Almost 100 clips, from shows such as Walking With Beasts and Tomorrow's World, are for the UK public to use for free in their own creative works. The BBC hopes to foster innovation by letting anyone re-use its material for personal and educational purposes under the Creative Archive Licence. BBC Radio 1 launched the scheme with a competition to produce a music video. The clips, mostly a few minutes long, range from animals to landscapes and art. The licence says they must not be used in commercial or campaigning ways and must not be used to defame other people. 'Tuned in' The scheme has been in the pipeline since former BBC director general Greg Dyke in 2003. The British Film Institute, Channel 4, Open University and Teachers' TV are also set to make more material available. Paul Gerhardt, director of the Creative Archive Licence Group, said the scheme was aimed at "a young, media aware audience". They were "naturally tuned into the idea of content being available when they want it, and who will welcome the right to shape it to meet their needs", he said. Radio 1 and 1Xtra listeners are being invited to edit the clips and set them to three minutes of music. Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said: "My experience of the creativity of our audience leaves me in no doubt that together we'll make some great material." ITV announced plans for the service, to be called Freesat, on Wednesday. Freesat, to be launched early in 2006, will rival BSkyB and will carry all BBC and ITV digital TV, interactive and radio services plus other channels. BBC director general Mark Thompson said the announcement "paved the way" for nationwide free digital television. Mr Thompson said he welcomed ITV as partners in the project "to develop a consumer friendly, subscription-free satellite proposition". Digital take-up "Our long-stated aim has been to bring about an open market in subscription-free satellite services so we can ensure free access to all the BBC's services across the country in the run-up to switchover and beyond." The government plans to switch off analogue TV signals, region-by-region, by 2012. Sky launched its own free satellite service - called "freesat from Sky" - last October, which allows access to 140 non-subscription channels for a one-off fee. ITV's chief executive Charles Allen said the company would also start broadcasting its channels "in the clear" in the next few months, meaning the channels can be watched through any satellite receiver. ITV currently encrypts - or scrambles - its transmissions via satellite, using the service provided by Sky. He said: "We want our channels to be available to as many people as possible, regardless of technological and geographical constraints. "As we move from analogue to a digital environment, Freesat - and Freeview - will enable every family in the UK to enjoy a wide range of quality channels for free." A recent Ofcom report said more than 60% of UK households now receive digital TV. Approximately a quarter of TV viewers live outside the Freeview coverage area. |
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