The government has reportedly signalled that the BBC should play more of a supporting role as ITV Digital is restructured to secure its future.
The public broadcaster has been involved in the digital coalition -- which aims to bring cheap set-top boxes to viewers, who will then have access to a range of free digital channels -- since November 2001. This would solve one of ITV Digital's many problems, as it currently gives away set-top boxes at significant cost.
However, should ITV Digital close this week, it is unlikely that the broadcaster will bother to collect the set-top boxes it has already distributed and the BBC may step in to fill the void, ensuring that viewers are not faced with blank screens.
Talks about football rights over the weekend with ITV Digital's owners, Granada and Carlton Communications, and the Football League, did not go as the broadcaster had hoped. While ITV Digital had hoped to reduce its payment from £178m to £50m, the Football League has now said it is considering suing Carlton and Granada for £500m.
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