Project Canvas to be branded YouView
Project Canvas has confirmed Richard Halton is to become the first CEO of the IPTV joint-venture.
He’s currently programme director of IPTV at the BBC and is expected to head the project as it looks to launch early next year.
Canvas is backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel Four, Five, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva, and is estimated to have a marketing budget of £48.8m.
The joint venture has also revealed that “YouVeiw” as the new brand that will bring the free-to-air internet-connected TV service to UK homes.
The venture has faced criticism from companies such as Virgin Media, which have claimed it’s anti-competitive. BBC director general Mark Thompson publicly rebutted the complaints, claiming the venture was not an “imperial gesture”.
“I’m determined that we at the BBC ensure it’s not just for the big players,” he said.
This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk
