BBC accused of 'hard-sell' to children

The BBC denies claims it is planning to use a new children's programme to sell expensive merchandise and toys to youngsters.

The Sunday Telegraph published an internal memo which it says shows how the corporation intends to promote products from a new action adventure show.

It says the document details how the programme, Ace Lightning, could be used to persuade children to spend their pocket money on the goods.

But a BBC spokeswoman says the show was commissioned before any merchandising campaign had been started.

The memo was also directed only at BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, which is run separately from the corporation itself, she added.

"The BBC commissions programmes on their quality and interest, not on their commercial viability," the spokeswoman said.

"They are commissioned first by the BBC and no commercial activity has taken place until the programme has gone on air. If there is a commercial strategy then we take that, but commissioning is done in the first place.

"It is the job of BBC Worldwide to exploit the commission once it is there, not to commission them for that basis.

The spokeswoman added: "This is an internal memo making a suggestion. It is not part of a decision of policy."

The Sunday Telegraph says the memo, written by Oliver West, the global brand manager of BBC Worldwide, talks about boosting sales of clothes, games, mobile phones, videos, trading cards and albums.