The apps were originally scheduled to be launched in the UK back in April, but the release date was pushed back after concerns were raised that a free app could have a negative impact on the competition.  The Newspaper Publishers Association felt that a free BBC app could "damage the nascent market".

Of course, numerous news sources have apps for iOS that either require a fee or rely on advertising to provide a revenue stream to the publisher.  According to Dominic Ponsford of the Press Gazette, "the concern the newspaper industry has is that the survival of our big independent news organisations largely depends on them being able to make money from new platforms other than print".

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