[cma-l] Project Canvas ignores local media, says CMA

[CMA-L]

Source: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1026192/Project-Canvas-ignores-local-media-says-CMA/

The partners of internet-connected TV consortium Project Canvas are
ignoring the interests of the local TV industry, according to the
director of the Community Media Association.

Project Canvas, a consortium of seven partners including the BBC, ITV,
BT, Channel 4, Channel Five, Talk Talk and Arqiva, is aiming to launch
an IP-enabled consumer product on Freeview and Freesat next year.

Jaqui Devereux, director of the Community Media Association, said: "We
urge the BBC and other players behind Canvas to make it available to
smaller community broadcasters. There is a real danger that they
aren’t going to, as their current plans don’t include us."

The CMA is part of a growing, but still relatively small, number of
organisations that are critical of Project Canvas. Local TV company
Six TV and pay-TV and telecoms provider Virgin Media have submitted
formal complaints to Ofcom.

Devereux said: "It would be great if the Canvas partners would even
talk to us at all. There is an opportunity to for Canvas to open up to
local TV players. Despite Jeremy Hunt’s support, we don’t currently
have any local TV in this country – Canvas could be our chance to
provide it."

Earlier this week, Six TV said in a submission to Ofcom and the Office
of Fair Trading that Project Canvas would be "catastrophic for
small-scale services seeking to promote democratic participation and
civil society".

It is understood that the CMA supports Six TV’s submission and is
unlikely to make an additional formal complaint.

In August, Virgin Media submitted a 74-page formal complaint to Ofcom,
asking the regulator to investigate Project Canvas on the grounds that
it was anti-competitive and restricted consumer choice.

Project Canvas had not replied to request for comment by the time of
publication.

Source: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1026192/Project-Canvas-ignores-local-media-says-CMA/

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