BBC Trust Approves iPlayer Service

The BBC Trust has given the go-ahead to the Corporation’s iPlayer on-demand TV service, albeit with some significant changes.

One of the changes proposed as part of the Trust’s Public Value Test includes limiting the storage time-frame for seven-day catch-up of individual TV shows to 30 days, rather than the BBC management’s requested 13 weeks.

The Trust also agrees with Ofcom, following the regulator’s market impact assessment (see BBC On-Demand Proposals Could Impact Commercial Services), that there is a need for a tighter definition of which series would be offered for stacking.

It ruled that for the purposes of stacking, a series would be defined as something: “with a distinct run, with a beginning and end, and a narrative arc or those which are landmark series with exceptionally high impact”.

The Trust has also asked the executive to adopt a platform-agnostic approach to the iPlayer.

The original proposal for the service would have meant it was only available to users with Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10 but the Trust’s proposal requires an alternative framework to be developed to allow users of other technology to access the service.

The Trust also ruled that allowing access for third-party content could increase the negative market impact of the BBC’s proposals.

A final decision will be reached before 2 May 2007, after the Trust has taken account of the responses it receives during the consultation period.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk