Auntie developing ad-backed bbcTunes music download service

Davey Winder
Friday, 05 September 2008 15:00

Business IT - Networking

According to the UK Government you need a TV Licence "to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, digital box, DVD or video recorder, PC, laptop or mobile phone to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV."

Currently this costs UKP £139.50 per year, UKP £47 if you are the last person on the planet with a black and white TV. Amazingly, if you are blind you still require the license but you do get a 50 percent discount!

The money raised is used to fund the BBC's output and represents around 75 percent of the income that Auntie receives. here in the UK we are always told it is necessary to keep the BBC advert free and ensure independence of programme making.

So just how does the iTunes-alike music download system fit into this advert free concept? Especially when it has been suggested that the service will feature display ads including banners and even 'homepage takeovers' handled by DoubleClick?

Or, for that matter, the pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll ads which I understand will be carried by all the audio and video music content streamed by the service?

And that's before I even get onto the paying around 79p per track if the user wants to download if and keep it.

Let's recap there then: the publicly funded BBC is going to use the content paid for out of those publics funds and which has already aired for free to drive an online advertising vehicle and also charge users to download those tracks?

Yes, I know that BBC produced content from these live radio sessions get sold already, that they appear on CDs and the like. But this is different, this is the BBC operating an advertising driven venture using license-payer funded content.

And that stinks.

It is time for the UK Government to scrap the TV License Fee and let the BBC compete upon an even playing field with the rest of the advertising driven broadcasters.

The as yet unnamed service which I earlier called bbcTunes but upon reflection screwyouTunes is probably more appropriate, is to go into testing by November, and launch early next year.