The corporation has said that investing in new media is "imperative", and that digital developments give viewers new ways of interacting with the BBC.
The comments came after reports that around £220m extra is to be invested in new-media services at a time when the BBC is looking at making some 3,780 staff redundant.
This has drawn criticism from those working on the programming side of the BBC, who are concerned that the cuts will hit the quality of its output.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We don't accept that new-media and programming are mutually exclusive. The BBC is committed to providing, and investing in, world-class programmes for its audiences, but it also recognises that the broadcast environment is changing.
"The introduction of digital television and new-media platforms mean that our audiences have new ways of accessing our programmes and of interacting with the BBC. It is imperative that the BBC invests in all of these areas if it is to be relevant to its audiences in the 21st century."
The investment in new media will reportedly run across see a boost for software, hardware and distribution and will come into affect from 2008.
Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology, said that the BBC had to meet changing needs of its readers.
It could mean good news for external suppliers, with more content and services coming from outside firms, building on what Philip Graf said in his review last year, which stated that by 2006 the amount of content supplied by external suppliers will be increased to 25%, up from the 13% it spent in 2003.
The BBC will have to be careful where it invests because Graf criticised some sites such as fantasy football and local what's on listings, for being insufficiently distinctive from commercial alternatives.
He also said that is any proposed project is a close call between the balance of public service versus cost, then that project should not be taken ahead.
Overall, Graf said that BBC Online delivered high-quality material and that there is a lot of public affection for the service.
The BBC is currently negotiating with unions and director-general Mark Thompson has written to leaders in a attempt to hold further talks, although he has said that the offer to freeze any compulsory redundancies until July next year was final.
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