Date: 4th September 2000

British Viewers Would Allow Ads On BBC Sports Telecasts


British TV viewers believe the non-commercial BBC should be allowed to sell advertising in its sports programs in order to compete successfully against commercial broadcasters ITV and Sky Sports, a survey commissioned by the London Daily Express has concluded. According to the survey, conducted by NOP Solutions, 52 percent of the population favor commercial breaks, while only 24 percent insisted that the current ad-free format ought to be retained. However, a BBC spokesman told the newspaper: "We find the results of this survey very interesting but this goes right to the very heart of what the BBC stands for. We'd never take advertising, it goes against our charter and against our role as a public service broadcaster."

Source: Studio Briefing