UK media firms voice dissent on BBC's 'Project Canvas'

The BBC Trust has postponed approving the BBC's joint venture with ITV and BT on 'Project Canvas', asking for more technical clarity as private commercial broadcasters BSkyB, Google, Tiscal and Sony voiced their dissent saying that the project was not sufficiently clear in fundamental respects.

Diane Coyle, BBC trustee, said, "As part of our assessment process we have just completed a comprehensive consultation of the industry. A common theme that emerged was that more information was needed from the BBC executive about the Canvas proposal.''

''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," he added.

The BBC wants to launch a new project named 'Canvas 'in partnership with ITV and BT, which can bring web-based programming to the TV. Canvas will have an open-industry standard that will allow platform-neutral publishing, where web-based TV can be shifted from the computer to television.

Project Canvas includes Freeview (digital terrestrial TV service) and a next-generation set-top-box. It will combine radio, TV, VOD, web / interactive content and catch-up content such as BBC's iPlayer and ITV's player.

But commercial players have voiced their concerns since they feel that BBC along with its partners ITV and BT will have a stranglehold and be in a position to dictate terms of content suitability or limit internet service accessibility.