After knocking back online proposals time and time again, the BBC’s regulating BBC Trust is giving provisional approval to the corporation’s Project Canvas proposal to create a common interface for IPTV-delivered catch-up VOD and internet widgets in the living room.
The proposal has passed both the public value test and the market impact assessments carried out by the trust. The trust concludes: “The likely public value of the proposal justifies any potential negative market impact.”
Indeed, it found three “potential negative impacts”:
- “It could slow the future growth in subscribers to some pay TV services“
- “Contributing to the long-term shrinking of DVD rental and possibly retail markets”
- “Negatively affecting existing or new smaller hybrid DTT/IPTV platforms”
But the trust also says: “It will add a new dimension to digital terrestrial TV by enabling an increase in the range of content and services available on the platform … There will be low barriers to access for new producers/providers of content who wish to get onto the platform