BBC goes 2.0. News Corp just goes "Waaah Waaaaahh! Daddy, he's not playing fair!!"

So here's how it would appear to be. The BBC decides they're just not getting in the youngsters like they used to. Damn those websites and video games. So, being a forward thinker...

"Mark Thompson, the Director-General, announced a radical shake-up yesterday in the delivery of all the corporation’s services...

The familiar portfolio of BBC radio and television channels could ultimately be phased out as content is delivered “on-demand” to the licence-fee payer through handheld devices, computers and mobile phones as well as digital television sets."

Before we go any further, what is it with media writers that they feel a need to constantly play the "end of your TV!" angle? Sure, maybe one day we will dump our TV sets and move away from broadcast television once and for all, but I can tell you now it won't be until the medium is completely obselete, irrelevant, and every cent has been squeezed from it. When that happens the collective cry will no doubt be "what kept it here so long?"

How the BBC will remake itself to persuade the young to tune in - Times Online

Anyway, the big announcement, or at least the one that's caused the most furore, was;

"The plans to create an online community incorporating music and blogs echoes the service offered by MySpace.com, the website bought by News International, parent company of The Times, for £324 million."

And just like that, News Corp starts getting defensive.

"James MacManus, an executive director of Murdoch's News International company, accused the state-funded BBC of "blatantly commercial ambitions" and seeking "to create a digital empire."

"Our view is that can only damage the development of commercial digital media," MacManus said.

"This is being done with public money," he told The Associated Press. "It really is outrageous." "

BBC is criticised over website plans - theage.com.au

Or, my favourite, the bit at the end of the Times article (who have already helpfully let us know where their allegiances lie) entitled;
LEARN TO SPEAK FLUENT MARK THOMPSON

360-degree commissioning in knowledge content
We get the marketing guys to knock out Little Britain ringtones

Dynamic audio-visual content
Television programmes

User-generated content to re-engage audiences
Licence-fee payers star in programmes and text-vote for winners

More hybrid hits like The Apprentice
We can dress up reality game-shows as an insight into business

One clear and comprehensive metadata solution for all BBC content
Search any word in Google and the result is “BBC”

Man, that's petty guys. Hilarious, but petty.

[Edit - More on the BBC revamp.]

Guardian Unlimited Technology | BBC unveils radical revamp of website