some insights and thoughts

[Mark Rogers]

On 2 November 2014 23:08, Peter Corlett <abuse at cabal.org.uk> wrote:
>
> BBC Worldwide are currently not doing itself any favours by being
> hopeless at actually making things available to buy.

^ This! If only mailing lists had a "Like" button[1]

DRM and for that matter all steps to make it harder to get content the
way the users want to get it, simply makes the BBC controlled sites
the less preferred places to get it. And by encouraging that, they
sacrifice some level of control, monitoring and monetisation
opportunities in favour absolutely nothing.

Sure a large number of GiP users are just consumers and probably never
watch/listen to half of what they download, but then they weren't
going to buy the CDs or DVDs anyway. But I'd bet that the percentage
of them who would download a complete series then go out to buy the
CD/DVD of the series to have a hard copy is higher than the percentage
of normal iPlayer users. Especially if said CD/DVD provided more than
just the raw content, but had proper artwork, production notes, etc.
People here seem (disproportionally) interested in the programs,
rather than just consumers.

Imagine the alternative: a few BBC developers are allowed
(encouraged?) to support the relevant XML/RSS/etc feeds for products
like get_iplayer in their free time (no need to make it "officially"
supported - keep bureaucracy out of it). Maybe use API keys to control
usage but give them freely to projects like GiP and encourage their
use. Encourage the community that builds around them. Engage. Listen
to what those small, but enthusiastic, communities tell you. Cost:
next to nothing. Loss of revenue: Zero that I can see. Opportunities
to increase revenue directly or indirectly? Massive, I think. And at
the very least help to cement the BBC as a national resource, a thing
separate from commercial TV to be protected, rather than just another
commercial broadcaster but one that you have to pay for even if you
don't use it.

As others have said, we pay a licence fee. So unlike the motion
picture studios who don't get paid when someone torrents a movie[2],
the BBC gets paid however a licence fee payer accesses the content.
Embrace that, make us proud to pay it. I haven't watched live TV in
ages so I could legitimately stop paying my licence fee but I haven't
because I do listen a lot to the radio, and I do like a fair bit of
the TV content they churn out (I just don't watch it live because it
doesn't suit me to). Pulling the rug out from under GiP which did
nothing to threaten the BBC may well change my view on this.

[1] But actually Thank <Deity> they don't!
[2] Debatable... but not a debate to have here!
-- 
Mark Rogers // More Solutions Ltd (Peterborough Office) // 0844 251 1450
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