ISBA Moves To Block BBC3

ISBA has called on the Government to reject the BBC’s reworked proposal for BBC3 claiming that the channel, aimed at 16-35 year-olds, would be too similar to Channel 4’s E4.

In a submission to the Department of Culture Media and Sport, ISBA said that the existence of BBC3 would be “fundamentally against the interests of UK viewers” as it would undermine the audiences for competing commercial channels. The advertising body said that the new digital channel would reduce viewer choice and diversity to the “detriment of the overall UK media ecology.”

Channel 5 is believed to be leading a coalition of commercial broadcasters in opposition to the BBC’s plans for the new channel. A spokesman for Channel 5 said that the proposal was “unoriginal” and “lacking in variety” (see Channel 5 Opposes Plans For New BBC3).

The BBC had its original proposal for BBC3 rejected by the Government last September on the grounds that it was “not truly distinctive in an already crowded market” (see Government Says No To BBC3). However, the BBC resubmitted its plans to the DCMS last month and a public consultation inviting views from the public and the industry was launched.

ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk

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