The BBC Trust has approved proposals for the BBC to establish bbc.com, a commercial venture to offer advertising on the BBC’s international online service for users outside the UK. BBC Worldwide, in conjunction with BBC Global News, will be responsible for the development of bbc.com.
Following the launch of bbc.com, advertising will be introduced on selected high-traffic pages, visible only to users accessing the site from outside the UK, and over time will be rolled across more of the site. Editorial control of the news pages will continue to be the responsibility of BBC News.
John Smith, CEO, BBC Worldwide, said in a prepared statement: “We plan to invest in bbc.com to make it a showcase of the best of the BBC’s content ranging from Top Gear to Planet Earth to the riches of the programme archive in a way that appeals international audiences.”