The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have released 
an open standard for inter-operation of equipment with signaling 
suitable for electronic programming guides.

Many receivers implement this standard method of receiving Electronic 
Programming Guide information. The BBC does not currently fully support 
this standard, leaving the industry in limbo and users of ETSI-compliant 
receivers unable to make full use of the EPG functionality.

The BBC should, wherever possible, implement standards which can be 
implemented by anybody. (Imagine if one company owned PAL when colour 
broadcasts were started!). Open standards foster competition and benefit 
the public at large.

I therefore urge that the BBC should fully support the DVB standard 
television programming guides as laid out by ETSI in preference to any 
closed system.

The BBC should continue it's active role in the development of open 
architecture systems and apply this role to the ETSI/DVB standards if at 
any time, additional functionality should become necessary.

You may publish this article verbatim, and attribute it to Nicholas Hill.
You may not publish my contact details.

Nicholas Hill