Granada, the struggling ITV company, yesterday said it plans to cut up to 80 jobs from Wellbeing, the health TV channel and website.

The operation, a joint venture with Boots, launched only four months ago but has not been a success with viewers. Reports suggest it has attracted an average of just 12,000.

Fellow ITV company Carlton also confirmed plans to close its two remaining non-programme related websites Popcorn and Jamba. Carlton is merging its internet resource into a central ITV operation, and is cutting 40 jobs.

Both moves will further depress sentiment surrounding the sustainability of the "new economy". Wellbeing was conceived as a broadband operation which would combine a TV channel and interactive services. Currently programmes on specific areas of health such as asthma redirect to the internet site where Boots products can be bought.

Granada had hoped it would be a blueprint for future joint ventures and the two sides promised an investment of £18m this year. A spokeswoman said the cuts, which will leave Wellbeing with 30 staff, were not related to the wider malaise at ITV. "We reviewed the content on the station and will be reformatting to focus on certain areas and less live programming. This was a new venture and has nothing to do with the rest of ITV."

There is growing expectation that there will be a shake out among the hundreds of digital TV channels that have launched. Smaller channels are coming under increasing pressure from terrestrial broadcasters' digital channels including E4 and the planned ITV Sport.

There is speculation that Granada is also planning to pare back its Breeze entertainment channel.