Post by Stephen Byers on Nov 11, 2015 10:13:11 GMT
We are in contact with a member of the BBC Archives team. He / she has just retired.
We asked him / her what the policy was to archiving programmes, especially Brit.
comedy and the like. He / she opined:
Hi XXXX,
Without trying to be an apologist for the BBC, it may help if I point out
that the BBC Archive do not have a remit to store all their broadcast
output, but only a selection, and only if it meets historic and cultural
importance criteria, which I admit is somewhat subjective. So in principle
the first and last episode of any series may be archived, but not every
episode unless it is seen as an iconic production like the ever popular
Dad's Army. The other consideration is its re-use value. It is expensive
to preserve formats and make the contents accessible, so a view is taken
on whether the content is likely to be re-usable in the future and how
often. So the archive operates a selection and retention policy, and much
broadcast content is judged of minor interest and re-use value.
As for your other question about old classic Brit comedies. The BBC often
does not own the copyright or did not buy out all the performance rights,
so it would add considerably to the costs of re-broadcast if the copyright
issues were to be researched and small payments made to the estate of
every performer or copyright holder. Currently the BBC often only buys the
broadcast rights to 2 terrestrial broadcasts and limited internet rights,
and another distributor such as BBC Worldwide sells the programme in other
formats around the world. If it is not commercially of value or likely to
become so, then it will not be made available in the BBC shop.
Hope this helps you understand why most offered material is rejected for
the BBC archive. Usually it is considered either to be non-broadcast
quality or of very limited re-use value or both.
XXXX
====
So guys the issue remains. Its us home-tapers who have preserved the
Nation's broadcasting heritage in our own time and at our own expense.
No wonder there's a thriving albit likely illegal market for sharing
recovered and restored OTR recordings rejected by the Beeb.
The BBC has rejected a number of my offerings. So what have I done
with many of my thousands of reel-reel and cassette tapes, some over
60-years old? Landfill I am afraid.
====
SB
We asked him / her what the policy was to archiving programmes, especially Brit.
comedy and the like. He / she opined:
Hi XXXX,
Without trying to be an apologist for the BBC, it may help if I point out
that the BBC Archive do not have a remit to store all their broadcast
output, but only a selection, and only if it meets historic and cultural
importance criteria, which I admit is somewhat subjective. So in principle
the first and last episode of any series may be archived, but not every
episode unless it is seen as an iconic production like the ever popular
Dad's Army. The other consideration is its re-use value. It is expensive
to preserve formats and make the contents accessible, so a view is taken
on whether the content is likely to be re-usable in the future and how
often. So the archive operates a selection and retention policy, and much
broadcast content is judged of minor interest and re-use value.
As for your other question about old classic Brit comedies. The BBC often
does not own the copyright or did not buy out all the performance rights,
so it would add considerably to the costs of re-broadcast if the copyright
issues were to be researched and small payments made to the estate of
every performer or copyright holder. Currently the BBC often only buys the
broadcast rights to 2 terrestrial broadcasts and limited internet rights,
and another distributor such as BBC Worldwide sells the programme in other
formats around the world. If it is not commercially of value or likely to
become so, then it will not be made available in the BBC shop.
Hope this helps you understand why most offered material is rejected for
the BBC archive. Usually it is considered either to be non-broadcast
quality or of very limited re-use value or both.
XXXX
====
So guys the issue remains. Its us home-tapers who have preserved the
Nation's broadcasting heritage in our own time and at our own expense.
No wonder there's a thriving albit likely illegal market for sharing
recovered and restored OTR recordings rejected by the Beeb.
The BBC has rejected a number of my offerings. So what have I done
with many of my thousands of reel-reel and cassette tapes, some over
60-years old? Landfill I am afraid.
====
SB
