Broadcasters and newspapers are spending a third of a billion pounds a year on high-quality “public service” internet content, according to a study carried out for Ofcom, the communications regulator.

The total spent in Britain on public service internet content is half a billion pounds a year, but that figure includes money spent by central and local government, by museums and charities and by other educational organisations.

The BBC is the biggest media contributor, spending £116 million on bbc.co.uk in the 2006-07 financial year, the last year for which figures are available. ITV, Channel 4 and Five spent a further £13 million to £14 million on public service content.

Newspapers and other commercial news providers, principally Sky News, spent a further £200 million in the same period - the first time that such an estimate has been made.

Data was provided to MTM London, Ofcom's researcher, in confidence, but “the highest-spending newspapers” invested about £30 million, with regional groups spending £15 million to £20 million.

MTM London estimated that 10 per cent of newspaper spending on print journalists should be allocated to online, reflecting the increasingly bi-media reality of Fleet Street newsrooms, which are exploring ways to develop broadcast content. The Daily Telegraph, for example, has talked about taking advantage of the lack of internet regulation to try to bring its right-wing perspective to online radio and television.

The amount of money spent on new media comes at a time when Ofcom is worried about the risk of declining investment in high-quality television. Last week Ofcom began its review of public service broadcasting and it highlighted concerns that ITV and Channel 4, in particular, would be unable to afford to invest in content areas such as regional news, current affairs and children's programming because gradually it would become uneconomic.

The regulator did not estimate the size of the potential shortfall, but the figure is about £200 million a year. Ofcom said that one possibility for redressing the imbalance was sharing out the £150 million a year “excess licence fee”, which is used to pay for digital switchover. That is similar to the sum spent by, principally, commercial providers on national and local news.

Times Recommends

• Lies and cover-up at MG Rover exposed by report
• High oil prices push manufacturing costs up
• Primark founder steps down as chief executive