The BBC have announced a proposal to create a digital download service of the BBC’s archive of content. Project Barcelona would see the BBC selling digital copies of their TV shows for “relatively modest” fee, lots of BBC content is already offerded at places like iTunes but this would be direct service from the BBC in addition to the iPlayer catchup service. If the price is competitive I can see it being a nice service but I am sure it’s going to upset some licence fee payers.
BBC director general Mark Thompson has announced proposals allowing viewers to permanently download copies of their favourite shows from the archives.
Mr Thompson said the plan – named Project Barcelona – would enable the purchase of programmes to own for a “relatively modest” fee.
He added that the digital archive would stay open for good, and shows would remain available to licence fee payers.
The plans will be put before the BBC Trust later this year.
Mr Thompson, who was speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) in London, said that the UK’s producers would also need to give their support to the project.
He said that the BBC intended to open up a “digital shop” for programme downloads, but that other existing providers would also be able to buy the content.
Mr Thompson added that more and more programmes from the archive would be added to the service.
He described the scheme as the “digital equivalent” of people buying a DVD of their favourite programme for a permanent collection. Many of the programmes would not have previously been available to own.
The BBC’s boss also said that the project would provide a source of income to support independent programme production in the UK, and denied it was a “second licence fee by stealth”.
Media commentator Steve Hewlett said: “Other broadcasters could be concerned about the service’s impact.
“When it launched, iPlayer was extremely disruptive to emerging paid-for content models because it was free at the point of use. People will be asking whether Project Barcelona will have a similar effect on the market.”
Mr Hewlett added: “The BBC’s archive programmes – like Fawlty Towers and Doctor Who – already represent a significant commercial revenue stream in the form of DVDs and downloads on services like iTunes.
They opened up their archive of past programs to a select group of beta testers (I was one of them) years ago (early 2000’s?). After the test they closed everything down again and I was always wondering if we’d ever see the archives again.
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not sure i understand your reasoning. why would it upset licence fee payers any more than the sale of DVD’s of BBC Series?
I guess your right, but I still expect complaints that it should be free
They opened up their archive of past programs to a select group of beta testers (I was one of them) years ago (early 2000’s?). After the test they closed everything down again and I was always wondering if we’d ever see the archives again.