The BBC has released some mobile apps before, but it is delaying bringing out cool new ones because of silly fears that it will damage revenues from newspapers.
The country’s Newspaper Publishers Association asked the BBC Trust to examine the harmful effects mobile apps could have on the newspapers, and the Trust has agreed to delay the release of these programs until a study is conducted.
“It is vital that these proposals are scrutinized properly to avoid any adverse impact on commercial media organizations,” said the NPA’s director, David Newell, according to Reuters. “We are pleased that the BBC Trust has listened to the industry’s concerns and acted to delay the planned April launch.”
The BBC is different from nearly every other news publisher because it has a stable revenue source from licensing fees and is guaranteed about $5.4 billion a year. I understand other publishers don’t have this luxury, but that’s tough shit. The BBC’s of the world will always be around and free or nearly-free news content will also be around to compete. The newspapers need to get their acts together and deliver a compelling experience with what is often commodity news instead of whining to bureaucratic bodies. Being forced to adapt to the new marketplace sooner would actually be a good thing for these publishers. Evolve or die, just don’t bitch your way into delaying cool apps for end users.
[Via Reuters]