BBC Search Engine

They're thinking about it

[johnser]

"...the corporation’s new media director .... outlined plans to launch a BBC standalone search engine that would compete with Google and others"

[dmeurope.com...]

[topr8]

i hope but ...

i don't think so, there is so much fighting in the bbc over where the money goes, what with new bbc tv channels also wanting more money - i don't see where the investment is going to come from, as far as the execs at the bbc are concerned, the web is low status.

[Sanenet]

Can't see it happening until after the current license review is over.

own low-cost PC terminal bundled with cheap broadband internet access.

Now this could be popular, especially with schools that already subscribe to BBC educational services.

[TravelSite]

A successful bbc search engine could damage uk e-commerce significantly as it would not have to have ads on it - hence folk may well prefer to use it over commercial rivals. The knock on effect would mean that (over a year) millions of uk customers would not be clicking on adverts from the uks wide variety of e-commerce websites - hurting profits and costing jobs.

...unless the beeb is allowed to have ads on it.

In my opinion a bbc search engine would have to offer something that the other search engines can't provide to justify its existence (as we're paying for the bbc) - otherwise why should we pay for something that others (google etc) already do fine? I have no idea what they could offer that others don't (then again bbc news is arguable the worlds best news site, so perhaps I shouldn't be quick to judge).

The beeb are also actively looking to cut back on their websites just now, so it seems strange to start looking into producing a search engine.

[PCInk]

The BBC is allowed to have ads on certain media. They are also allowed to advertise their own products on advert free media.

For example, pick up a copy of Top Gear magazine or Gardener's World (any magazine by the BBC) and you will see adverts in them.

They may be able to display ads on their search engine.

[Bobby_Davro]

The BBC has been down this route before. They already offer a web search using pure UK Inktomi results (no ads), which they pushed quite heavily at one point IIRC.

Usage has been relatively low, and I don't suppose it would be very different if they made their own crawler - the end users wouldn't really know the difference.

I would welcome another crawler based engine though; that can only be good news.

[IanTurner]

I would also welcome a British spidering engine with significant resources to back it up.

If it was my choice I'd buy an existing UK crawler and extend its services, but I don't foresee the BBC getting into commercial acquisitions.

[christopher]

They've certainly got the cash to make a challenge.

Is it really their thing though? They already have a good news search - unless they plan to expand that......