der ▁au ction , ▁with ▁few ▁saf egu ards ▁in ▁place . ▁This ▁heavily ▁critic ised ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁review ▁saw ▁four ▁operators ▁replaced , ▁and ▁the ▁operators ▁facing ▁different ▁annual ▁pay ments ▁to ▁the ▁Tre as ury : ▁Central ▁Television , ▁for ▁example , ▁paid ▁only ▁£ 2 0 0 0 — des p ite ▁holding ▁a ▁luc r ative ▁and ▁large ▁region — because ▁it ▁was ▁uno pp osed , ▁while ▁York shire ▁Television ▁paid ▁£ 3 7 . 7 ▁million ▁for ▁a ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁size ▁and ▁status , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁heavy ▁competition . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁changes , ▁I TV ▁as ▁a ▁network ▁began ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁with ▁several ▁companies ▁doing ▁so ▁to ▁save ▁money ▁by ▁ce asing ▁the ▁dup lication ▁of ▁services ▁present ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁all ▁separate ▁companies . ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁I TV ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁five ▁companies , ▁of ▁which ▁two , ▁Carl ton ▁and ▁Gran ada ▁had ▁become ▁major ▁players ▁by ▁ow ning ▁between ▁them ▁all ▁the ▁franch ises ▁in ▁England , ▁Wales , ▁the ▁Scottish ▁borders ▁and ▁the ▁Is le ▁of ▁Man . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁the ▁two ▁merged ▁to ▁form ▁I TV ▁pl c ▁with ▁the ▁only ▁subsequent ▁ac quis itions ▁being ▁the ▁take over ▁of ▁Channel ▁Television , ▁the ▁Channel ▁Islands ▁franch ise , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁and ▁U TV , ▁the ▁franch ise ▁for ▁Northern ▁Ireland , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5