THE BBC yesterday denied advertising "through the back door" after it was disclosed the broadcaster received nearly £6m in sponsorship deals over the past five years.
The corporation defended its right to raise funds through the "sponsorship of events", such as Children in Need and Sports Personality of the Year, and denied breaching regulations.
Rival broadcasters have in the past accused the BBC of breaking i
ts no-advertising rules, but the corporation said there was a difference between sponsoring events and sponsoring programmes.
A BBC spokesman said: "The sponsorship of events is permitted within BBC guidelines. On-air credits clearly state that it is the event that has been sponsored, not the programme itself, and the number of credits and visibility of commercial organisations is strictly controlled.
"The sponsorship of BBC programmes is forbidden and does not take place."
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that since 2003 the BBC received nearly £6m from sponsorship deals with the likes of Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Asda for 25 live events.
The corporation recently came under attack from ITV after signing a two-year sponsorship deal with soft drinks manufacturer Robinsons for the Sports Personality of the Year, which the BBC says became a public event in 2006.
An ITV spokesman said it had no comment to make on the disclosures. A Channel 4 spokeswoman said it did not comment on how other broadcasters used their airtime.
The full article contains 251 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
