Creative Archive

The BBC’s open content initiative

Paul Gerhardt

paul.gerhardt@bbc.co.uk

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.• 1000 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

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PS on-demand window Commercial on-demand window

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

Comedy, Drama, Landmark & popular factualChildrens,Arts,Docs,factual, Ents, Sport, Music

News,Current affairs,ReligionNon-exploitable speech radio

Holdback (TV only)

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TimeNOT TO SCALE

Commercial has guaranteed minimum periods for exploitation. At end of minimum period, assessment made on a programme-by-programme basiswhether to extend commercial window or for PS to buy out rights into perpetuity based on whether a trigger point of declining commercial value has been reached;

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: http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk

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.

Visiona Creative Archive for the nation, drawing on moving images, stills and sound content from a range of public and commercial sources

Founding members:

BBCChannel 4bfiOUTeachers’ TVCommunity ChannelMuseums, 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 2006Radio 1 superstar vj

Open News Archive

postcards from planet earth

Where I Live LearnXpress(Schools)

Research

1%0%

1%2%

9%

12%

22%

24%

14%15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Superstar VJs

Open News Archive

Average Score: 7.5Total % scored 1-4: 4%Total % scored 8-10: 53%

To what extent do you feel this service is ‘distinctive’ and ‘different’?

PV MethodologyValue for

Money and Cost

Fit with BBC Purposes

Impact ReachQuality and

Distinctiveness

2 3 4 51

Net Public Value

Public Value

MI Methodology

Economic Value Crowding OutEconomic Value Crowding Out

Purpose alignment and Q / D hurdle

Public Value (VFM) hurdle

Full PVTHurdle (PV and MI)

Assessment against alternative BBC investment options

Service Assessment

Assessment against alternative BBC investment options

Service Assessment

Firsthurdle

Secondhurdle

Thirdhurdle

Public Value Assessment

(PVA)

The Public Value Test framework

Market Impact

Market ImpactAssessment

(MIA)

Public Value Test (PVT)

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?