Virgin chief calls Canvas consultation a ‘whitewash’

Virgin Media’s chief executive, Neil Berkett, is expected to criticise the BBC Trust’s judgement over Project Canvas, at today’s Cable Congress in Brussels.

The Trust is expected to give the final go-head for the project by the end of March following a consultation which Berkett is now calling a ‘whitewash’.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Berkett objects to operators being forced to use a single Canvas brand, which will be controlled by the BBC and other partners in the project, ITV, Channel 4, Five, TalkTalk and BT, leaving commercial rivals such as Virgin at a disadvantage.

There is still the possibility that Project Canvas will have to be referred to the Office of Fair Trading.