Comments on: The BBC’s international sites - and ads http://james.cridland.net/blog/2006/11/27/the-bbcs-international-sites-and-ads/ Radio, broadcasting, websites, and beer. Possibly. Sun, 6 Jul 2008 04:18:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Martin Belam http://james.cridland.net/blog/2006/11/27/the-bbcs-international-sites-and-ads/#comment-339 Martin Belam Sat, 09 Dec 2006 11:55:23 +0000 http://james.cridland.net/blog/2006/11/27/the-bbcs-international-sites-and-ads/#comment-339 >> he makes the obvious point that “not everyone who lives outside the UK is a non-Licence Fee payer”, and by inference, that there should be no ads on the site at all just in case I might see an ad when I’m on holiday. It’s a curious argument. If I were out of the UK, I’d find it difficult to be able to get any BBC output without advertising: from the BBC World Service programmes on WBUR Boston with its commercial messages from sponsors, to BBC World television with their long ad breaks, or subscription channels BBC America, BBC Prime, etc; and the amount of UK ex-pats or holidaymakers is, I’d wager, less than 1% of all accesses to the BBC website from abroad. I never ever got accurate figures for this, although if I was a betting man I'd wager it was a lot more than 1%. I think maybe it seems a curious argument from outside the BBC, but that 1%+ of part-time ex-pats, people on business trips, and holidaymakers is a very vocal 1%+. The BBC receives a large amount of correspondence from irate Licence Fee payers that they cannot access the full range of online services from outside the UK. I don't think not being able to get the TV channels or getting the TV channels with adverts irritates people half as much, they kind of expect that. But bbc.co.uk not being able to identify them as a Licence Fee payer and treating them as a 'johnny foreigner freeloader' instead bugs the hell out of them >> The real threat from the BBC taking advertising for non-UK visitors to its site is to people like Guardian Unlimited, who’ll see a significant amount of advertisers’ budget being diverted from their sites to the BBC’s. I certainly agree with this. I am astonished that the iPlayer is facing such a hurdle to get to market, when it is an obvious extension to the existing radio player and podcasting services, yet not the move towards international advertising, which will surely have a market impact on UK advertising revenue. The BBC might claim it can generate x million pounds revenue per year, but that revenue isn't going to be coming out of the fact that the BBC is 'growing' the market for advertising. >> he makes the obvious point that “not everyone who lives outside the UK is a non-Licence Fee payer”, and by inference, that there should be no ads on the site at all just in case I might see an ad when I’m on holiday. It’s a curious argument. If I were out of the UK, I’d find it difficult to be able to get any BBC output without advertising: from the BBC World Service programmes on WBUR Boston with its commercial messages from sponsors, to BBC World television with their long ad breaks, or subscription channels BBC America, BBC Prime, etc; and the amount of UK ex-pats or holidaymakers is, I’d wager, less than 1% of all accesses to the BBC website from abroad.

I never ever got accurate figures for this, although if I was a betting man I’d wager it was a lot more than 1%. I think maybe it seems a curious argument from outside the BBC, but that 1%+ of part-time ex-pats, people on business trips, and holidaymakers is a very vocal 1%+. The BBC receives a large amount of correspondence from irate Licence Fee payers that they cannot access the full range of online services from outside the UK. I don’t think not being able to get the TV channels or getting the TV channels with adverts irritates people half as much, they kind of expect that. But bbc.co.uk not being able to identify them as a Licence Fee payer and treating them as a ‘johnny foreigner freeloader’ instead bugs the hell out of them

>> The real threat from the BBC taking advertising for non-UK visitors to its site is to people like Guardian Unlimited, who’ll see a significant amount of advertisers’ budget being diverted from their sites to the BBC’s.

I certainly agree with this. I am astonished that the iPlayer is facing such a hurdle to get to market, when it is an obvious extension to the existing radio player and podcasting services, yet not the move towards international advertising, which will surely have a market impact on UK advertising revenue. The BBC might claim it can generate x million pounds revenue per year, but that revenue isn’t going to be coming out of the fact that the BBC is ‘growing’ the market for advertising.

]]> By: Sam Michel http://james.cridland.net/blog/2006/11/27/the-bbcs-international-sites-and-ads/#comment-271 Sam Michel Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:42:56 +0000 http://james.cridland.net/blog/2006/11/27/the-bbcs-international-sites-and-ads/#comment-271 The BBC are certainly one of the 900lb gorilla's in the space, but the BBC is already commercially exploited on many fronts through BBC Worldwide. Merchandise is licensed, TV shows and formats are sold, advertising is sold across the international channels. Surely, as a UK tax-payer it's in everyone's interests to maximise overseas revenue into the BBC, to help fund its activities and reduce the burden through the license fee. The BBC are certainly one of the 900lb gorilla’s in the space, but the BBC is already commercially exploited on many fronts through BBC Worldwide. Merchandise is licensed, TV shows and formats are sold, advertising is sold across the international channels. Surely, as a UK tax-payer it’s in everyone’s interests to maximise overseas revenue into the BBC, to help fund its activities and reduce the burden through the license fee.

]]>