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Post by Andy Henderson on Aug 24, 2003 13:46:53 GMT
So up here in Edinburgh, I come back home (been on Holiday!) to find that Greg Dyke has said at the Edinburgh TV Festival: "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 BBC content available to all." Am I missing something or wasn't that 'Effective mechanism for distribution' called 'Television' With all the low-grade manure on BBC-3 and the likes, he could have provided an archive channel at the drop of the hat. However, having seen what's left of 'A For Andromeda' last week, I'm inclined to wonder why anyone would care. It didn't exactly excite the 23 people in NFT2 and the other archive screening was packed to capacity(though thart was for films, not old Television). If screenings of this material can't fill a small cinema in the same way that film can, there is little hope for the future. Exactly what will we be served on the Internet? I suspect it will be charged and also will be limited to much the same material already cleared for release through other media.
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Post by Laurence Piper on Aug 24, 2003 16:17:30 GMT
Yes, grim scenario, isn't it! A designated archive channel would help raise the profile of vintage TV.
You go on holiday and return to Edinburgh just as I return home to the other end of the country after a week at the Edinburgh Festival - was it something I said, Andy!?
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Post by Andy Henderson on Aug 24, 2003 17:52:56 GMT
I had this theory that I could escape from the Edinburgh Festival, but on returning found it exactly as I had left! A one month festival is just too much for anyone who has to live here - it's out off control. The shops are the winners, the locals the losers. The whole city grinds to a halt and shop, cinemas and bars are crowded out. Actually, just like London. The only empty place was NFT2 (lol).
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Post by Laurence Piper on Aug 25, 2003 9:49:45 GMT
Actually, i'd prefer Edinburgh to London anyday. Despite the crowds etc at festival time (which I do like, as it's the best arts festival in the world, after all - something to be proud of) it could never be as bad as London is - I hate London anyway! Even at festival time, Edinburgh is so much more relaxed than the capital, easier to get around, more picturesque, not so sprawling / polluted etc etc.
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Post by SteveP on Aug 25, 2003 21:10:54 GMT
With all the low-grade manure on BBC-3 and the likes, he could have provided an archive channel at the drop of the hat. If screenings of this material can't fill a small cinema in the same way that film can, there is little hope for the future. Exactly what will we be served on the Internet? I suspect it will be charged and also will be limited to much the same material already cleared for release through other media. I think his statement is linked to another bizarre set of statements within the last couple of days by Tessa Jowell. Tessa is praising the BBC for the number of repeats of archive gems, which, unless she receives a different set of BBC channels from me, means she is effectively sanctioning yet *more* repeats of the same dozen shows that are shown interminably ("Dad's Army", "Fawlty Towers", "Only Fools" etc). Of course, a cynical person might think this is simply the government's way of saying, "No, you're not getting a bigger licence fee, Mr BBC, but we officially think the repeats are OK if you want to save money." She then went on the order an inquiry of the whole of BBCi, presumably because the government are dubious of how money is being spent there. A cynical person might think that the government is thinking of making the BBC reduce spending on that in order to divert the cash into the actual TV channels... There's something afoot in the wind, as somebody once said. Steve
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Post by Michael on Aug 25, 2003 23:12:10 GMT
In his speech Greg Dyke only referred to programmes for which The BBC holds the rights, presumably things like nature programmes. Before anything substantial is made available some kind of royalty system for actors, producers etc. will have to be worked out. I'm sure this will happen eventually though.
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Post by William Martin on Aug 27, 2003 15:23:05 GMT
well, gregsy said that digital technology would make the archive available to all, lets assume that we all have the correct hardware, what will be avilable? what about the video/dvd market will the bbc give this up? all the archive available ? not untill its all been transferred it won't and what sort of job will they make of it, cleaning, vidfire,colourisation, sound enhancement all cost money, will we get a TR scratches, crackly sound and all? and they're not about to do it again once its done thats that, this all sounds like a great deal of money, does he realy mean it, and is he aware of the hugeness of the task or is it PR because it sounds good. I don't mean to sound synical but I am and I can't help it lets hope that the government isn't up to anything and mr Dyke isn't being put under too much pressure now I'll just erase the 25 popups for flippersmack the online popculture magazine popups GO AWAY!! poppoff please perhaps I should say "good on you greg", so I will and assume that he means it and the service won't suffer . and above all that Mr Blair isn't forcing greg to do something he doesn't want to, confusing times.
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Post by Des on Aug 27, 2003 16:07:15 GMT
i can't see it happening myself. all the archive? no, too expensive and too much nenory needed i'd have thought. i'd love it to be true though. in the distant future it will be possible. not yet though. greg dyke is commiting himself to something difficult to keep to i'd have thought.
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Post by stearn on Aug 28, 2003 13:19:28 GMT
Technology needed? Damn, there was me thinking that good ol' Mr D was going to hold the door open to archives whilst we all formed an orderly queue around Lonodn waiting to get in!!! I am even more cynical than most and think that this is the ticket to a Charter renewal, just like party pledges and promises to get into Government. Perhaps people will reflect on the amount of those promises that still haven't happened and draw some sort of parallel. I hope I am wrong, but I think this is another dose of spin that will come a cropper, not because of 'our reluctance' but more because of 'circumstances beyond our control'. Shame really as our licence fees have paid for the material, it is a public institution, so surely, technically, we, the public, own the material anyway!
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Post by Gareth R on Aug 28, 2003 16:07:57 GMT
A lot of people do seem to be overlooking the fact that GD the DG specifically referred to *parts* of programmes for which the BBC held the rights, and illustrated with an educational example - anyone hoping to be able to download entire episodes of obscure dramas or children's programmes might be a bit disappointed!
After all, the BBC still refuses to allow the public to buy VHS copies of archive programmes other than under the Contributor Access scheme (and even then the costs are prohibitive) - and there seems to be no prospect of that situation changing.
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Post by Harry on Aug 28, 2003 16:58:29 GMT
Yes, I remember the enquiry set up to look at archives in the '70s. The findings recommemded that the BBC make theirs publicly accessible. Still waiting for this to be implemented...yawn...
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Post by Andy Henderson on Aug 28, 2003 18:21:46 GMT
of course, if you pay the necessary 4 figure sum, you can have mostly anything you want!!!
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Post by William Martin on Aug 29, 2003 11:54:34 GMT
gd gd & vip under pressure from the pm on the qt to give us something pdq & asap
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