BT Vision CEO Dan Marks resigns

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 10-Jun-09, 09:25

LONDON - Dan Marks is stepping down as chief executive of BT Vision, the broadband television service he helped launch, to pursue his own interests.

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Marks, who is also deputy managing director of BT Consumer, joined BT from Universal Studios in 2005.

He established BT Vision in December 2006, setting a target of 2m-3m subscribers by 2011.

However, BT Vision currently has just 500,000 customers and has struggled to build a mass-market pay-TV service, which Marks said is in part due to BSkyB's dominance of premium content such as Premiership football.

Marks told The Telegraph: "I'm leaving BT Vision in a good position, but there are clearly some very big issues with pay-TV.

"There is frustration across BT that Ofcom has failed to engage the dominance of Sky in live Premiership football. Just look at what has happened with Setanta."

Setanta, the Irish broadcaster, is this week on the brink of administration. Its founders are trying to secure financing to make a bid for the stricken company.

Marks also led BT's role in Project Canvas, the joint venture it is running with the BBC and ITV to launch video-on-demand services on Freeview and Freesat.

The BBC Trust is currently reviewing Canvas after BSkyB called on Ofcom to place the project under scrutiny.

Marks will leave BT at the end of June and will be replaced by Marc Watson, currently BT's director of content and business development.