BBC ‘overspends on web portal’

Posted by: Marketing Guy Date posted: June 25th, 2008 Published in: Marketing

The BBC has spent more than it should have done on its web portal bbc.co.uk, according to a new report.

Figures from the BBC Trust, which aims to ensure the broadcaster uses its licence fees wisely, reveal an overspend of 48 per cent on the baseline budget allocated for the service.

Much of this was initially allocated to other departments, disguising the total expenditure on bbc.co.uk, the report observes.

In all, £110 million was spent on the portal in the 2007-08 financial year - but the BBC Trust asserts that the service represents “value for money”.

Trustee Dame Patricia Hodgson comments: “It is clear that bbc.co.uk has become a central part of what the BBC offers licence fee payers.

“And the evidence shows that the vast numbers who use it love it.”

The website also provides access to the on-demand BBC iPlayer service which the broadcaster notes has experienced “significant growth” since its launch on Christmas Day 2007.

Monthly growth of 25 per cent was recorded in the first quarter of the year, with 42 million programmes accessed as of April 2008.

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Comments

  1. Posted by: Digital Rant » Blog Archive » Keep spending my TV license fee Date posted: 26th June, 2008 at 9:40 am

    […] BBC Trust has reported that the BBC has spent more than it should on its web portal. Not by a little either, apparently they’ve overspent by 48% of the baseline budget. As TV […]

  2. Posted by: Tom White Date posted: 13th July, 2008 at 5:00 pm

    >In all, £110 million

    “What my friends mate’s mate’s son’s mate can do website for £50! He uses the best internets program from a computer magazine too and it only took him a week”!

    Sigh, this was my last web design customer before I packed web design for good.

  3. Posted by: Marketing Guy Date posted: 13th July, 2008 at 10:41 pm

    Hehe. :)

  4. Posted by: George R. Kennson Date posted: 20th August, 2008 at 5:23 pm

    The BBC site looks nice, just is basically useless to users. I do not come here looking for iGoogle, i come here looking for news. I dont need all this fancy garbage to read, folks.

  5. Posted by: Marketing Guy Date posted: 20th August, 2008 at 5:25 pm

    I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s useless for users, but I do get what you are saying - I do find myself not spending as much time there lately. Not certain why - just feels more like a collection of RSS feeds than news stories perhaps?