The ABC is categorically ruling out allowing advertising on its radio and television services, however the corporation refuses to commit on whether it will accept online sponsorship.

The news comes as Britain’s public broadcaster moves to an advertising model for its global online presence. The BBC has just opened an online sales unit in New York to deal with the huge demand for online advertising. Negotiations for a similar office in Sydney are reportedly well underway.

In a report in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning, ABC spokesperson Sandy Culkoff says “We’ve completely ruled out accepting any advertising on TV or radio …

“The difference between TV and radio and online is to accept any television or advertising on radio, it would require a legislation change … That doesn’t apply to online because the website came in post-1993 when the act was enabled.

“That’s the only reason we can safely rule it out.”

While it is technically possible to split the ABC’s audio feed and insert commercials within Internet programming, at this stage it would probably be uneconomic to do so.

The Corporation’s websites would, however, offer advertisers an opportunity to align themselves with a high quality product and the ‘A’ and ‘B’ demographics so often targeted by clients. On air mentions would effectively drive listeners and viewers to the sponsorship in a second-order effect.

Depending on whose metrics are used, global online advertising is expected to grow at least 15% this year, compared with traditional media remaining static.