Creative Archive The BBC’s open content initiative Paul Gerhardt

Creative Archive : the proposition Free access to selected content for learning, for creativity and for pleasure. search for legally cleared TV and radio content – from extracts to whole programmes preview and download modify and create their own versions share with others – and with the BBC– on a non-commercial basis From home, members of the public will be able to:

Why? BBC is currently required to provide some limited access to archives for licence fee payers new Charter: Building Public Value, proposals for building digital Britain sound archive: one of world’s largest. 2m items. 300,000 hours TV archive: major cultural resource. 1.5m items. 600,000 hours Photo stills. 4m items hours of TV added every month

Growing demand More than half of online teams are content creators, according to Pew Internet and American Life Institute :

On demand: the BBC player

Windows Public Service and Commercial Boundary for on-demand: in-house commissions

Meeting the challenge Unique concept - few precedents - major challenges Main stakeholders: BBC Opinion formers Users Rights owners Market players 5 key steps towards winning support and reaching objective

Step 1: Meet a strategic need We pitched the Creative Archive as a way for the BBC to reach new audiences, and to meet the Media Literacy agenda. Outcomes: Announcement at Edinburgh TV Festival. Inclusion in Charter Review Strategy. Important for: BBC. Opinion formers.

Step 2: Commit to transparency We announced that CA concept will be tested through a Pilot, tracking all successes and failures. Outcome: 18 month pilot funded. Communication site set up: Important for: Rights holders. Users. Market players.

Step 3: Be open to consultation We announced that whole pilot process is an open dialogue. Outcome: Advisory Panel set up Draft CA User Licence Regular consultations Important for: Market players. Rights owners.

Step 4: Set clear boundaries We established with stakeholders the limits to the pilot. Outcome: Restricted to factual genres. Introduction of user registration. Sub-commercial resolution levels. (Mpeg1) Trialling of invisible watermarking. Public Value Test Important for: Rights owners. Market players.

Step 5: Share everything The BBC identified Creative Archive as a public value partnership. Outcomes: Creative Archive Licence Group launched Reduced BBC branding Draft user licence shared Commitment to building a National Creative Archive Important for: BBC. Opinion formers. Users. Rights owners. Market players.

Vision a Creative Archive for the nation, drawing on moving images, stills and sound content from a range of public and commercial sources Founding members: BBC Channel 4 bfi OU Teachers’ TV Community Channel Museums, Libraries & Archives (MLA) Public Value: home use/learning/creative applications Commercial Value: Wider publicity/profile “Upgrade path”/commercial licensing/investment opportunities

The rights offer Underlying rights will be properly licensed BBC is budgeting a commitment Pilot phase outcome will be shared with rights groups Invitations to join the Advisory Panel Objective is to secure blanket agreements

Progress Pilot Research Public Value Test

BBC pilot campaigns August 2005 Oct 2006 Radio 1 superstar vj Open News Archive postcards from planet earth Where I Live LearnXpress (Schools)

Research Average Score: 7.5 Total % scored 1-4:4% Total % scored 8-10:53% To what extent do you feel this service is ‘distinctive’ and ‘different’?

A final thought…. As we develop digital strategies which put the user at the centre, can public service broadcasters around the world support each other? Is there a need for a joint public statement or manifesto?