Project Canvas dealt setback

The BBC Trust has scrapped its original timetable for making a decision on Project Canvas – the UK broadcaster’s plan to create an open IPTV standard – due to lack of information from the executive team that tabled the proposal.

The Trust, the independent governing body that oversees the BBC’s activities, has asked management to come back to it with more detail on matters such as technical standards and governance of the intended joint venture.

During a seven-week consultation on Canvas – a BBC plan to develop a standard that easily brings online services such as its popular iPlayer into the living room – the Trust received 800 responses.

Respondents included All3Media, BSkyB, FremantleMedia, Google, Intel, Sony and Virgin Media. A common complaint was the lack of in-depth information about exactly what the BBC was intending.

The BBC Trust was due to kick off a second stage consultation today but has come out in agreement with those within the industry who have voiced concerns about the lack of detail about technical standards and other matters, such as the governance of Canvas – an intended joint venture between the BBC, BT and ITV.

As a result, it has gone back to the BBC executive, asking for clarification on these matters and has been forced to scrap its original timetable, which would have seen it take a final decision before July 24 on whether to give Canvas the go-ahead.

“A common theme that emerged was that more information was needed from the BBC executive about the Canvas proposal,” said BBC Trustee Diane Coyle of the first consultation’s findings.

“So in the interests of making a robust and independent decision we have asked the executive to look at the issues that stakeholders have raised and report back to us. The Trust’s processes are designed to give us enough flexibility to reach a final conclusion, whilst maintaining a rigorous assessment of the proposals.”

The BBC executive team is hoping to have Canvas set-top boxes – effectively a broadband-enabled version of Freeview digital terrestrial and Freesat digital satellite boxes – out in the marketplace sometime during the first half of next year.