Editing ITV Granada (section)

===Early years===
Most ITV franchisees viewed their territories as stopgaps before winning a coveted London franchise. In contrast, Granada determined to develop a strong northern identity – northern voices, northern programmes, northern idents with phrases such as ''Granada from the north'', ''From the north — Granada'' and ''Granadaland''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=ITV |quote=The North-West was sometimes known as 'Granadaland' |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1139047/index.html |work=British Film Institute |access-date=5 August 2011}}</ref> Bernstein refused to employ anyone not prepared to live in or travel to Manchester and [[Jeremy Isaacs]] called him a "genial tyrant" as a result.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bernstein – genial tyrant of Granada: Jeremy Isaacs recalls his former boss and founder of the Granada group, who died at 94 |last=Isaacs |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bernstein--genial-tyrant-of-granada-jeremy-isaacs-recalls-his-former-boss-and-founder-of-the-granada-group-who-died-at-94-1471579.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=7 February 1993 |access-date=1 July 2011}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=I think that what Manchester sees today, London will see eventually.|sign=[[Sidney Bernstein, Baron Bernstein|Sidney Bernstein]] on his hopes that Granada would eventually develop as a key player in British broadcasting in the 1950s.<ref name="friends">{{Cite news |title=Our friends in the north |last=Cooke |first=Rachel |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/television/2010/01/television-room-granada-urbis |work=[[New Statesman]] |location =London |date=30 December 2009 |access-date=30 June 2011}}</ref>}}

Bernstein decided to build new studios rather than hiring space or converting old buildings, an approach favoured by the other ITV companies and by the [[BBC]] at its [[Dickenson Road Studios|original Manchester studios]]. The investment in new studios in 1954 contributed to Granada struggling financially, and the company was close to insolvency by late 1956. All four ITA franchisees were expected to make losses in the first few years of operation, but Granada's was a significant sum of £175,000<ref name="moneywoes">{{cite news |title=Granada Television |url= http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/507673/ |publisher =British Film Institute |website = Screenonline|first = Richard G.|last = Elen}}</ref> (nearly £3.5m in 2011).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/inflation/calculator/flash/default.aspx |title=Bank of England &#124; Education and Museum &#124; Inflation Calculator |access-date=2014-02-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204020030/http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/pages/inflation/calculator/flash/default.aspx |archive-date=4 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> When it first became profitable, it had the lowest profits of the quartet.<ref name="moneywoes"/><ref name=patterson>{{cite book |author= Patterson, Richard |chapter=The Production Context of Coronation Street |title=Television Monograph: Coronation Street |year=1981 |isbn=0-85170-110-8 |publisher=British Film Institute |location=London |pages=54–5}}</ref>

Granada sought the help of [[Associated-Rediffusion]], the London weekday station, which agreed to underwrite Granada's debts in exchange for a percentage of its profits, without the consent of the ITA, who would have blocked it. Granada accepted the deal, but the popularity of ITV increased and profitability followed.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book | author = Black, Peter | title = The mirror in the corner: People's television | publisher = Hutchinson | location = London | year = 1972 | isbn = 978-0-09-110100-8}}</ref> Analysts questioned how Associated-Rediffusion, ABC and [[Associated Television|ATV]] were making annual profits of up to £2.7m by 1959 and yet Granada's profits were under £1m. With the increase in income, Granada tried to renegotiate the contract; Associated-Rediffusion refused, souring relations for many years. The deal was worth over £8m to Rediffusion.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> By the early 1960s Granada was established and its soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'' quickly became popular,<ref name= "moneywoes"/> as did inexpensive game shows such as ''[[Criss Cross Quiz]]'' and ''[[University Challenge]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Good programmes came first |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/oct/13/ITV.broadcasting?INTCMP=SRCH |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 October 2006 |first=Jason |last=Deans}}</ref>