Bbc To Open Tv Archive On The Internet For Free

[junkyardking]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/t...dio/3177479.stm

Dyke to open up BBC archive


Greg Dyke predicts a more public-focused broadcasting future 
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."

I hope this includes all the Dr who episodes, wouldnt mind a few that would be better than tv rips.

[browser]

Wow. This means you will b able 2 d/l programs legally. Never thought i'd b able 2 do that

[ilw]

Sounds like it'll be amazing, but I bet the licence payers are gonna moan that we're paying for bandwidth that will go to a lot of non fee payers (they have in the past complained that the cost of maintaining the website is not justified because so many who access it are from overseas). As a fee payer I personally don't mind as I look forward to this service and will probably use it quite a bit . I wonder if they'll use bittorrent or something like that to minimise the bandwidth costs.


w00t 5 stars. SWEET

[3RA1N1AC]

that's amazing.

i imagine the servers' bandwidth requirements would be monstrous, if such a thing were to happen.

[cwctv]

You got it "i imagine the servers' bandwidth requirements would be monstrous" and that's another problem for us "fee payers" the BBC don't have the pennies, anyway it will end up being Bill & Ben etc mind some of them were good he-he.
Do you think it will be called "Watch with Greg Dyke " !!!

[junkyardking]

bump

[4play]

have you ever though they will try to make it accesable to british citizens only.

it is possible just to allow netblocks owned in the u.k

of course proxies in the u.k would be a way around this but im sure they will soon sort out their proxy when they get their bandwidth bill.

still there are some classic programs that we are entitled to be able to see so that is why they are putting this online.

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by 4play@14 September 2003 - 17:55
have you ever though they will try to make it accesable to british citizens only.

that crossed my mind, actually. so that'd be bad for us non-brits. prolly wouldn't even be allowed to buy a membership to the site if we wanted to.

[3rd gen noob]

good job i'm from the u.k.
it does have benefits then...no riaa and bbc free content (if they do make it u.k. only)

[MediaSlayer]

Sounds too good to be true, I hope it isn't. If its legit it would make up for the crappy things they have done(bbc). I tried to find an old bbc series called "may to december" for download or purchase but to no avail. If they do make that series archive available for free download, I will be happy. If they don't I will begin a boycott on british poon-tang as revenge on the bbc machine.