Advertisers’ trade body joins YouView complainants

UK advertisers’ trade body ISBA has joined the list of companies that have asked Ofcom to investigate YouView, the BBC-led connected TV initiative previously known as Project Canvas.

The ISBA has raised concerns about the role of the BBC Trust in overseeing the project, and said that Ofcom should consider examining YouView because the Trust’s examination of a project that would include advertising on it was not sufficient.
Unlike other companies that have lodged complaints, including Virgin Media, the ISBA has not said whether or not it regards YouView as having a positive or negative impact.

The ISBA had previously responded to the public consultation on Canvas by arguing for an open-source, open-access commercial counterbalance to the BBC’s popular iPlayer on-demand catch-up service. ISBA director of media and advertising Bob Wootton also made a statement in May arguing that oversight should include Ofcom and not be left to the BBC Trust alone. “It has become clear to us that the BBC Trust is not the appropriate body to oversee Project Canvas which as well as delivering public service broadcasting will provide much commercial content and opportunity too,” he said.

While Ofcom originally said it would respond to Virgin Media’s complaint within eight weeks, the subsequent submissions have delayed this, with a ruling now expected in October.