BSkyB attacks Canvas consultation

UK pay-TV provider BSkyB has attacked the BBC Trust’s handling of the consultation process for the BBC’s plans for Project Canvas, the proposed free-to-air on-demand service to complement digital-terrestrial platform Freeview and free-to-air satellite platform Freesat.

Sky has written to the BBC Trust, the public broadcaster’s governing body, accusing it of granting insufficient time to respond to the BBC’s expanded set of proposals for the service. Sky has also castigated the Trust for failing to seek an independent market impact assessment from communications regulator Ofcom, and has said that the process will serve to undermine confidence in the Trust’s ability to act as an effective regulator of the BBC.

The BBC Trust, which has set a September 1 deadline for comments on the detailed proposals, has been conducting a market impact assessment and public value test on Canvas’s suitability as a licence fee-funded project since February. The Trust said it had given “ample opportunity” for comment on the proposals.

Canvas is a joint project between the BBC, BT, ITV and Five.