The BBC is considering plans to include advertising on some BBC podcasts hosted on commercial sites such as Apple and Spotify in the UK. media leader You can check it.
The plan is for this activity to be carried out by BBC Studios, who will be responsible for providing BBC-commissioned television and audio content, including through broadcaster UKTV, the sale of audiobooks and the advertising of BBC-commissioned podcasts outside the UK. We are working on the commercialization of
The announcement marks the first time the company plans to commercialize podcasts in the UK.
Analysis: gradual deployment
A BBC spokesperson said. media leader: “While listeners can continue to listen to ad-free BBC audio on BBC Sounds, many of our podcasts are available on commercial platforms such as Apple and Spotify where advertising is the norm, so some of our content may We aim to generate more content by incorporating advertising, with the proceeds going to support the BBC, license fee payers, suppliers and rights holders.”
media leader We understand that these plans will occur in stages, with ads initially appearing in some titles in late 2024 or early 2025. desert island disc, archers and in our timewill not be included in the first phase, but may eventually include ad inventory.
News and current affairs podcasts will be excluded from the commercialization strategy.
This move is subject to regulatory evaluation. media leader I understand that this is ongoing.
Conflict in license fees?
Sam Austin, head of audio at independent media agency Goodstuff Communications, questioned the move.
“I think as fee payers we are paying for certain services from the BBC,” she said. “Our fees must cover production costs, talent fees, strong content, and essentially no advertising.
“The listener experience must be different to that of a commercial brand, be it a radio station, audio streaming or podcast. The BBC is a uniquely British and special service and must be different from commercial. not.”
Mr Austin admitted the BBC was in a “precarious position” given the relative rise in popularity of commercial radio in recent years. It has also been exacerbated by the departure of former BBC talents such as Ken Bruce from commercial radio stations.
“Monetizing their products is not necessarily the right way to bridge the gap,” Austin continued. “Would the introduction of advertising reduce license fees or force UK license fee payers to demand free services?”
While there is “unique and engaging content” offered by the BBC, Austin does not think it is “the right thing to do to actively encourage clients to advertise next to BBC content”. I am.
Austin added: “There is a large amount of existing commercial content on the market for clients to align with, and depending on their KPIs, there are various ways to integrate it with content to get the best outcomes for brands.” he added.
'Alarming' development
In response to this news, it was first reported that timesOwen Meredith, CEO of the News Media Association (NMA), said: “The news that the BBC appears to be seeking to enter the UK advertising market by competing with commercial players for advertising on audio output is deeply worrying.”
“Such interventions would severely distort competition and have a devastating impact on commercial players across the media and advertising industries.
“The BBC should not be allowed to exploit the power of license fee-driven services in the advertising market. Otherwise it could have a devastating impact on our media. This is extremely dangerous. These plans must be halted immediately as they set a precedent.”
The NMA, which represents local and national news organizations, has repeatedly raised concerns about the BBC's intrusion into local news publishing and radio.
Local editor labels BBC 'neighbor from hell'
local radio turns off
The BBC's potential commercial foray into podcast advertising on commercial sites risks further escalating tensions with the commercial audio sector.
In February, the group announced plans to launch a spin-off specialty station, but received significant backlash from Radio Center.
On Wednesday, BBC Director-General Tim Davie will appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, where MPs will question the organization's leadership as part of a regular scrutiny of the committee's work. .
