ITV call centre jobs in the balance

Des Lynam is the star of ITV Sport's football coverage

Troubled broadcaster ITV Digital has dismissed as "speculation" rumours a Welsh call centre could close with the loss of 900 jobs.

The company, which filed for administration in the High Court at 1500 GMT, employs customer service officers at Pembroke Dock.

But the TV network is threatened with closure after a cash crisis sparked by low take-up and an expensive football contract.

A move into administration will not lead to the immediate closing of ITV Digital - programmes will still be broadcast and suppliers and staff paid, sources close to the company said.

Monkey has not been able to rescue ITV Digital

ITV chief executive Stuart Prebble said the business at Cleddau Bridge's Cyber Bay centre was crucial to the business when the Welsh Assembly announced expansion of the facility in February 2000.

Launched to a fanfare in November 1998 as onDigital, ITV Digital has attracted just 1.3m subscribers to its digital-through-an-aerial offering.

SkyDigital now numbers 5.7m satellite customers, however.

Left reeling after the industry-wide crash in advertising revenue and a big fee to broadcast Nationwide League football coverage, owners Carlton and Granada could now set to pull the plug on the loss-making venture.

Job news hailed

In 2000, the Welsh Assembly hoped 1,100 call centre jobs would be created at the Pembrokeshire site, purpose-built by the Welsh Development Agency.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan hailed the arrival of Cyber Bay - a facility for New Economy companies - as a "the beginning of a new era" when employment agency Manpower took control of the site with infrastructure supplier 7C in February of that year.

ITV Digital facts

Launched 1998 as onDigital

Funding £800m

Subscribers 1.3m

Break-even forecast 2003

23% of customers leave after a year

£315m football deal

It was the biggest investment for three decades in the jobs blackspot, far west of the more prosperous M4 corridor.

The area had been hit by cutbacks in the local oil industry and military services.

ITV Chief Executive Stuart Prebble said the facility and another at Plymouth were crucial to the expansion of the enterprise.

The site, which opened with 200 Manpower service centre staff, soon took on 600 more and was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh during a Royal visit with the Queen.

Pembrokeshire County Council was given £1.5m to assist in the jobs initiative.

But plans to create 300 more call staff jobs were shelved in December 2001, when the company announced it was axing 550 workers from a centre in Devon.

'Business as usual'

An ITV Digital spokesman said it was just "speculation" that more jobs would now be lost.

And a spokeswoman for Manpower told BBC News Online it was "very much business as usual" for call centre staff at Cleddau Bridge.

"They are handling 20,000 calls a day," Jill Roberts said.

"Customers still need looking after; they are being reassured the service will not disappear from their screens abruptly.

The Football League deal pushed ITV Digital over the edge

"Management are communicating with staff about likely outcomes; workers are having information as soon as it becomes available.

Carmarthen West & Pembs South MP Nick Ainger said he did not anticipate immediate job losses.

Company representatives filed for administration at the High Court in London on Wednesday afternoon, despite a last-ditch attempt by the Football League to avoid the network's collapse.

The £315m cost of television rights to broadcast Football League games is one of the principal reasons for the business's failure.

Granada and Carlton said they could only pay £50m next season - but the soccer body, which represents Nationwide League, demanded at least £90m.