BBC unveils online service response

The BBC Trust will publish its initial response to the corporation's proposed online local video service.

Regional newspapers have criticised the plans for an enhanced network of 65 websites across the UK, saying they would represent unfair public-funded competition.

But the BBC says its offerings would be distinctive and would not compete with commercial providers offering services like dating, job and property listings, cars and holidays.

The BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body, is currently carrying out a "public value test" of the plans to decide whether their worth justifies the likely market impact.

It will release its provisional conclusions on Friday, although it is not expected to make its final decision until February next year.

The Media Guardian website reported on Thursday that the BBC Trust was expected to reject the proposal in its current form, although this could not be confirmed.

Communications regulator Ofcom will also publish its independent "market impact assessment" of the BBC's plans on Friday.

This lengthy document examines the potential commercial effects of the proposals on local newspapers, radio and TV stations.

The BBC's proposal, estimated to cost £68 million by 2012-13, envisages websites with on-demand videos, primarily of news and sport but also including weather and user-generated content.

The content would be free and without adverts, and the BBC would make most of it available to local news sites.

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