Post by Teddy Bear on Apr 5, 2008 22:59:18 GMT
BBC took £6m from sponsors in five years
By Nicole Martin and Juliette Garside
Last Updated: 12:23am BST 05/04/2008
The BBC has received almost £6 million in sponsorship in the past five years, according to figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph.
The statistics, released under the Freedom of Information Act, will fuel claims from rival broadcasters that the corporation is introducing advertising "through the back door".
Since 2003, the BBC has struck sponsorship deals with the likes of Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Asda for 25 live events, including Children in Need, Sports Personality of the Year and Proms in the Park.
The corporation claims its sponsorship packages, in which companies are promised credits on air, are legitimate because the money is contributing to the cost of staging events, not programmes.
However, ITV has accused the BBC of breaking its no-advertising rules.
By Nicole Martin and Juliette Garside
Last Updated: 12:23am BST 05/04/2008
The BBC has received almost £6 million in sponsorship in the past five years, according to figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph.
The statistics, released under the Freedom of Information Act, will fuel claims from rival broadcasters that the corporation is introducing advertising "through the back door".
Since 2003, the BBC has struck sponsorship deals with the likes of Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Asda for 25 live events, including Children in Need, Sports Personality of the Year and Proms in the Park.
The corporation claims its sponsorship packages, in which companies are promised credits on air, are legitimate because the money is contributing to the cost of staging events, not programmes.
However, ITV has accused the BBC of breaking its no-advertising rules.