The BBC iPhone app plans unveiled at Mobile World Congress last month have been put on hold. The BBC News and Sports iPhone apps were set to arrive shortly, but governing body the BBC Trust has put the brakes on, after industry complaints.
Auntie’s internet overlord Erik Huggers revealed plans for a BBC iPhone app for both news and sport in Barcelona in February, and while the News BBC iPhone app was expected as early as April, both have been put on hold for the time being.
The Guardian reports that the BBC Trust is planning to assess the Beeb’s smartphone plans, which also include apps for Android, BlackBerry, Nokia, Windows Mobile, Symbian and even webOS.
The Trusts plans to assess whether smartphone apps will be a change of service, rather than a mere extension of existing services, after the Newspaper Publishers Association appealed to the body earlier this month, claiming that the BBC iPhone app plans would damage a nascent market for commercial news programs on mobile.
We’ll be sure to shout up if the BBC iPhone app plans get over this hurdle, but in the meantime, be sure to check out just what they look like in our BBC iPhone app gallery.
Out TBC | £TBC | BBC (Via The Guardian)
