Category: BBC; BBCi

Date: 14.10.2004
Printable version

BBC Chairman, Michael Grade, today (14 October 2004) reinforced the BBC's commitment to working more closely with the interactive TV industry to create a vibrant market.

In his opening keynote speech to the Interactive TV Show Europe in Barcelona, Mr Grade said the BBC had "a duty" to "invigorate the market" by working more closely with independent production companies and sharing the BBC's expertise.

"We must never forget that the BBC has been able to achieve its current leadership position in interactive partly because its secure funding has allowed it to make substantial investments in this new technology at a time when others in the industry have not been able to. That puts certain obligations on us."

Mr Grade added that, as the world's foremost producer of interactive TV services, the BBC would be prepared to share its expertise if companies asked for help.

"The great store of knowledge the BBC has amassed about interactive [is] not just a BBC resource, but a resource for the whole industry – including other broadcasters…

"The BBC is committed to sharing this knowledge freely and openly."

Stressing that for audiences "great content" is their imperative for using new technologies, Mr Grade said the BBC's Board of Governors "have a duty to ensure the BBC is run in the public interest, and that includes ensuring a level playing–field in the supply of content as between BBC in-house producers and those working in the independent sector.

"In principle that must apply to the supply of interactive television content as to anything else."

As part of his speech to delegates from all over Europe and the United States, the BBC Chairman also announced the launch of Ten Extra, an interactive service due later this month around the 10 O'Clock News, which Mr Grade claimed would add an extra dimension to the news and provide "another way for the BBC to deliver its public value commitment."