The BBC - free downloads and big hugs

[elektro80]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3177479.stm

Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, has announced plans to give the public full access to all the corporation's programme archives.

Mr Dyke said on Sunday that everyone would in future be able to download BBC radio and TV programmes from the internet.

The service, the BBC Creative Archive, would be free and available to everyone, as long as they were not intending to use the material for commercial purposes, Mr Dyke added.

"The BBC probably has the best television library in the world," said Mr Dyke, who was speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

"Up until now this huge resource has remained locked up, inaccessible to the public because there hasn't been an effective mechanism for distribution.

"But the digital revolution and broadband are changing all that.

"For the first time there is an easy and affordable way of making this treasure trove of BBC content available to all."

He predicted that everyone would benefit from the online archive, from people accessing the internet at home, children and adults using public libraries, to students at school and university.

Future focus

Mr Dyke appeared at the TV festival to give the Richard Dunn interview, one of the main events of the three-day industry event.

He said the new online service was part of the corporation's future, or "second phase", strategy for the development of digital technology.

Mr Dyke said he believed this second phase would see a shift of emphasis by broadcasters.

Their focus would move away from commercial considerations to providing "public value", he said.

"I believe that we are about to move into a second phase of the digital revolution, a phase which will be more about public than private value; about free, not pay services; about inclusivity, not exclusion.

"In particular, it will be about how public money can be combined with new digital technologies to transform everyone's lives."

Elektro80 comments:

This strategy is of course seen as destructive by commercial broadcasters. There is a story aboutthis too at the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3173269.stm
BBC should 'sell off shows'

Tony Ball outlined his vision for the future of the BBC
The BBC should auction off its most popular programmes to commercial rivals, the chief executive of BSkyB has said.

Tony Ball told delegates at the Edinburgh International Television Festival the Corporation should sell programmes such as Holby City and The Weakest Link to clear room in the schedules and raise money for investment.

He said the money raised could be used "for more public service programming and developing classic shows of the future".

The BBC responded in a statement, saying: "This speech clearly reflects BSkyB's view that programmes are merely a commodity to be bought and sold."

Mr Ball also said an NOP opinion poll commissioned by BSkyB had suggested 51% of people did not think the licence fee gave value for money.

"The results of this research should wave a big red flag against those who wish the BBC to carry on its expansionary ambitions," he said.

In a Mori poll asking the same question in 2000, 61% of respondents said the licence fee was not value for money - and in 1999, that total was 42%.

'Crowd out'

Mr Ball outlined his vision of how the BBC should be funded in the future.

He said: "The BBC should be asked to license some of its established populist programme franchises to the commercial channels.

"I would ensure that there is an objective mechanism in place to make sure it's not spending on programmes that crowd out commercial operators."

The BBC said: "We are flattered that Tony Ball should be so preoccupied with the BBC but his comments have to be seen in the context of Rupert Murdoch's [BSkyB's owner] long and hostile campaign against the BBC."

The Sky boss called his plan "programme syndication" and said the BBC's role would be using licence fee cash to "discover the best talent, taking the biggest risks and building up the shows".

He added: "Just as public money is used to fund scientific research, but not to fund the commercial applications of that research, so public funding should not be used to continue to fund programmes when it is clear that they can find a commercial home."

The BBC is currently beginning a charter renewal process with the government in order to secure future licence fee funding for the corporation.

The corporation said its own research gave a very different picture to Sky's poll.

The new research, commissioned in July from Taylor Nelson Sofres from a base of 1,000 people, indicates that:

86% of people would "stand up for the BBC" - compared with 30% for Sky

82% are very happy or happy with the BBC the way it is.



Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will deliver a lecture to the television festival on Saturday.

[mosc]