—An alliance of British media organizations, including BIPA and NUJ, is calling on the BBC Trust to reject plans to run ads on the corporation’s international websites…this is the BIPA that has till now said it wanted BBC to play in a more-leveled commercial field. Now when BBC is trying to develop multiple revenue streams at least for its international site, BIPA opposes it saying “this would be a first step on an inexorable route to advertising on the BBC’s publicly funded sites,” meaning on the UK sites. BIPA argues that if the proposal is accepted it is “unrealistic” to believe in a future clear separation between the BBC’s public and commercial output. Then NUJ journalists’ union is concerned about effect that the introduction of online advertising would have on the BBC’s journalism…meaning impartiality etc. And this from a union which has tons of journalists working for commercial organizations…does that mean NUJ thinks its commercial journalists are no impartial? Again, opposing commercialism of BBC is a slippery slope at best, and orgs like BIPA should be supporting it, not the other way around.
—More Highfield vaporware: BBC was “exploring a hybrid Freeview/IP set-top box”, as well as looking at companies including Sling Media and Sony’s direct internet access TV as ways to get the PC-based iPlayer and content onto other platforms…He admitted that the BBC had “talked” to other broadcasters about the possibility of future interoperability.
—The BBC is hoping to capture that demo with a new adventure/drama produced for the web, Variety reported. The broadcaster has commissioned TV production giant Endemol to create the show, called Signs of Life. It has declared the venture its “most ambitious Internet format to date.” In terms of cost, the BBC has invested $1.56 million in eight 20-minute episodes of the show. Signs, described as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer with horoscopes,” also has a social networking component.