Oftel Aims For Fair Digital TV

Oftel, the telecoms regulator, yesterday published guidelines which it hopes will ensure fair access for all broadcasters to digital TV.

Don Cruickshank, director general of Oftel, tried to allay fears of BSkyB dominating access to digital TV through set top boxes. These boxes are the means by which viewers both access digital transmissions and choose which channel to watch. The BBC in particular had feared that a BSkyB box would not allow access to terrestrial channels or would “hide” the options for BBC and ITV in the menu of around 200 channels. Mr Cruickshank said that Oftel would pay close attention to the positioning of channels on the option menu to make sure there was “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” access.

He also hinted that the cost of subsidising a digital box, keeping its price at around £200, would be passed on to other broadcasters and not be borne solely by a provider such as BSkyB. Responses to the draft are now being invited. The deadline is January 24.

Oftel: 0171 634 8700