Sky accuses Ofcom of misguided market distortion

LONDON - Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, threatens to rip the value out of content creation and manipulate and distort the UK's TV marketplace, according to Sky's chief executive Jeremy Darroch today.

Sky accuses Ofcom of misguided market distortion

Speaking at MIP TV 2010, Sky's chief executive railed against to rivals at a 10.5% reduced rate.

"In our view, this is not only an unprecedented and unwarranted intervention; it is an aggressive attack on the value of content," he said.

"Ofcom's actions materially undervalue our channels and fail to reflect the level of risk and investment in our broadcasting business."

Darroch warned that the readiness of regulators like Ofcom to intervene in Britain was among the most "significant risks out there which are capable of ripping value out of content creation".

In a keynote address grandly entitlted 'Defending the value of content', Sky's chief executive positioned Ofcom's interference alongside content piracy, and the potential commoditisation of the business caused by new distribution channels, in terms of its "serious and corrosive"  consequences.

He accused Ofcom's ruling of being part of an attempt to make content retailing a more attractive business by reducing the profit margins in the "considerably riskier and more expensive business of content creation".

"What the regulator is seeking to do it to make content retailing a more attractive business," he said.

In a call to arms, Darroch added: "Ofcom's actions should set alarm bells ringing right across the wider content industry."

He went on to warn the "victims of collateral damage" from the ruling will not just be Sky and sports rights owners, but also movies and smaller pay TV channels, such as Discovery, because if they are not sold alongside premium sport and movies, new delivery platforms might chose not to offer a basic tier of channels.

"It would be dishonest to ignore the dark shadows over the value of content," he concluded.

"All of us want to see a secure and prosperous future. But that future will only be realised if content creators are able to earn a fair and profitable return."

Darroch also confirmed

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Arif Durrani

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