Cameron hits out at Beeb online local news plans

Argues corporation should be "restrained"

View more images

20 November 2008 10:25 GMT / By Katie Scott

He's not the first to do it, and he won't be the last - Tory leader David Cameron has hit out at the BBC's plans to create local video on demand services.

Cameron, speaking (yes you've guessed it) to local newspaper representatives at the Newspaper Conference annual lunch, said that the BBC should be regulated, even "restrained", in its plans to develop local online news services.

Cameron said: "...some of the things it's been doing online, its plans for video on demand, and some of what it's been doing in competition with local newspapers, those are the things where it should be restrained".

His comments echo those of Northcliffe Media which said in August that there is "no justification or public value case" for the BBC to spend up to £23m annually on a national network of local video-on-demand services.

The decision whether or not to go with the plans currently rests with the BBC Trust.