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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
plans to open up its archive to the public
Creating
public not private value is second phase of digital revolution says
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General
The
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ plans to open up its archive to make a treasure trove of material
available to everyone, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General Greg Dyke announced
today (Sunday 24 August 2003).
Giving
the Richard Dunn Memorial
Lecture
at the Edinburgh Television Festival, Mr Dyke said: "The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
probably has the best television library in the world.
"Up
until now this huge resource has remained locked up, inaccessible
to the public because there hasn't been an effective mechanism for
distribution.
"But
the digital revolution and broadband are changing all that.
"For
the first time there is an easy and affordable way of making this
treasure trove of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ content available to all."
The
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Creative Archive would make extracts of selected Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ material universally
available for private not commercial use in the UK.
Outlining
the plan to open up the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's rich archive, Greg Dyke gave the example
of a child using broadband at home, school or in a public library,
to access the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ material to help do their homework and projects.
"They
search for real moving pictures which would turn their project into
an exciting multi-media presentation. They download them and, hey
presto, they are able to use the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ material in their presentation
for free," he added.
The
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Creative Archive is just one example of the kind of public value
initiatives that would come with the second phase of the digital
revolution, he said.
"I
believe that we are about to move into a second phase of the digital
revolution, a phase which will be more about public than private
value; about free, not pay services; about inclusivity, not exclusion.
"In
particular, it will be about how public money can be combined with
new digital technologies to transform everyone's lives," he
added.
However
Greg Dyke made it clear the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ would not be the only publicly funded
player in the field in the digital revolution's second phase.
Commitment
was needed from a wide range of organisations including local government,
educational establishments and charities as well as the commercial
sector in partnership with publicly funded partners.
Giving the final lecture in a five year series, Greg Dyke also talked
about the importance of a strong ITV.
He
insisted the future of ITV could only be secured if both Government
and regulators made it commercially attractive for ITV to remain
a public service broadcaster.
"If
governments and regulators want to preserve some of the best features
of commercial broadcasting in this country they will have to change
their approach," he said.
"They
will have to make it commercially attractive for ITV to remain a
public service broadcaster.
"The
days of doing it by decree are rapidly coming to an end and the
days of charging ITV hundreds of millions of pounds for the privilege
of being a broadcaster are certainly numbered."
Dismissing
claims by ITV executives that its relative collapse was due to the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, he urged that ITV should look closer to home for its recent
failures - the failure of ITV Digital, the money ill-spent on sports
rights, bad programming decisions including moving the News at Ten
and losing Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and Away to five as well as upsetting traditional
advertisers by taking money from dotcoms.
A strong
ITV was vital for the industry and the audience.
Only
by securing a strong ITV as an advertiser funded, free to air television
group - alongside the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and Sky - could a healthy broadcasting
market with a proper balance of power and influence be maintained,
he added.
He
argued that the merger of Carlton and Granada be allowed to proceed
under reasonable terms and for further consolidation within advertiser
funded broadcasting.
Without
change, Dyke stated that the future would be bleak for viewers and
programme makers alike.
Commercial
imperatives would see less money being spent on ITV's traditional
commitment to public service, high quality indigenous programming.
This
would inevitably result in a loss of regional output as well as
the loss of programming in genres from children's and arts to religious
and current affairs for the audience.
Greg
Dyke ended his speech by re-emphasising the role of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in the
digital revolution.
As
well as projects such as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Creative Archive and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's
involvement in broadband in Hull, Dyke hoped that there would be
other opportunities where public money would be used alongside the
developing technology to enrich society.
Notes
to Editors
The
lecture in full
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
response to Tony Ball, Chief Executive of BSkyB, giving the James
MacTaggart Memorial Lecture 2003 (22.08.03)
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