a facilities company in the 80's, buying Thames would have added to that massively and I'm sure there were lots of cost savings to be made as well as possibly some asset stripping. It was a controversial takeover attempt and that was probably one of the reasons, ITV and the IBA were quite keen on keeping the status quo.

1990 was more of a gamble - seems both RTL and Carlton were possible buyers, but imagine buying an ITV company knowing that 18 months later it might not be anymore... not a great risk even for Carlton

[Milkshake]

Main reason Carlton never got hold of Thames in the mid 80s was IBA made it clear no one could own a maj of share in any ITV company, even thought its main 2 owners at the time wanted out. Even when Thames floated on the stock market not many were sold.

[Stuart]

Main reason Carlton never got hold of Thames in the mid 80s was IBA made it clear no one could own a maj of share in any ITV company, even thought its main 2 owners at the time wanted out.  Even when Thames floated on the stock market not many were sold.

The rule was that no ITV franchise could own a majority in another, which is why Trident (Yorkshire and Tyne Tees) was forced by the IBA to de-merge in 1980. The rules were later changed which eventually allowed the formation of ITV plc.

During the 1980s/1990s most ITV franchises had a majority shareholder. There was nothing to prevent that, as it's the usual structure of a company. At the time Thames had two shareholders: EMI was the majority with 51%.

I think the issue the IBA had with a Carlton purchase of Thames was that they already had considerable advertising and media interests elsewhere.