Opening the Archive

The BBC have jumped in both feet first and launched something many have been demanding for years - an online version of their incredible, massive archive.

As well as newsreel, clips and nature shows it will include comedy, drama and music. But for now, like the iPlayer trials it’s just a limited start - open to 20,000 lucky applications over the age of 16.

Unless you work for the BBC - then you can’t sign up as it isn’t open to BBC staff - past or present. Despite that the service does look pretty impressive.

The trial will include full-length programmes, as well as scripts and notes and will be available for download from the BBC’s website.

The eventual plan is apparently to offer more than a million hours of TV and radio from the archive. No easy task given that there will be dozens of rights holders for every TV show.

The corporations Future Media boss, Ashley Highfield told an industry conference in Cannes “Our audience increasingly want and expect to dictate how, when and where they get our services”.

Three things have been announced by the BBC at the event in Cannes - these include the iPlayer service, a trial of hybrid set-top boxes connected to net with access to the BBC Archive and a desire to future-proof Freeview to give it access to catch-up TV and archive material.

That in addition to the opening of the Archive - albeit in a trial form that will need Trust approval to become a reality.

Ashley Highfield also said something interesting about moving from web to TV. He said that “getting our BBC iPlayer seven day, catch-up TV service and our archive pilot out on to the web is one thing, but clearly the biggest available audience is sat in front of the television”.

That’s all well and good but with the plan in the UK for every broadcaster to offer their own on demand player that freeview box would need to pull all the on demand services of the various Freeview friendly broadcasters together.

If they can do it for Freeview why the hell can’t they do it online as well? Why do I have to install seven bloody players.

The BBC website also says “The BBC iPlayer is expected to be launched later this year but is still subject to approval from the BBC Trust“.

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