Giving in to the reactionaries following the controversy about BBC running ads on its international site, it now only plans to run ads on targeted areas of the proposed BBC.com, reports Guardian…although international users have access to all the content available to UK viewers of the BBC’s websites, only selected high-traffic genres will take ads. Only key, more general, areas such as news, sport and weather earmarked to receive ads.
Also, it has scaled back initial plans that could have seen it net up to $200 million in annual digital revenues, instead opting for a more modest sum in the “tens of millions”.
In a related story, BBC Worldwide Global TV Sales division is on target to make around $370 million this financial year, up from last year’s $333 million, mainly because of its increased digital revenues. Last year it scored a number of digital deals, including agreements with Vodafone, Orange, T-Online, Telstra, ONO, Netflix, Amazon, Hanaromedia Korea and Telefonica.
Also, some industry moves from BBC:
— BBC Worldwide Productions USA is beefing up its exec ranks, tapping four VPs to handle its rapidly expanding production roster. It is behind “Dancing With the Stars” and “Grease: You’re the One That I Want.” Among the new execs, Alice Taylor has been appointed as VP for digital content. She’ll focus on expanding the company’s Internet, mobile and gaming initiatives. More here.
— BBC Vision has made two senior appointments to head up multi-platform and creative at its new Vision Studios. Head of the arts studio and head of production innovation for factual & learning, Mark Harrison has been appointed as head of the multi-platform, innovation and development studio, and Richard Williams has been made creative director, multi-platform for the new studio. The new studio, one of 17, will bring together creative multi-platform teams from drama, entertainment, comedy and factual for the first time into one centre.
— BBC Radio has hired Jeff Smith as the network’s head of music from Napster UK. Smith will continue in his current post as director of UK and international programming at Napster until he moves on to the BBC at the end of March. Release.
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