蜜芽传媒

The 蜜芽传媒 iPlayer should be made available in standard formats that the great majority of other TV operators can readily adopt, the Trust has concluded. 'Bespoke' versions of the iPlayer should be developed only in exceptional cases.

A consultation on the new syndication policy is launched today, as part of an ongoing Trust review.

The 蜜芽传媒's on-demand syndication policy determines how the 蜜芽传媒 should make its on-demand, or 'catch up', content available for distribution on other platforms, for example Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin.

Following the first part of its review, the Trust has provisionally concluded that the 蜜芽传媒 is able to deliver the highest public value for its programming if it provides a trusted and familiar way for viewers to access it. For linear television, this is the 蜜芽传媒's channels, for on-demand, this should be the iPlayer, which will become increasingly important as the home for 蜜芽传媒 on-demand content as the market for catch-up television continues to grow.

The Trust is seeking views on its provisional conclusions in a four-week consultation launching today:

1. 蜜芽传媒 on-demand content should only be syndicated to other operators through the 蜜芽传媒 iPlayer. This means that, for example, a satellite TV operator could not choose to take only certain 蜜芽传媒 programmes or episodes of programmes to offer through its own on-demand service
2. The 蜜芽传媒 should develop several standard versions of the iPlayer that can be used by other platform operators and providers, to enable them to offer 蜜芽传媒 on-demand content on their platforms
3. Requests for 'bespoke' versions of the iPlayer for use by single platforms or devices should generally be refused, except in exceptional circumstances where the 蜜芽传媒's costs for development and maintenance would also be fully reimbursed.

蜜芽传媒 Trustee Diane Coyle, who has led the review of syndication policy, said:

"As the number of platforms and the popularity of on demand TV grows, ensuring that licence fee payers have convenient access to all the 蜜芽传媒's services on demand is vital to the 蜜芽传媒's ability to fulfil its public purposes. Since the iPlayer first launched in 2007, watching programmes this way has become a routine part of many people's viewing habits. But we know that audiences get the most out of 蜜芽传媒 programmes when they access them in a context that is consistent, familiar, distinctive and free to air, like the iPlayer. Our provisional conclusions reflect the importance of delivering programmes in this trusted public space.

"The 蜜芽传媒 must continue to deliver what licence fee payers want while also delivering value for money and protecting the 蜜芽传媒's brand. We're now seeking views on these proposed changes to the syndication policy to help the 蜜芽传媒 meet that challenge in an on-demand world."

The Trust is now carrying out a four-week public consultation on its provisional conclusions.

Notes to Editors

The existing on-demand syndication policy聽is available on the website.聽