In a strange quirk of fate, the BBC mobile phone tv apps that have been delayed for UK release are now being released Internationally for the new Apple iPad device. Available now for iPad and coinciding with its US release at the weekend, the BBC news app supplies news (obviously) on the go. It also features social options, quick bulletins, breaking news, live radio streams and more

In the UK the BBC have had to postpone release of a range of mobile phone apps due to its governing body, the BBC Trust needing to ‘review’ the proposal. This move was driven by rivals who say that the free tv apps would prevent them offering paid services and apps of their own on mobiles phones. However in the US, where the BBC operates on a commercial basis, these problems are not a barrier.

The app is proving very popular and currently sits at number 12 in iPad’s free apps chart. The app was jointly funded by the BBC UK and the BBC Worldwide who are planning to sell advertising for the streams,

The BBC are planning to launch the tv apps for a range of smartphones including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android powered phones. The plan was to launch the BBC News app first in April, then follow up with the BBC Sport app ready for the soccer world cup finals in June and follow that with an iPlayer catch-up tv app.

So how can the BBC release the app overseas but not at home? According to the BBC website:- “The US iPad app is a commercial activity outside the UK and is not covered by the Trust review.”

It will be interesting to see what happens to the app once the iPad is launched in the UK later this month.

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