The UK's Broadcasting Heritage - A serious thread

With the start this year of copyright retention by the producer of the programme rather than the broadcaster will the availability of programmes for re-broadcast be threatened. An example HIGNFY is now (C) Hat Trick Productions rather than the BBC.

If the heritage of existing programmes is split around widely so many rights holders will this damage the chances of UKtv Gold type channels in the future.

It's conceivable that a successful commission of a new series on BBC ,could once shown, be taken up by ITV for repeats without compensation to the commissioning broadcaster.

A similar situation is developing with Channel 4 and the commercial sector.

Should the Broadcasters have permitted this change in the rights of the producer?

It seems that the BBC Radio Archive could be under threat as well as sections of that could be sold to others too.

Thoughts?

This has been a bone of some contention for independent producers for many years.

However in many ways it doesn't change things too much - after all ITV have bought BBC shows from the BBC archive to show on their outlets (there have been BBC dramas made in-house shown on Granada Plus/Plus and now ITV3 - Campion springs to mind) - the BBC and ITV have a reasonably free market when buying and selling rights to archive shows, so independents won't change this massively.

AIUI the new deal with indys does mean the BBC/ITV/C4 pay less when they commission their programmes, as they are getting a different deal. As the broadcaster doesn't retain rights after their initial TX and repeat window and the indy retains sale rights, then the broadcaster pays less, but they also make no income from their commissions from archive sales.

But what about the BBC operations?

They seem to be selling off certain parts of its operations. Such as BBC Broadcast is not longer that - it is "Red Bee Media" and is not owned by the BBC anymore - some banks I believe.

BBC Technology is no longer the IT operation of the BBC, it's some external company that goes by the name of Siemens Business Services.

And the business with LandSecuritiesTrillium? Are they just a maintainence company or do they own the BBC properties outright and hire them on lease to the BBC?

I can't help but think that with the up coming license fee renewal thing due that more parts of the corporation will be flogged off to other companies.

They're outsourcing parts of human resources as well - specifically recruitment, remuneration, development, HR administration services, relocation, occupational health services and disability access services - which doesn't seem to leave very much.

Also, there was a piece on Feedback last week (Radio 4 equivalent of Points of View, presented by Roger Bolton) talking about the BBC action lines ('if you have been affected by this programme, you can call ... ") - apparently they're outsourced to Capita. I expect that's a long standing arrangement but not sure if it does/might in future also apply to BBC Information.

And there was an diary piece in the Guardian about the possibility of a strike amongst radio 4 newsreaders because they're being forced to self-op their bulletins.

Not quite, the idea is that just as BBC TV programmes have repeat playings on digital channels, the same could happen to their radio archive.

Imagine Talksport, LBC or Oneword playing repeats of Just a Minute or The Archers. It's a new idea in radio, but had been happening for years on TV

When you say 'BBC Information' I assume you mean those you phone to make comments or ask questions? This has been run by Capita for many years.



Like every other radio newsreader? Don't have much sympathy for them really.

The day talkSPORT starting playing the archers is the day I stop listening (althogh I belive Mike Mendozas a fan).