BBC site urged to rein in spending
Broadcaster ticked off over financial controls on website
The BBS has been told that it has to rein in its overspending or risk new
developments to its website being held back.
The BBC trust told the BBC that it would hold back development of the BBC
site if the situation does not improve, the
Financial
Times reported.
Dame Patricia Hodgson, the BBC trustee leading the review, said: ‘We will not
approve new investment until we are satisfied that management controls embed
what we are doing. Obviously bbc.co.uk must develop to meet audience needs, but
we must be careful to apply tests on its distinctiveness and impact on
competitors.’
The trust confirmed that it would apply stronger scrutiny before allowing the
BBC to use the £39m it had set aside for investment on the website.
The website, which has 16.5m users per month, spent a total of £110m last
year.
Mark Wood, ITN chief executive said: ‘We are alarmed at the extent of the
BBC’s website funding and its ambition in the dotcom world. Commercial
competitors thought the BBC website was already overfunded at a declared budget
of £74.2m.’
Further reading:
BBC
admonished for website overspend