The House Of Commons’ influential culture, media and sport select committee has rebuked BBC Trust bosses for “potentially misleading” it over their role in the stalled Kangaroo joint venture and for allowing the Competition Commission’s investigation to go ahead at unnecessary public expense…
Despite the commission’s ongoing antitrust inquiry, the regulator also determines whether BBC Worldwide‘s involvement would distort the market and create public value. But the committee of MPs, in a review of the BBC’s annual report, says the Trust should have forestalled the commission’s investigation by itself giving an earlier, preliminary ruling…
— “We … find it odd that the BBC Trust chose not to give any indication of its initial views on the merits of the Kangaroo proposal in advance of the launch of a Competition Commission investigation .. The Trust could decide not to grant any such approval even if competition (commission) issues … are fully addressed. In effect, a detailed and costly Competition Commission investigation has taken place for a venture that might never (see) the light of day..”
— “We believe that it would have been more appropriate, in the first instance, for the BBC Trust to have given further consideration to the Kangaroo proposal and a preliminary indication of its approval or rejection of fundamental aspects in principle