British advertising body ISBA welcomes advertising on BBC World Service and hits back at critics
British advertising body ISBA has welcomed changes to the BBC World Service which will allow it to begin carrying advertising.
Changes: BBC World Service will begin carrying advertising
Hitting back at critics who claim the move will compromise the editorial independence of the broadcaster, ISBA’s director of public affairs, Ian Twinn, said the BBC made a “sensible decision” and it was “naïve” to suggest output would be influenced.
The BBC’s move towards commercial funding was approved by the BBC Trust in February ahead of a change in the funding model for BBC World Service. As of 1 April, the service’s normal source of funding from the foreign office ended and its £245m budget must instead now come from the licence fee – or from advertising.
“The BBC has made a sensible decision that will enable this august broadcaster to continue delivering an excellent service without becoming an additional burden on the tax payer,” Twinn said. “In doing so, the BBC has showed that it believes advertising can support good, unbiased news content.
“The decision to find funding commercially is simply a common-sense reaction to the situation the BBC finds itself in as part of the licence-fee settlement. Despite what some commentators believe, this is not some kind of Faustian pact and there is no reason why is being commercially funded will damage the integrity or quality of the journalism it produces.”
He added: “To suggest otherwise is naïve and also incredibly unfair on other commercial news channels and every newspaper and outlet that takes advertising in the UK.”
The plans have been criticised by the National Union of Journalist (NUJ), with general secretary Michelle Stanistreet outlining the union’s position in February that the move will “devalue the brand and threaten the impartiality of BBC World Service programmes”, and calling on the BBC Trust to “reverse this extremely foolish and dangerous decision”.
BBC director-general Tony Hall described the change as an “economic necessity” but insisted commercial funding will “never get in the way” of the BBC’s output.