Granada and Carlton have announced plans to save £100 million, as they signalled rapid progress towards completing a merger creating one single ITV company.
The two companies said they planned to integrate certain broadcasting activities and improve operational efficiency.
Granada and Carlton, which today both announced annual results, did not give details of how they planned to achieve the savings.
But trade unions have already called a ballot of Granada staff in protest at a pay offer.
The move by the National Union of Journalists, broadcasting union Bectu and engineering union Amicus, is believed to have been partly prompted by fears that the savings could lead to wide-ranging job cuts.
Today Granada said it had achieved pre-tax profits before exceptionals of £143 million in the year to September 30 against £125 million the year before.
Carlton announced a 32% rise in pre-tax profits before exceptionals and other items to £86 million.