BBC News Website

The request was successful.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please supply the following information.

1. How does the BBC News website allocate stories to the positions they appear? e.g. how does a story appear in the top three positions on the main page? Please feel free to use as much technical/statistical explanation as you need.

2. Why would a story appear in the top position of a category, say politics, but a lower story on the politics page is shown in the top three on the main page.

3. Specifically, a week ago a story about 'Smeargate' was listed in the politics section of the website. This story was not shown on the main page in any of the top three positions or in the Other TOP stories section, but another political story was even though the other story was lower in its own politics page. Why and how did this happen?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Grimshaw

FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

Dear Mr Grimshaw,

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, as detailed in your email below. Your request was
received on 22nd April, 2009. We will deal with your request as promptly
as possible, and at the latest within 20 working days. If you have any
queries about your request, please contact us at the address below.

The reference number for your request is RFI20090602.

Kind regards

The Information Policy & Compliance Team

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252, BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS

www.bbc.co.uk/foi
Email: [BBC request email]

Tel: 020 8008 2882
Fax: 020 8008 2398

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FOI Enquiries, British Broadcasting Corporation

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Grimshaw

Please find attached the response to your request considered under the
terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

<<RFI20090602 - Final response.pdf>>

Kind regards,

Rachael Ward
Adviser, Information Policy and Compliance

BBC Freedom of Information
Room 2252
BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS, UK

Website: [1]www.bbc.co.uk/foi/
Email: [2]mailto:[BBC request email]
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Fax: 020 8008 2398

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Paul Grimshaw

Dear FOI Enquiries,

Thank you for your assistance and information.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Grimshaw