BBC Staff Say No To Website Ads

Advertising on the international version of the BBC’s news website would harm the corporation’s global reputation for impartiality and distinctiveness, say BBC staff.

BBC staff do not want advertising on the website, and more than 150 members have sent a letter to director general, Mark Thompson, saying so.

Signatories include senior television correspondents Caroline Wyatt, David Willey and Mike Wooldridge, as well as editors, writers and designers in the news interactive department.

“Being a space that is free of advertising is for us a unique selling point. If the BBC doesn’t see reason we could become saddled with something that we will live to deeply regret,” BBC business editor for news interactive, Tim Weber, told in-house magazine Ariel.

The international news site, which is mainly funded by the Foreign Office as part of its World Service grant, is due to be transferred to the BBC’s commercial offshoot, BBC Worldwide, which is charged with maximising revenues.

Critics have said government money would dry up if advertising were included, while commercial rivals would also complain about the BBC further encroaching on their businesses.

The BBC director of global news, Richard Sambrook, said the decision was receiving “prolonged consideration” at senior level. “We have to consider how we can best support the BBC’s global purpose in the on-demand age as the competition develops rapidly,” he said.

It is likely that non-news pages on the new bbc.com website will include banner advertising, while a decision on the issue of adverts on the news site is expected to be taken tomorrow by the BBC journalism board, with its recommendation going to the executive committee and then the governors for approval.

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