BBC (Digital Services) (Hansard, 3 December 2001)

§ Tessa Jowell

On 13 September, at the Royal Television Society Convention in Cambridge, I announced my decision on the BBC's proposals for new digital television and radio services.

42W

I gave approval to the following new services: two new television channels for children—one aimed at children aged six to 13, another for the under six-year-olds; BBC4—a television service intended to create a forum for debate and aimed at anyone interested in culture, arts and ideas that will replace BBC Knowledge; five new digital radio services aimed separately at a young specialist audience (Network X), an Asian audience (Asian Network), and sports lovers (Five Live Sports Plus) as well as an archive music channel (Network Y) and an archive voice channel (Network Z) plus an extension of the BBC World Service to the UK.

I have set strict conditions for each service covering commitments to high quality, interactivity and the use of home-grown talent and productions. I have also set general conditions including one which requires the BBC to draw up and publish a plan for promoting digital television and radio services by the end of 2001.

I assessed each of the proposals against the published DCMS guidelines for BBC public service approvals and invited comments from the broadcasting and communications industry, the Independent Television Commission, the Radio Authority and consumer groups. I concluded that each approved service is distinctive and that its likely impact on the market is proportionate to its public value.

I did not give approval to BBC3, a television service aimed at 16 to 34-year-olds, which was a proposed replacement for BBC Choice. I was not convinced that the proposals were truly distinctive in an already crowded market, and have invited the BBC to put forward fresh proposals.

I will be reviewing all the new services in 2004 as part of the review of the Charter and-Agreement and licence fee funding.