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Media
BBC Trust give Canvas all clear
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 28 June 2010
The BBC Trust has given BBC management the all clear to get involved in Project Canvas, the previously reported collaboration between the BBC, ITV and BT, and others, to develop a standard platform for providing video-on-demand services to Freeview and Freesat viewers.
The project has been criticised by some, most notably Sky and Virgin, who offer rival VoD platforms, who say that for so many broadcasters and net firms to collaborate is anti-competitive. But the Office Of Fair Trading recently announced it wouldn’t be investigating those anti-competition claims, and now the BBC regulator has given the all clear for the Beeb to collaborate with its commercial rivals on this project.
The OFT did previously step in when the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 tried to actually go into business together and launch a jointly owned VoD service (what eventually became the independently owned SeeSaw). But Project Canvas is just a technology-based collaboration, and not an actual VoD service that will utilise BBC, ITV and C4 content archives, which is presumably why both the OFT and BBC Trust have concluded that there is nothing wrong with the venture.
Project Canvas Director Richard Halton said he was “delighted” by the Trust’s decision, telling The Guardian: “This brings the benefits of next-generation TV to all consumers, including those who choose not to subscribe to pay-TV. We look forward to rising to that challenge”.
Sky and Virgin Media are sure to moan about the decision before the day is out.
