BBC Trust turns down iPlayer plan

The BBC iPlayer was launched in July 2007

A BBC plan to share the use of its iPlayer technology with other broadcasters has been rejected by the BBC Trust.

The Trust said it "supported the principle of sharing the iPlayer more widely" but said the plans would not deliver value to licence-fee payers.

It also said the proposals, involving both commercial and public service elements, were too complex.

The Trust said it was open to considering an alternative proposal.

Catch-up TV

The idea behind sharing the iPlayer technology was to help the other channels after the digital switchover.

At the moment, ITV, Channel 4 and Five produce public service broadcasting in exchange for free access to the airwaves, but after the switch to digital TV, which will be complete by 2012, they will have to compete with scores of other media organisations and will find it harder to produce a wide range of programmes.

The BBC's proposal meant that other TV networks could use its technology to create their own versions of the iPlayer.

The iPlayer allows viewers and listeners to catch up on programmes they may have missed, up until a week after broadcast.