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Posted: 04/12/03 By: Jemima Kiss

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The UK's regional newspapers have joined the growing body of publishers calling for stricter regulation of the BBC's online activities.

In its strongly worded submission to the official review of BBCi, The Newspaper Society says that the corporation has become a powerful competitor to the regional press.

"The BBC is free from the commercial concerns that drive its potential competitors," the society states. "It makes it very difficult for commercial organisations to establish any commercially viable alternatives."

The society, which represents the interests of around 1,300 local newspaper titles in the UK, says that regional publishers face fierce competition for readers and advertisers. It says that the BBC has produced rival services that benefit from cross-promotion across the network, and have also been free from commercial cross-media ownership regulation.

"The BBC appears to be going head to head with regional publishers," said Lynne Anderson, communications director for the Newspaper Society.

"I'm sure the BBC would argue that its online services are simply an extension of its broadcast structures.

"But, against the background of charter renewal, it is a condition of public sector service that it should not compete with or replicate commercial business."

The Newspaper Society also states that the development of public awareness of the web has "rendered obsolete the argument for publicly funded BBC online services to stimulate internet use".

It demands a separation of the licence fee and the corporation's commercial activities, stating that the market must be examined properly before the corporation is allowed to establish and expand commercial projects.

The society also claims that the BBC is increasingly targeting regional audiences and younger web users, making it more difficult for commercial publishers to develop and sustain advertising.

Ms Anderson told dotJournalism that it is untrue that the regional press has been slow to develop online publications.

"There are some excellent sites out there," she said.

"Every town has a regional publisher providing an online service, most of which build on the flagship newspaper brand."

See also:
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story772.html
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story770.html
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story763.html
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story722.html
http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/whereilive
http://www.bipa.co.uk

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