The BBC didn't get to be one of the highest rated sites in the world because of subsidy - just that it is the very best at what it does (well apart from the odd iPlayer debacle).

People who use mobile phones, PDA's etc see the difference between the BBC's level of professionalism and the rest. As a profesional web designer I have followed the BBC website for close on a decade and a half. It has been a reference for doing stuff well and moving on. Bit like in conventional broadcasting - it sets a standard for the competition to try and match (even occasionally exceed).

Without the BBC website - and particulary the news.bbc.co.uk - we would be poorly served by the inadequate ITV and the biased NI empire (just take a look at Fox News for fair and balanced reporting).

In general the BBC has helped drive uptake of new technologies in its field. So they're effectively reducing the cost of entry for everyone else because the British public are prepared to buy the hardware if they can get their standard channels, meaning more hardware is produced and it gets cheaper. Trying to create a new market from scratch is not cheap.

I agree with Stuart that the design of the BBC site isn't bad. However, the standard of reporting is abysmal, the BBC has fallen a long way in my lifetime.

As for subsides, I'd rather have those than give Rupert Murdoch absolute sway over what we read in the news.

"The European Commission will investigate public service broadcasting's use of new media to determine whether state aid to broadcasters is unfair to commercial competitors."

Of course it is unfair as it creates Inequity and Practices Solely Intent on its Retention with Excluding Bias...... and worse.

And "public service broadcasting's use of new media" without payment is Intellectual Property Theft, is it not?

J'accuse.

It ain't just the Beeb, RTÉ (27th), DR (Denmark, 8th) , YLE (Finland, 15th), SVT (Sweden, 22nd) are all popular sites linked to a PSB. Why investigate?

Hmm, maybe they will take away the BBC TV Licence now . On the other hand, I think BBC2 in particular produces some good healthy ,educational programmes and would be bad to see that disappear through lack of funds and then be left will all the crap like Big Brother, XFactor and all the other highly moronic stuff.

As an American I need news that isn't completely biased and suspect the BBC has provided that for me through radio, and now the internet for a long time now most of my life. This means that those of you who have been paying those tv licenses have actually been subsidising my knowledge of the world I thank you. Oh yeah and for Doctor Who as well. Honestly if we had something as useful as the BBC is here I would tell those Euro guys to just fuck off.

Alan,

Even as good as the BBC may be, it still toes the line to maintain its paycheck...... which really puts it in the same boat as any other biased sender brainwashing viewers and listeners with particular Points of View. And that will always be the case, even with the most objective of companies, for even the truth is flexible, although of course, any telling such truths are few and far between. It is certainly not something the Beeb are interested in promoting as is evidenced by their censure of posters who would simply question their spin on News and Current Affairs.

It is excellent though if you want to know how to boil an egg or heat up some of yesterdays scraps for a tasty meal in front of the television and dancing on ice or a turn around the ballroom floor are also hot at the moment. Cutting edge television, Alan, not to be missed.

"Honestly if we had something as useful as the BBC is here I would tell those Euro guys to just fuck off." ...... Probably, with no cohesion across television wherever you are, that is why the Administration is so dysfunctional/manic depressive. It does appear to be very Don Quixote Tilting at Windmills. Talk the talk is just so much useless Hot Air BS if you don't walk the walk along with it. But hey, you are not alone over there, for there are BS Galore in Office on this side of the Pond too. You even give some of them a medal for their Service.