In a rare gesture, the BBC has announced that it will allow British newspapers free use of its video news material on their websites.
Under the new arrangements, four newspapers — the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Independent — will be able to use BBC's content free of charge. The arrangement begins from today.
The BBC said the move was the best way to sustain public-service content. A public service broadcaster, the BBC is largely funded by the annual licence fee that anyone using television must pay.
The Telegraph said it was a step in the right direction following complaints by newspapers that the BBC had stifled their attempts to expand online.
Newspaper have been criticising the BBC for using the licence fee to break into new media, while their own businesses are suffering from a downturn in advertising.
The BBC said other newspaper websites could be allowed to use its video news material later. The BBC already has a video sharing agreement with YouTube which allows the site to screen short clips of its content.