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BBC: Online services to be reviewed
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BBC to review internet operations after report

Iain Hepburn
5/ 7/2004

THE BBC has announced it is to close five websites and restructure others after being ordered to review its online remit by the Government.

The corporation responded swiftly to the publication of the an independent report commissioned by the Departure of Culture Media and Sport, which warned that some of the BBC's internet services do not match its public service remit.

After the report's publication, culture secretary Tessa Jowell gave the BBC until the end of October to make its full response - including redrafting its remit.

The review of the BBC's online services was undertaken by former Trinity Mirror chief executive Philip Graf.

In his findings, he said the BBC Online needed to clearly define its remit, and should prioritise its news, current affairs, education and information services.

He also recommends that at least 25% of BBCi's content - excluding news - should come from external or independent suppliers by the end of 2006.

Certain sites within the BBCi service were not sufficiently distinctive from their commercial alternatives.

The BBC responded by announcing that five sites would be closed - specifically the Fantasy Football, surfing portal, games portal, Pure Soap site and the What's on listings service.

Others within the BBCi stable are to be charged with becoming more focused, slimmed down or offering a more distinct output, such as the films portal, while negotiations with local newspapers are to be launched for providing listings content on the BBC's regional Where I Live portals.

Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology at the BBC, said he was pleased with the foundations in the report's findings.

"Graf's report contains important advice, comentary and criticism of our online service and we shall be considering these thoroughly over the coming months."

Graf himself said the aim of his report was to give a reasoned view of where the corporation's online services should go from here.

"There is clearly great public affection and appreciation of BBC Online, so I hope that, in their interests, my conclusions provide constructive input to both the BBC and the DCMS's Charter Review."

And in a statement, the BBC's board of governors said: "Philip Graf has produced a thorough and insightful review of the BBC's online service.

"He is generally positive about the distinctiveness of its cotnent and its impact on commercial competitors.

"His report also contains a number of sensible recommendations about how the service should operate in the future and how it should be both managed and governed. These recommendations will receive detailed consideration over the next few months, and the Governors will make a full response by the end of October."