BBC Channel Bundling Exemption

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has announced that the BBC television channels which are distributed across pay-TV networks will be exempt from channel bundling restrictions.

In June the Commission decided to discontinue minimum carriage requirements (MCRs) which stated that pay-TV operators must offer a minimum number of available channels (usually 80-100%). This meant that smaller channels, such as Live TV, were guaranteed a place on pay-TV networks.

With the removal of MCRs, however, there is no guarantee at all that a channel will be carried on a network (particular if it has a small audience). This led programme-maker Flextech to take the ITC to court seeking a judicial review of the ‘unbundling’ ruling (see Flextech Takes ITC ‘Unbundling’ Move To High Court).

BBC services, however, are to be universally available to subscribers and may be purchased separately from other packages sold by a cable operator, either on an ŕ la carte basis or as a BBC package free with any other basic package.

This Wednesday the BBC is to broadcast BBC1, BBC2 and BBC News 24 in a digital widescreen format. Initially these free-to-air services will only be available through the Sky Digital satellite system which launches on 1 October; later in the year the BBC services, including new channel BBC Choice, will also be available via ON Digital’s terrestrial network.

Independent Television Commission: 0171 255 3000