BBC Trust Approves Job Cuts, BBC.com Ads; Commercial Download Player For Worldwide

From our UK site paidContent:UK: BBC Trust has approved director-general Mark Thompson’s six-year plan purportedly involving the loss of around 2,800 jobs, the creation of around 1,000 more and the sell-off of its famous Television Centre HQ. Some 520 jobs are going in BBC News thanks to the convergence of the TV, radio and web newsrooms. Also, the trust will likely green-light the proposal to place advs on BBC.com, a website to be operated by the BBC Worldwide overseas commercial arm. BBCW has guaranteed an unknown percentage of revenue from BBC.com ads will go back to the public service broadcaster.

Also, BBCW is developing a commercial online media player that will distribute shows abroad after they have dropped off the free iPlayer service in UK. The application will be available early 2008. The offering is part of so-called “Project Kangaroo”, and we’re told today it’s the codename for a BBC Worldwide media player that potentially could be part of a service offered from various broadcasters. More here.