Hurray for BBC! The Beeb has lovingly created a downloadable version of Newsnight reports, interviews and discussions that can be watched for free. Reports are indexed by the following topics; domestic, world, business and economics, culture and entertainment, politics, and science and technology. The list of interviews is pretty mouth-watering, at least for someone like me who doesn’t own a television. And the discussions cover recent issues such as the anniversary of the Act of Union with Scotland, to a panel talking about the interview of Diana, Princess of Wales’ by Martin Bashir back in 1996. (Watching clips of that interview now, it’s hard to feel the sympathy I once did towards the manipulative gurnings of the Queen of Hearts.) It’s all Paxman, all the time. Heaven.
While I’m at it, there are endless downloadable goodies from BBC, including of course The Today Programme, which is celebrating John Humphreys’ 20 years by presenting a set of clips. This year’s Reith Lecturer is Jeffrey Sachs.
Although it’s a far from perfect institution, the BBC seems to take its public service obligations seriously. It’s really embraced downloading of its non externally copyrighted material. I would love to see the material fully searchable, rather than simply indexed. And it’s about time the BBC started putting its back catalogue of documentaries and dramas online. Surely, back in the days before expensive co-productions with HBO, the rights issues should have been trivial? If the BBC wants to win the argument for an increase in the licence fee next time around, opening up its archives would strengthen the case.
(Oh, and to any wing nuts who wish to comment along the lines of ‘hnnh, bbc, root of all evil’; go away and read a book.)
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sanbikinoraion 02.12.07 at 9:35 am
Can people outside the UK download this stuff?
Aidan Kehoe 02.12.07 at 9:58 am
sanbikinoraion , Maria’s not in the UK (to my knowledge) so that would seem likely. It certainly works from my German IP.
Maria 02.12.07 at 10:35 am
Right. I’m in Belgium and happily watching anything I’ve tried so far.
duaneg 02.12.07 at 11:08 am
For search you may want to take a look at the BBC Programme Catalogue. It won’t give you a direct link to the material but it should give you enough info to be able to find it. The advanced search allows you to specify the programme, so use that if you are just looking for Newsnight material.
Daniel 02.12.07 at 11:20 am
Surely, back in the days before expensive co-productions with HBS
Harvard Business School? :-)
Maria 02.12.07 at 11:58 am
Groan… and to think I’d already corrected it from HBC. Fixed now.
DRR 02.12.07 at 2:37 pm
How many televison channels are there in Britian? Is there cable?
Maria 02.12.07 at 3:03 pm
A few hundred, including cable and satellite. About a dozen terrestrial.
Jacob Christensen 02.12.07 at 4:24 pm
Just as a clarification – as far as I can see, the BBC has a podcast/download of a summary of the current week’s programme. The older stuff is available as streaming video.
Oh – and any reference to Paxman calls for us to try this at home (use an unsuspecting spouse or neighbour as your target):
leederick 02.12.07 at 7:57 pm
“If the BBC wants to win the argument for an increase in the licence fee next time around, opening up its archives would strengthen the case.”
Bollocks it would. The BBC can raise revenue on its archives by selling them to overseas markets. If they miss this chance to raise revenue from non-residents it weakens the case to raise it from residents through tax.
harry b 02.12.07 at 9:34 pm
Yes, but raising revenue from overseas ALSO weakens the case to raise it from residents through tax. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Same as when they compete with the commercial channels. If they don’t compete no-one watches them, so no case for tax. If they do, they’re producing nothing distinctive, so…
steppenwolff 02.13.07 at 1:15 am
The BBC has created the iPlayer which will allow UK viewers to view nearly all programmes for a period after broadcast. However, their original request has been curtailed by Ofcom – the UK’s regulator. Changes proposed by the BBC Trust as part of its public value test by Ofcom for the iPlayer include limiting the storage window for seven-day catch up of individual TV shows to 30 days, rather than the 13 weeks requested by BBC management. Series stacking will only be available for certain kinds of programme, the trust has ruled, “with a distinct run, with a beginning and end, and a narrative arc or those which are landmark series with exceptionally high impact”.
EastEnders, Horizon, Top Gear and Blue Peter would be excluded from series stacking under the trust’s iPlayer proposals.
But series such as Bleak House, Planet Earth, Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing would be included.
As for people outside the UK, you will have to content yourselves with BBC America/Canada/Prime.
Ed Thomas 02.13.07 at 9:01 am
Hmmm, the BBC’s the root of all evil… but actually getting its bias for free on the internet is not nearly as painful as getting it fed to one through the license fee. Maybe taking the money out of it lessens the evil…
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