Ad agencies worry about Canvas

The industry body for advertising agencies has echoed concerns from pay TV provider Sky about what it sees as a lack of detail from BBC management about its plans for Project Canvas.

In a submission to the BBC Trust's consultation on the project, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising said it was "mindful of the Corporation's historical tendency to foreclose new media opportunities in the commercial sector", with IPA media affairs director Geoff Russell adding to Media Week that historically "the BBC has done things the way it likes to do them - which can be a problem as it has a different set of priorities from those of the commercial sector".

In a statement, the Canvas partners pointed to the involvement of ITV as evidence of its commitment to commercial opportunities: "As a commercial broadcaster, ITV believes that, if approved, the Canvas venture will bring huge benefits. For viewers this will mean a plethora of catch-up and on-demand content, all subscription-free, and for advertisers, a wide range of opportunities to reach new audiences."