Majority think BBC too commercially focused

04 February 2010 | By Branwell Johnson

Of those who voted, 54.5% believe the BBC has been putting too much emphasis on competing with commercial services and programming and has been nakedly commercial in some of its BBC Worldwide activities.

Last November, BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons demanded the corporation curb its acquisitions activity, such as the 75% stake it bought in travel guide Lonely Planet, and that it align its activities under the BBC banner.

Pressure from several quarters is apparently forcing the BBC to look closely at selling off its magazine division.

However, 45.5% of respondents were in favour of the BBC staying competitive and many subscribe to the view that the more money the broadcaster can make, the less the taxpayer will have to subsidise the corporation via the licence fee.

As one commentator on a relevant article on www.marketingweek. co.uk says: “Money making activities increase the value of the BBC to licence fee payers. A reduction in revenue-generating activity will impact on the quality of BBC products when compared with other truly ‘free-to-air’ providers. This move makes no sense - the BBC should be moving closer to selfsufficiency rather than away from it.”