BBC defers online ads decision

The BBC Trust has deferred a decision on featuring online ads on the international part of the BBC's website.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Trust discussed whether to go ahead will the idea, but said more work was needed on how advert revenues would be spent. A decision is expected later this spring.

In a statement the Trust said: "For the BBC to meet its purpose internationally, it must invest more online. It cannot use the licence fee for this purpose. One option is to carry advertising – where appropriate and subject to robust editorial safeguards – in line with the BBC's existing approach internationally on television."

"The trust has considered the proposals from management for the BBC.com website very carefully, but we are not currently satisfied we have all the information we think is necessary to reach a decision."

BBC management will now further investigate how any advertising revenue would be reinvested in BBC Global News and the BBC's UK public services for the benefit of licence fee payers.

The statement added: "One of the BBC's public purposes, laid down in its new Royal Charter, is to 'bring the UK to the world and the world to the UK.' In this digital age, it is essential that the BBC's international presence is equally compelling across all platforms, including the internet."

The British Internet Publishers Alliance said last week that the plan would damage its members' revenues, and that showing adverts to non-UK readers would undermine the BBC's "worldwide reputation for integrity and impartiality."

More than 200 BBC journalists and technical staff have called for the plans for online ads to be rejected by the Trust.