The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) director-general Mark Thompson announced on August 27 at Edinburgh International Television Festival that BBC will start selling songs on its website oriented towards its audience.

The service will be part of BBC's online sales strategy.

Thompson said, in a digital age led by products such as iPod, there has been increasing demand for music downloads. People can listen to music on BBC's website and then buy it online, which is very convenient.

BBS is one of the most popular website in Britain with about 25 million visits every month. It is commented that BBC's raising the horn of entering online retailing will be a major threat to the existing online retailers. In addition, BBC's act draws people's attention to the phenomenon of publicly funded broadcaster's entering the commercial market.

BBC said, the popular Internet and other electronic products have blurred the border between public broadcasting and commercial market. BBC also suggested that it probably will consider cooperation with private institutions for the online selling. Thompson thinks seeking partner is in the interest of BBC and BBC can open new market and create new value for its partner.

Online music purchase is only part of BBC's Internet campaign. Now people can check all BBC's TV and radio programs listed on its website. In 2006, audience can download the programs they miss with "MyBBCPlayer".

Statistics in July show that over 10 million listeners request downloads of BBC radio programs, and 60 million people want TV program downloads.

By People's Daily Online