BBC moves closer to online ads

Jemima KissWednesday November 15, 2006MediaGuardian.co.uk

Controversial proposals to put advertising on the BBC's international websites have been approved by the corporation's executive direction group, the most senior level of management before the BBC governors.

In an email obtained by MediaGuardian.co.uk, staff at BBC News Interactive were told this morning that the board has agreed that "both the UK and international sites will carry advertising when viewed from abroad".

The News Interactive head, Pete Clifton, emailed staff stating that ads will fit around the current site design, as outlined in a BBC online article published in April.

The corporation will avoid "more ambitious, intrusive advertising" until it has carried out further audience research.

Last week, the BBC's journalism board also "agreed to the principle of commercialisation". The final decision is due to be taken by the board of governors on December 13.

Mr Clifton wants to meet "interested parties" in the department, along with the global news director, Richard Sambrook, and the deputy director of news, Adrian Van-Klaveren.

He also wants Sian Kevill, the editorial director for the commercial BBC World TV channel, to brief staff on commercial propositions for text and video.

The proposals have been masterminded by David Moody, the director of strategy at BBC Worldwide and managing director of the digital media division.

Mr Moody said that he couldn't prejudge the decision of the BBC governors but that if the plans are approved, the ad-supported BBC.com site would be launched next year.

"We have some implementation and technical challenges but broadly speaking these issues have been dealt. It is time to move from this long and correct internal debate into implementation."

More than 170 staff have put their names to a campaign against the proposals. Mr Moody said the concerns of staff have been understood and broadly dealt with at journalism board level, though he acknowledged that some staff were likely to still reject the principle of an ad-supported site.

"To some degree people have concerns in principle with this which I don't think are going to be addressed by protections. It's a matter of principle rather than practice."

He said that income from international advertising would be fed back into the whole budget of the BBC.

"We think BBC.com will be a growing, profitable business that will deliver significant funds to the BBC," he said.

"It's a different set of rules for non-licence fee payers and the BBC has taken a view that it should seek to maximise the revenue back to licence fee payers from international users."

The National Union of Journalists has said that its parliamentary group is to table an early day motion against the BBC's plans, ahead of the BBC governors meeting on December 13

My Comments: i think because of fierce comptetion with sky BBC shouldnt give up without a fight therefore by promoting adverts on their website will not only give profitable business' some recognition but also increase the viewing of BBC.