BBC told to axe websites
p2pnet.net News:- The Beeb – the British Broadcasting Corporation – must, "redefine the remit for its online services" says a government paper.
The Graf Report followed a review by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport last August singled out sites providing fantasy football, games and ‘what’s on’ listings as examples of content "that could be better provided from outside sources as the BBC’s offerings were not distinctive enough," says Britain’s Financial Times here.
"The review of the BBC’s online services, which according to the broadcaster contain more than 2m pages and reach up to 43 per cent of the UK population each month, forms part of the wider examination of BBC services leading up to the renewal of its royal charter in 2006."
At least 25% of online content (excluding news) should be supplied by external and/or independent suppliers by the time the current Royal Charter expires at the end of 2006, says the BBC’s summary of the report here.
In terms of market inpact, "The theory that BBC’s online services had an adverse impact on the UK internet market could be neither proved nor disproved. There were indications that it may have had an adverse impact on competition, however, particularly by deterring investment by commercial operators that would have led to new forms of competition."
