Self interested, moi?
It has been extensively reported that BSkyB has made a submission to Ofcom regarding YouView - the proposed common Internet TV standard for the UK headed-up by the BBC. While neither Sky nor Ofcom have responded to our requests for comment, we did get one from Richard Halton, CEO of YouView.
"While we welcome justifiable scrutiny, the timing of this submission is clearly designed to extend the regulatory process in pursuit of commercial self interest rather than the public interest," said Halton
"We remain committed to creating a viable, subscription free alternative to meet consumer needs and stimulate the market. YouView will create competition among TV platforms and increase the range and number of opportunities for content providers and device manufacturers. We encourage Ofcom to take this wider view as they continue their consideration."
It's hard to comment without knowing the substance of Sky's submission (which is distinct from a complaint), but surely it goes without saying that Sky's motives are not primarily philanthropic. The same is true of any corporate activity - even superficially altruistic acts - and it's naive to think otherwise.
The BBC is effectively a tax-funded operation that has been allowed to develop lucrative private ventures such as BBC Worldwide. It's entirely proper that companies it looks to compete with should be entitled to question the competitive advantage afforded it by its unique revenue stream. That applies equally to any joint-ventures the BBC participates in and any playing of the ‘public interest' card is, frankly, disingenuous.
