British Digital Broadcasting (BDB), the terrestrial television group, should be ready to announce the manufacturers of its digital set-top boxes in the next couple of weeks after it officially selected a conditional access system yesterday. It will use the SECA system for the digital terrestrial television service it will launch later this year in the UK over other possible conditional access contenders that included that of News Datacom, the subsidiary of News Corp. BDB could face legal action from British Sky Broadcasting Plc for the choice, according to a report in London daily, the Financial Times. But a spokesperson for BDB said that no law suit has yet been received. BskyB was told that BDB would not be able to run its electronic program guide to its channels using a SECA based box. But BDB said that it is working towards making the systems interoperable. BDB did not say why it has chosen SECA and not the option from News Datacom, but it is thought that it wanted to be independent from News Corp. Granada Group Plc, co owner of BDB with Carlton Communications only this month settled another legal dispute with BSkyB when it handed over its half of a 60m pound demand for compensation to BSkyB. But Carlton held back its half of the payment to BSkyB saying that it would hold onto the money until it landed lucrative TV rights through BSkyB for the UK’s soccer Premier League. The argument arose because despite pulling out of the BDB venture after regulatory concerns, BSkyB still has a contract to provide its former partners with programming for the next five years.
