James Murdoch may no longer be BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) CEO but, as CEO of his daddy’s wider News Corp (NYSE: NWS). he’s still disgruntled with the BBC’s catch-up TV service. Speaking at a Marketing Society dinner in London last night (via Times), he said iPlayer was “a big step, a pre-emptive intervention” that was “squashing a lot of competitors” - although “I am not saying the iPlayer is a bad product”.

On stage at the Monaco Media Forum in November, Murdoch told an audience member - outgoing BBC future media and technology director Ashley Highfield - that the BBC “is a state agency with police powers to levy tax, that is the case”. An argument Highfield declined the opportunity to rise to on his blog.

Sky has its own Sky Anytime catch-up service. Lastnight, Murdoch also defended BSkyB’s soon-to-be-gone 17.9 percent stake in ITV (LSE: ITV) and said of newspapers: “I promise you they will grow.”

• @ Monaco: James Murdoch vs Ashley Highfield: Public Intervention In More Ways Than One