BBC Trust Gives Go-Ahead to Project Canvas

LONDON: The BBC Trust has given provisional approval for the BBC to participate in Project Canvas, the proposed joint venture that would bring Internet access to TVs via a set-top box.

The joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, plus BT and Carphone Warehouse, aims to develop and promote a common standard that would allow viewers with a broadband connection to watch on-demand services on their television sets, such as the BBC iPlayer or the ITV Player, and other Internet content and regular linear content. Set-top boxes with the new software are expected to be available late next year.

The Trust is proposing some conditions on the BBC’s participation in the venture, to secure public value and lessen any adverse impact Project Canvas might have on the wider market, where possible. There will now be a period of consultation on the provisional conclusions closing on February 2, after which the Trust will reach its final decision.

Diane Coyle, the chair of the Trust’s strategic approvals committee, said: "One of the BBC’s aims is to bring the benefits of emerging communications technologies to the public. After careful consideration, the Trust has provisionally concluded that Canvas is likely to benefit licence fee payers. We believe Canvas could be an important part of the way in which the BBC delivers its services in the future. Our provisional conclusions include some conditions on the BBC’s involvement. These conditions are designed to help secure the public value we identified and to help minimize, where possible, any potential harmful effects on the market. We will now be consulting industry and the public on our provisional conclusions. The last stage of the process will be to consider the responses to that consultation before reaching our final decision."