ITV Digital assets go under the hammer

NEWS The contents of ITV Digital's UK headquarters in London are to be auctioned off as the company's liquidator Deloitte and Touche finally lays it to rest. The auction, to take place in early September, will put up for sale all fixtures and fittings in the company's Battersea offices - from technical equipment, such as edit suites to furniture such as swivel chairs and sofas. Even the company's most-prized asset - the woollen Monkey which fronted the company's advertising - will put in an appearance. Although the outstanding stock of Monkeys was sold to the Gadget Shop last month for £250,000, it turns out there were still a few knocking around the office which will also be put up for sale. Among the other items up for sale are "three fully redundant digital terrestrial television multiplexors and compression suites, a mirrored disaster recovery suite and full test, presentation and edit suites". According to Matthew Hardy, from the auctioneer Wyles-Hardy, literature relating to the sale has already been sent out to companies in 137 countries worldwide. Hardy said the diverse range of lots will mean bidders will include everybody from members of the public looking for a bargain on a video recorder to office suppliers, buying job lots of swivel chairs, right up to large overseas broadcasters buying the technical equipment. The two-day auction begins on 4 September. Hardy said he expects the broadcast equipment to be bought by an overseas broadcaster as opposed to the new UK digital terrestrial licence holder, a consortium of broadcasters headed up by the BBC. While Hardy would not put an expected value on the sale he said it will raise a "significant sum of money" for administrator Deloitte and Touche. If you are interested in launching your own digital terrestrial TV station, or want to buy yourself some office equipment of a new television, log on to http://www.wyles-hardy.com for full details of the auction. Alternatively if you are unable to attend on the day you can participate in a live webcast.