Government Lays Out Criteria For BBC’s Digital Services
The BBC will in future be required to present its proposed new media services to the Government, following the publication of a list of criteria by culture secretary Chris Smith. Approval for the Corporation’s digital services will be granted provided it fulfils a number of requests.
Funding of new services through licence fees must be justified and the culture department must be assured that the proposed service represents value for money to licence fee payers. Information regarding the “distinctiveness” of the proposed service from those provided by other broadcasters is also required.
The move comes following a series of criticisms from commercial broadcasters who feel that a level playing does not exist within new media. Last year ITN handed a formal complaint to the Office of Fair Trading after the BBC gave away its news services for free to mobile phone operators and other websites, a move which would not be economically viable for commercial broadcasters (see BBC Makes Promises, ITN Makes Threats).
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