No trust in BBC web inquiry from local press

BBC director-general Mark Thompson may have an "open mind" over BBC proposals to beef up its local websites (see posting below), but the regional press believes the BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons has indicated he is in favour of the expansion plans.
This is because of the speech Sir Michael made to the Broadcasting Press Guild earlier this month when he claimed that "the local press had nothing like the strength it had." His remarks infuriated the regional press as the BBC Trust is currently carrying out an inquiry into the BBC proposals for increasing video and audio content on its local websites, seen as unfair competition by local newspapers.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4's Media Show today, Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler said: "Any remarks suggesting that minds have been made up must cause concern about the inquiry itself." Questioned by Media Show presenter Steve Hewlett, Bowdler warned that if Sir Michael gave the impression of acting as both judge and jury on the local website issue "it would call into question whether we can rely on the outcome." The BBC Trust is due to give its provisional conclusions at the end of November. A final decision will be made next year after consultations.