The BBC can not show ads to the UK public. This is part of the BBC charter and is there to ensure the BBC remains impartial. The idea is that since the BBC is f

The BBC can not show ads to the UK public. This is part of the BBC charter and is there to ensure the BBC remains impartial. The idea is that since the BBC is funded by the licence fee (the TV tax), it is free of commercial concerns. This means that the BBC doesn't have to focus on chasing viewing numbers with lowest common denominator programming and so it can produce quality programming. Also the BBC is never beholden to any large investor or customer, so can be trusted as a news source. BBC Worldwide is a subsidiary company of the BBC. It makes money from selling broadcasting rights, ads to other countries. This is fine because the UK public never sees those ads. Unfortunately, not being allowed to show ads to the UK public means they block access to all BBC Worldwide programs from within the UK. Some of those programs are entire new series eg (http://www.bbcamerica.com/orphan-black/ http://www.bbcamerica.com/orphan-black/) which the UK public has no right to be able to view. If you attempt to access the totally free BBC Worldwide content within the UK you are presented the following: "We're sorry but this site is not accessible from the UK as it is part of our international service and is not funded by the license fee. It is run commercially by BBC Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BBC, the profits made from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes. You can find out more about BBC Worldwide and its digital activities at www.bbcworldwide.com." Its totally stupid. Everyone knows its stupid. But since almost everyone agrees the BBC is (surprisingly) good on the whole, any change to it is resisted on impulse.