View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

New BBC Online licence confirms reduced service

By Andrew Pugh

The BBC Trust has published its revised service licence for BBC Online following a strategic review of the service earlier this year.

In January the Trust announced a 25 per cent cut to the BBC Online budget, resulting in the loss of 360 jobs and the closure of almost half of the BBC’s 400 websites.

The revised service licence for BBC Online sets its 2011/12 budget at £120m. The report states: ‘Any planned or actual change in annual expenditure on the service of more than 10 per cent in real value requires approval from the BBC Trust and may entail variation of this service licence.

‘This parameter of change is set to allow variations in spending which arise from regular, cyclical factors such as spending on major sports events, a reasonable level of operational flexibility and changes in accounting policy.”

The revised service licence also reaffirms the BBC’s commitment to avoid encroaching on web services offered by the commercial sector, after last summer’s pledge not to increase its competition with local newspapers.

The report states: ‘Nations and local sites should aim to work effectively with other providers of local information, sourcing or sharing content and providing clear links from each BBC site to other local media and information providers.’

The BBC says it it is the fifth biggest referrer of web traffic to UK-newspaper websites, and that it is committed to increasing the number of external links from its local news sites. Part of the Trust’s strategy is to double the number of current click-throughs to third party internet destinations to around 22m per month.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network