[May 15] For the first time in its two-year history, BBC News Online is to supply content to an external site by teaming with Yahoo! UK & Ireland News.

As a public service broadcaster, the BBC is very conscious of criticism whenever it signs a commercial deal. On this occasion it has clearly stipulated strict conditions of presentation and full retention of editorial independence.

In addition, Yahoo! confirms that there will be no advertising on the pages that carry the BBC's news.

Martina King, managing director of Yahoo! UK & Ireland, said the deal would provide users with quality, independent content, bringing together two of the strongest brands on the Web.

Serving 80 million page views a month, BBC News Online is the most popular news site outside the United States. It streams 1.3 million pieces of video and audio every month, with demand doubling every four months.

Richard Deverell, head of New Media at BBC News, said the venture brought together two of the key drivers in Web development -- content and portal.

"The BBC and Yahoo! are amongst the best known brands in the world and we are now able to deliver best of BBC News to the Yahoo! portal and increase our reach," said Deverell.

BBC News Online generates around 300 news stories and features on 500 interactive pages every day. It draws upon the BBC's 57 foreign bureau and other news gathering resources, adding 2,100 stories a week to a database that already has a million stories archived.

Following today's deal, stories from BBC News Online will run on Yahoo! UK & Ireland at: Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sport, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo! and Yahoo! Messenger.


PowerTel Deals for International Link
Solution 6 Chief Resigns