BBC is given go-ahead to offer TV show downloads

[BGonaSTICK]

The frustration of missing out on the latest TV hit could be over after the BBC received the go-ahead yesterday for its long-planned iPlayer download service, which will provide instant access to any show from the preceding seven days.

Following a consultation which elicited more than 10,500 responses from the public, the BBC Trust rubber-stamped its provisional decision to allow the service, albeit with a few amendments.

The decision was the first under the new public value test procedure, which includes input from the media regulator, Ofcom. It was seen as an important test of the new trust, which was introduced to provide more transparency in regulation of the BBC, and will be closely scrutinised by commercial rivals.

The new online service, which should launch by November, is a key part of director general Mark Thompson's plan to make BBC content available "any time, any place, anywhere". Other initiatives include placing BBC material on YouTube and a public trial of a separate service offering access to thousands of hours of archive footage.

Under the approved plans, viewers will be able to catch up on any television or radio programme aired in the previous seven days and, once downloaded, save it on their computers for up to 30 days. Once opened, programmes will be viewable for up to seven days.

The iPlayer has been in development for almost three years, during which time Channel 4 has launched a similar service and other broadcasters, producers and new entrants have unveiled their own broadband TV plans.

Today, ITV will announce a redesign of its website which will include a similar catch-up service.

The trust had ordered the BBC to reduce the length of time during which entire runs of popular programmes such as Doctor Who and Life on Mars could be retrospectively "series stacked" - or downloaded in full - from 13 weeks to 30 days.

But following complaints that its proposals to limit the number of "stackable" series were unworkable, it refined them.

Only 15% of the BBC's overall television output will now be made available in this way and the trust said it must cover a range of genres, rather than simply the most popular.

The trust added it had received most feedback on the issues of accessibility for all computers and its decision to ban downloads of classical music. Despite complaints from the public, it said that allowing downloads or even 10-minute clips would have a disproportionate impact on commercial rivals.

Initially, the service will use Microsoft digital rights software and will not work on Apple Mac computers. The trust accepted that launching the iPlayer on other platforms was dependent on third parties but said it should be a priority and it would review progress every six months.