NEWS - BSkyB scraps ?10 monthly charge for Sky+

BSkyB is scrapping the £10 per month charge for its digital TV recorder service, Sky+. From July 1 all Sky subscribers will be able to take Sky+ for no additional charge, regardless of which package they subscribe to or how long they have been a customer.

A Sky spokesman told Lovelace Consulting: "Sky believes that by removing this subscription, even more Sky customers will be able to access the benefits of Sky+, enjoying even more control and flexibility in their viewing."

The strategy of making Sky+ available for no extra charge comes as Sky rolls out new services such as Sky Anytime on TV, which 'pushes' a selection of programmes to the latest generation of Sky+ set-top boxes.

Subscribers to Sky's high-definition television service already have the Sky+ charge waived.

Earlier this month Sky announced that the number of homes with Sky+, Sky's digital TV recorder service, rose by 199,000 in the third quarter to 2.17m, exceeding a 25% penetration target three years ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, former Sky executive Dawn Airey is believed to have joined ITV, taking up a new post overseeing the broadcaster's production businesses in the UK and overseas.