BBC: Inform, educate, entertain and advertise?

The nation's broadcaster is such an institution, it is even affectionately known as Auntie - just like it's a member of the family. Everyone dutifully pays their annual licence fee, and in exchange they get high-quality broadcast television, radio and, more recently, internet services free from advertising.

So when the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that BBC director-general Greg Dyke is considering allowing advertising on BBC Online, the national outcry was understandable, and for several reasons.

On an aesthetic and ideological level, it isn't hard to find people thankful that the many pages that make up BBC Online carry no advertising. Here's one of the world's most popular sites with nary a banner ad in sight.

And this is in keeping with the general public service broadcasting ethos, the 1920s Reithian founding principles of informing, educating and entertaining without the constraints of commercialism.

But when it comes to the internet, it's easy to see the higher-ups at corporation HQ trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth. On one hand they have a shortfall in future funding to contend with, and on the other, a popular, saleable web asset that could solve the problem.

Tough call.

They shouldn't be tempted. The internet isn't broadcasting's poor cousin. The division between the BBC's commercial and non-commercial services - even online - should be clear. If they're not, it's something Dyke should be worried about.

What's more, there are already enough complaints that services such as Beeb.com, by using the BBC's brand, are cashing in on something that is funded by UK licence payers.

And as one silicon.com reader put it: "If Auntie Beeb wants to be free to compete, let's all be free to opt out of the licence fee."

The BBC is in a tricky situation, but expanding overseas with high quality, saleable programming while continuing to innovate on the web are alternative ways forward. BBC.commercial isn't the answer.