The BBC has set out its approved policy for the distribution of the BBC’s UK public service channels.
It follows a public consultation in February that attracted 26 responses from broadcasters, distributors and technology providers.
Essentially a rewrite of its earlier edition, the policy sets out the key conditions around which the BBC distributes its services and content on third party distribution platforms.
• Prominence – the placement of BBC content and services relative to those of other providers should be in line with audience needs and expectations
• Editorial Control – the BBC should retain editorial control of its content and its placement
• Branding & Attribution – users should be able to easily identify which content on a platform is provided by the BBC
• Quality – users should be able to enjoy a high-quality experience of BBC content and services
• Data – the BBC should have access to data about the usage of its services
• Free Access – users should incur no incremental cost to access BBC content and services
• Value for Money – BBC distribution arrangements should maximise cost-effectiveness of distribution to the licence fee payerSource: BBC
However, in its response to the consultation Sky said the document was “unreasonably vague” and failed to specify the terms and conditions under which the channels would be supplied. The broadcaster called for “greater transparency” around the bespoke arrangements for platforms such as its own Sky Q.
BT was more supportive, but said: “what matters to distributors is how the policy is applied in practice, in commercial negotiations”.
Last week, the UK’s BBC’s public service broadcasters called for protected PSB prominence on the first page for any significant device including smart TVs, games consoles and set-top boxes.