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The governing body of the BBC has postponed the introduction of its news and sport applications for the iPhone until it has been determined whether they fall under the terms of its existing service licence.

The Newspaper Publishers Association, an alliance of UK newspapers, has been one of the most vocal critics of the proposed mobile applications, arguing that they would 'undermine commercial media organisations' ability to establish an economic model on these emergent platforms.' Several NPA member broadsheets, including the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, already provide paid-for and free content to smartphone users.

The news application set to launch next month would supply content from the BBC News website in the form of video, blogs and news stories direct to the iPhone and iPod Touch. A sports app enabling football fans to watch matches live on their phones was also due for release in May just ahead of the 2010 World Cup. With these services in the pipeline, the BBC was to begin work on equivalents for the Blackberry and Android.

The BBC has insisted that the packages are merely an extension and enhancement of its 'core web propositions' and that it has always been within their remit to utilise new devices to furnish licence-fee payers with funded content. Erik Huggers, the BBC director of future media and technology, argued that the corporation had not initially sought the consent of the BBC Trust because a '[mobile] application is plainly not a new content service and therefore doesn't need to be regulated as such'.

However, in response to 'representation from industry' the trust will now conduct an investigation into whether the apps constitute a 'significant change to BBC services' and the financial implications of those changes for commercial rivals.

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