BSkyB COO attacks public service TV culture

June 30, 2009 BSkyB chief operating officer Mike Darcey on Tuesday said government, regulators and "the culture of public service broadcasting" were responsible for the troubles faced by free-to-air broadcasters here, and told the U.K.'s biggest networks they would struggle in a digital age because they had had failed to innovate and take risk. "The reason is deeply rooted in the culture of the public service broadcasting system which binds the broadcasters together with those responsible for U.K. broadcasting policy," he added. Last week BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch said Ofcom's proposals to investigate Sky's wholesale channel deals with other platforms "defied belief" and warned the satcaster would use "all legal routes" to challenge the regulator.

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