BBC and YouTube Deal in the Works?

Algis writes to tell us the BBC is in the process of striking a deal with YouTube to allow BBC content to be posted on YouTube. Previously the BBC has demanded quite a few video be removed from the Google-owned video sharing site. "The deal between YouTube and the BBC however, is more interesting still, since YouTube is a global service that is completely free to all users. Shows cannot be downloaded from YouTube. Instead, they're watched online on the YouTube website, or the YouTube player is embedded in other websites for no cost to the user. This is the nature of content sharing that has seen YouTube grow from a company making no money, to a company worth almost $2billion to Google, in less than two years. Quite what the BBC-YouTube deal will entail is anyone's guess. It is highly, highly unlikely to include full-length current BBC shows. What could be possible is the addition to YouTube of much older shows, such as classics like 'The Young Ones' or 'Faulty Towers', in an effort to boost the shows' exposure and increase DVD sales of these shows."

Re:Uh.

[Anonymous Coward]

More like DHIMMItube! 'struth, folks!

Awesome BBC

[Duncan3]

I think It's awesome that the BBC is going to have YouTube foot the bill for their bandwidth instead of making the UK citizens do it.

Rock on BBC!

Re:You know what I'm sick of?

[jamiethehutt]

Don't saturate me with all your comittee-selected video clips and ads at the beginning and end. Let the users decide.

The BBC don't do ads. They've never done ads. They never will do ads. The BBC is the best media company on the face of the planet, the fact that it's almost impossible to paint them evil (if you live in the UK) really says something. You really could do with reading up on them.

The reason they pull videos from YouTube is they can't tell if you've paid for your TV license, and thats required to pay for everything the BBC does. It's not spent on making some media baron rich. It's spent on making new shows. It's spent on providing independent and accountable news. It's spent on new methods of content distribution like Kamaelia (which plans to let the users decide just like you said), not to mention their other opensource projects. It's spent on producing some of the best radio stations on the planet, which are advert free and available to everyone.

Without the BBC UK TV would have so many adverts it would suck like American TV. The BBC aren't just another media company.

Re:Full shows are already there

[TobascoKid]

The bottom line for the BBC is that everyone in the world could download their shows and they'd *still* have enough funding to make the same programs year after year after year.

They'd still have to proove that it's mostly UK Licence fee payers who are getting the benefit. That was one of the major points of the podcast/iPlayer consultation documents, and all the work coming out of BBC Backstage - the Licence Fee payer has to come first.

Re:TV Licencing

[zakezuke]

...as the BBC doesn't do anything that the commercial broadcasters don't do.

Except they do it commercial free, and produce much of their own material without commercial pressure.