BBC plans rejected

BBC

The BBC have been told by the public broadcaster's regulator that their plan to link their iPlayer service to ITV and Channel 4 programmes cannot go ahead.

The BBC Trust concluded that the scheme, which was put forward by the BBC Executive and would have allowed iPlayer users to click through to watch shows such as Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, was "too complex" and should not go ahead.

Under the "open iPlayer" scheme, the BBC had wanted to create a new "federation" with ITV, Channel 4 and Five, to manage integration between the iPlayer and ITV.com, Channel4.co.uk and five.tv, the British newspaper The Times reports.

The scheme would also have seen the creation of a new "Radio Times" website for the internet that would list all the programmes available to watch on the Britain's most-watched channels.

Complications

Diane Coyle, a member of the BBC Trust, said: "We concluded that the open iPlayer plans in their proposed form, combining both commercial and public service elements, were too complicated." She added that trustees were also "not convinced that there was enough potential value to licence fee payers" in the scheme.

This is the second time a plan to link BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programmes online has been blocked. A previous attempt to create a single website with programmes from all three broadcasters was prevented from launching by the Competition Commission.

These proposals were an attempt by the BBC to get around the prohibition by introducing a more limited co-operation scheme, with the BBC linking to ITV and Channel 4 programmes online.

But commercial broadcasters didn't seem very enthusiastic about the proposals. Channel 4 insiders indicated that it would have been unlikely to sign up to the scheme, which gave them little financial benefit or access to the BBC's technology.

It's only recently that Channel 4 has agreed to make its recently transmitted programming available online via YouTube.

The BBC's internal regulator did say that it wanted the BBC to share the iPlayer technology with the likes of ITV, through a "commercial licensing" process. The trust asked BBC bosses to come up with alternative plans in due course.

However the Trust did not close the door on a deal and said it would be willing to looking at further ideas to make iPlayer technology open to others if they were "simpler," UKPA reported.

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