BSkyB consultation 'no surprise', says Richards

The Ofcom chief executive, Ed Richards, has hit out at BSkyB, claiming the satellite broadcaster provided insufficient information to the regulator.

Mr Richards was speaking after Sky yesterday responded furiously to Ofcom's announcement of a consultation into its plans for a digital terrestrial television pay-TV service, which will push back the launch of the project until next year.

In a strongly worded response to Sky, Mr Richards said that the only reason there had been a delay in the consultation was because of a distinct lack of co-operation.

"Since Sky chose to put this into the public domain I feel very comfortable about revealing a few more facts," he added, at the Institute of Economic Affairs future of broadcasting conference in London.

"The idea that this came as a surprise to anybody is simply untrue. This is something we have been talking to Sky for many months. They were well aware of our going to consult on it," Mr Richards said.

"In terms of the delay, the only reason there has been a delay in this consultation is because Sky has not provided us with the information we needed until now.

"We still don't have all the information despite the fact we have been promised this almost every month for many months now. We have been willing to do this for a substantial amount of time but we can't do it without all of the information."

Mr Richards added that it was the regulator's duty to launch a consultation because of Sky's position in the UK pay-TV market.

"You have a change being proposed by an organisation which holds a very strong position in the market," he said.

"It will come as no surprise to anybody that you regard it as important to consider properly any potential competition concerns. Not to do so would be to neglect our duties. We have been very clear with Sky about this all the way through.

"If there has been a delay it is because Sky have not provided us with all the information and we still don't have it now."

However, the Sky chief operating officer, Mike Darcey, appearing at the same conference, said the satellite broadcaster thought the information Ofcom had demanded was unnecessary.

"The main concern we have is the fact there is a consultation and the scope of it and the broad scale of the information they [Ofcom] feel they need," Mr Darcey added.

"They asked a very broad set of questions. We said they don't need this [information] as it has nothing to do with it [the new service] but they have insisted they need it."

And in a dig at the delay of the start of the consultation until after the summer, he said: "Ofcom say they are going to start the consultation in the autumn, but it is not the case that the entire industry takes the entire summer off."

Sky yesterday criticised Ofcom for not being able to conclude the consultation until early next year.

The broadcaster also claimed it was unnecessary, as their had been no Ofcom consultation before the launch of Top Up TV on Freeview or Setanta's decision to screen live Premiership football on digital terrestrial TV from August.

Source: Guardian.

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