MUMBAI: Online medium is growing to be a powerful mode of communication, providing unlimited opportunities to extend interactions. BBC Worldwide is proposing to launch bbc.com to capitalise on the popularity of BBC content abroad.

The BBC website for users outside the UK is likely to have advertisements, according to the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The corporation is looking at launching bbc.com in spring 2007.

According to information posted on the bbc.co.uk, a spokesperson said a 'limited level' of ads would be 'a very viable option'. TV shows could be sold to international users on the new site.

It must first be approved by the BBC Trust, which will replace the corporation's governors. Before that, proposals will go through the BBC's internal journalism board and executive direction group. But it will not be subject to the public value test, which will ensure the BBC's non-commercial ventures do not adversely affect commercial markets in the UK.

"Our hope would be to have the site fully up and running in a year's time," the spokesperson continued. The site is also proposing to offer 'video on demand'. According to BBC Worldwide, the bbc.com site will not feature pop-up promos, animated commercials or the sort of ads that "give the web a bad name".

The television news channel BBC World, which is broadcast outside the UK, carries advertisement and could be used as a model.

The corportion is also hoping that in due course, the site will offer direct consumer downloads via the proposed Integrated Media Player, or iMP. "At a later date it might become a portal for video on demand for international users," the BBC Worldwide spokesperson said.

iMP is an application in development offering UK viewers the chance to download TV and radio programmes they may have missed for up to seven days after they have been broadcast.