BBC to launch mobile 'apps'

The BBC has unveiled its plans to launch mobile News and Sports applications, for the iPhone, Blackberry handsets and phones running Google's Android operating system. The news application, to launch in April, will feature the same stories as the BBC News website, editor's blogs and allow users to send in photos and comments. The sports application will focus initially on the world cup and will launch in June.

The Newspaper Publishers Association has cried poverty, claiming the BBC is trying to crush a nascent market by launch applications. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8522441.stm

What are your thoughts on this?

Personally, I think that anybody with an iPhone, Blackberry or Google phone can already access all the BBC's news content via their mobile browser. Developing apps to display the content in a mobile friendly format is of benefit to the readers, and as the head of the BBC's "future media development" has said, the audience "want to access the digital services that they have paid for at a time and place that suits them".

The newspapers make out that free news is a revolutionary and damaging concept, but we've had free news ever since ITN started broadcasting reports; likewise, hundreds of the most popular iPhone apps are the free ones. If you're going to argue that providing free apps is going to damage a nascent market, you could equally argue that providing pay-for-news apps is going to turn people away from the nascent app market!

I've paid for BBC News via my licence fee - why shouldn't I be able to access content I've paid for in new ways?

I'm surprised this hasn't happened before. I've been wanting a decent news app for my iPod touch and BlackBerry but only seemed to find Sky, CNN etc. I'm glad the BBC are doing this.

Yes - there is little difference between an iPhone app and browsing a website. It is simply reversioning existing content.

If they were talking about launching a new service with bespoke content, then I can see more of an argument. Making existing content available more conveniently is very different.

The Guardian is pretty good (although obviously not updated as much as the likes of BBC and Sky) - also includes offline reading which is useful for iPod Touches.

Exactly - and as it's PSB content too it's justified. It would be a different matter if the BBC were launching a range of games apps or something.

I think the NPA are jumping on the 'BBC are interfering with the commercial market' bandwagon on this one. I can't see the problem with giving licence payers new ways to interact with the BBC in the 21st century.

This will be good, as I'm sure as using iPhone SDK and such, they'll be able to make the interface better,and I suspect it'll lead to iPlayer apps and so on.

Am I right in thinking that a small company called "News Corporation" were, first and foremost, a newspaper organisation...... who then went in to TV... I believe it's called "Sky"

Perhaps the newspapers should get their act together and stop complaining. Like commercial radio. I want the service for which I have paid, to be the best. Why should the BBC be held back from doing what's best just because a commercial outfit can't adjust to the market-place?


Get on with it.

I'd complain IF the BBC wasn't available where and when I want it to be!

I'm surprised it's took this long to announce plans for an iPlayer app. Barring the 360, which demands it would appear as a premium service [which the Beeb didn't like obviously], it's available on every other platform.

The BBC already have an iPhone/iPod friendly version of the iPlayer, which can be set as an icon on the home screen.

BBC told to delay iPhone apps

The launch of BBC News and BBC Sport smartphone applications is to be delayed, after the BBC Trust heeded industry calls for it to review the corporation's apps proposals.

Today the BBC Trust has informed the corporation's management that it plans to assess the plans for a series of apps for smartphones including the iPhone and BlackBerry.

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