The BBC is now allowed to release smartphone apps able to present its news feeds to viewers on the move.

So says the BBC Trust, the organisation charged with ensuring the Corporation does right by licence holders, though in this instance seems to be more concerned with the BBC's competitors than its stakeholders.

Why wouldn't licence fee payers want the news they have already paid for to be made available to them free of charge on mobile devices? Other publishers might not like it, but the Trust shouldn't be looking out for them, only for the those of us who pay annual BBC subscriptions.

It could have said as much in March, when it announced its review, more than a month after the BBC first unveiled its News app, but clearly the wheels of viewer-interest deliberation grind exceeding slow.

"Today we begin with our News App becoming available for the Apple iPhone, and soon it will come to Blackberry and Android phones in addition to other devices later in the year," blogged BBC tech chief Erik Huggins.

The app will be available to download later today, the BBC said. ®