News On Demand?

Letters to The Times & #150; 15-11-97

A letter to The Times in response to Tony Hall's suggestion, at the launch of BBC 24 (rolling TV news), that it would provide 'News On Demand'.

To: Letters The Times, letters@the-times.co.uk

Sir,

You quote Mr Tony Hall, chief executive of the BBC's new 24-hour news service, as saying that it is "meeting the growing appetite for news on demand" (report, November 10). If this is what Mr Hall thinks he's supplying he is mistaken.

News on demand (NOD) is a standard definition in the news industry of the sort of service increasingly offered by Internet news providers. This allows us to specify and receive only the sorts of news items we ourselves define e.g. by subject, category, location, language, news source as and when we choose.

Admirable though its new service may be, the BBC is offering us no added choice whatever. It is merely giving us its own well-known brand 24 hours a day.

Sincerely

Christopher Long