Local Beeb To “Complement” News Sites

The BBC’s proposed web-based local services would link to existing online newspapers, according to the man at the top.

Director General Mark Thompson told a parliamentary committee that the planned My Local websites are expected “to complement local newspaper websites”, reports the Guardian.

The DG confirmed that original plans for local services had to be scaled down due to a lower-than-anticipated licence fee, so broadband TV is out but the corporation will move ahead with text and radio services if approved by its Trust.

Thompson also revealed that the websites would centre around personalised news and sport pages with geotagging playing a major part in story searches.

He said: “No one else is doing anything like this. For local democracy, My Local will be a fantastic way of getting involved.”

The BBC’s plans to enter the hyperlocal news market have been criticised by the Newspaper Society and in 2005 the body submitted a 63-page report detailing what it believes will be the impact of the move.