LONDON: The BBC Trust - the independent body that regulates the UK public service broadcaster's activities - has postponed a final decision whether to approve the corporation's controversial plan to carry advertising on its international websites [WARC News: 20-Feb-07].
BBC executives intend that prime locations, such as the international version of the news home page, would carry a number of ads. The income would cover increasing costs and would, in turn, be reinvested in radio and television programming.
Any surplus ad revenue would accrue to meet government-imposed targets for generating commercial income.
In a statement the Trust says: "For the BBC to meet its purpose internationally, it must invest more online. It cannot use the licence fee for this purpose."
But it added that more work was needed on how ad revenues would be spent. A decision is now expected later this spring.
Data sourced from BBC Online (UK); additional content by WARC staff
