BBC bows to newspaper concerns, delays mobile apps

BBC bows to newspaper concerns, delays mobile apps

British state broadcaster BBC has delayed launching mobile applications delivering its news and sport free to devices like Apple's iPhone after newspapers expressed concern about direct competition. The Newspaper Publishers Association had asked the BBC's governing body, the BBC Trust, to examine proposals it feared could harm efforts by commercial rivals to succeed with their own mobile offerings. The BBC Trust will now examine the proposals. It did not give any timetable, but the earliest it was likely to discuss the matter is at a meeting late next month. The BBC, which receives a guaranteed GBP 3.6bn each year (USD 5.4bn) in license fees paid by householders, has come under fierce attack from broadcaster BSkyB and other commercial rivals exposed to a severe advertising slump. The amount of free content the BBC already makes available online has discouraged many newspapers from attempting to charge readers for content on the Web. Earlier this month, the BBC signaled a retreat from some commercial operations to focus on core services, bowing to pressure from rivals and ahead of a general election almost certain to result in public spending cuts. (Reuters)