BBC breaches agreement to remove rival websites
The BBC has failed to remove services such as BBC Food and Newsbeat which were agreed nearly two years ago as part of the renewal of its charter.
BBC breaches agreement to remove rival websites
The websites were due to be shut down in response to accusations that it was undermining commercial rivals.
For example, BBC Food website featured recipes that would appear on BBC Good Food, which is run by the corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.
Likewise, Radio 1’s Newsbeat’s site and app were due to shut down and the stories that featured due to be integrated into the main BBC news website.
At the time, the BBC’s then director of news James Harding promised the shutdown of these rival sites in a move that was also intended to save £15m.
However, the Times has found that the BBC has breached the agreement, with the BBC Food and Newsbeat sites still live. MPs have now called on the corporation to explain itself.
Damian Collins, chairman of the digital, culture, media and sport committee, said: “It is important that the BBC fulfils all aspects of the agreement that was reached during the recent charter renewal. The BBC should explain why it has failed to change or close these services on time.”
The BBC admitted that it was running behind schedule with the closures.
“We have made the £15m savings we needed to find from our online services, including changes such as stopping the iWonder service, closing the travel site and stopping developing a travel app,” a spokesman said.
“Following the audience reaction to the BBC Food proposal in 2016 we said that we would preserve the recipes. The savings for closing it were small compared to the audience impact, and as the public has continued to have an appetite for our recipes we have kept the site.”