BBC's video sharing deal met with opposition from News International, Press Association and ITN

Posted by Emma Heald on July 29, 2009 at 10:25 AM

The BBC's announcement that it is to share video news with UK newspapers has been met with opposition by several media organisations. News International, the UK arm of News Corp, the Press Association and ITN have all expressed concern at the deal announced yesterday with the Daily Mail, the Guardian, the Independent and the Telegraph.

News International, which owns the Times, the Sun and the News of the World, said it had rejected the BBC's proposal to provide free online video content because of the "onerous marketing conditions" that promote the corporation, according to the Guardian. A spokeswoman said that the content would in effect not be provided at no cost because it would provide marketing for the BBC. The content would appear in a BBC-branded video player and links would lead back to the BBC's website.

"News International assessed the BBC's proposals and found that they not only impose onerous marketing conditions, but also offer little differentiation or benefit to customers of our websites," the Guardian reported the spokeswoman as saying. As well as providing marketing for the BBC, News International was concerned that the move "is likely to bring about a greater sameness of video content on a range of sites."

The Press Association, the UK's national news agency, said that it was "surprised and disappointed by the BBC's announcement, according to Press Gazette. The PA's concerns seem to stem from worries about how the deal will affect its own services. It launched its own video newswire service earlier this year and a spokeswoman said that "we have consistently argued that content dumping by a publicly-funded broadcaster distorts the market and undermines the investment in video by commercial providers, such as the Press Association." The PA said it has already complained to the BBC Trust.

Independent News Television, ITN, has said it will also complain to the BBC Trust about the plan because it risks damaging demand for content from independent commercial sources. Press Gazette quotes ITN CEO John Hardie who said that "the pressure on commercial news suppliers has never been greater which is why ITN has led the way in opening up valuable new lines of business, and the BBC's latest move risks pulling the rug from under us."

The BBC's deal with newspapers seems to be a response to government suggestions that the publicly-funded corporation should have its license fee reduced and the excess diverted to other sources of news. The BBC has been taking steps to create partnerships with commercial rivals, seemingly in an effort to fend off the government's proposal. But if this latest move has been met with such opposition, what is the BBC to do?

Source: Guardian, Press Gazette (1), (2)