Top-Up TV lodges complaint against BBC

Top-Up TV founders David Chance and Ian West have lodged a complaint with telecoms regulator Ofcom about the BBC's reaction to its upcoming launch.

The company, whose 11-channel pay TV package goes live on DTT in a month, has claimed that the corporation is trying to "hamper" its launch plans by refusing to co-operate.

The BBC, a key-player in the Freeview operation, is notably unhappy about Top-Up TV, believing that it will set back digital takeup by adding to cunsumer confusion.

Now Top-Up claims that negotiations to allocate the new pay channels slots in the EPG have proved fruitless. The BBC wants to position them in the lower ranks of the lineup whilst Top-Up wants them closer to the front.

Today the corporation said it would carry out audience research to see where viewers would like the channels placed.