From symphony concerts to nature documentaries, the BBC has always been the fusty face of tradition-bound Britain. Beneath the bowler hat, though, is a progressive organization that's facing the digital era head-on. "We've always tried to be at the creative edge of new services," says Richard Sambrook, director of global news. Rather than clinging to the broadcast model, the network is relinquishing control to its audience. - David Weinberger
Delivering On Demand
The Beeb's video playback software offers on-demand, hi-def viewing up to seven days after a show airs. Programs - about 150 hours per week in the current trial - can be viewed on a range of devices, soon to include cell phones and PDAs. A BitTorrent-style protocol keeps downloads snappy.
Giving the Web a Push
The BBC's Web site offers news, sports, music reviews, and other content as RSS feeds that push updates directly to browsers and newsreaders. And people can reuse the material in any way they like (short of posting it to sites deemed inappropriate under the current guidelines).
Playing to the Pods
An annual BBC event called the Reith Lectures was made available in MP3 format in 2004. The remarkable response - 50,000 downloads of a program insiders describe as "very demanding" - persuaded the corporation to try podcasting even the most erudite talkfests.
Identifying the Programs
A simple pointer system - a unique five-character code for each segment of programming - provides a foundation for program guides and homepages. BBC brass hope the codes will lead to listener recommendations, automated podcasting, and other features.
Unlocking the Archive
The new Creative Archive license permits the UK audience to rip, mix, and reuse some music and video. "We want to move from a broadcast model to a participatory model," executive producer Jennifer Rigby says. "That means letting people get creative."
Opening the Interface
The BBC is publishing the Web commands that control its backend servers, making it possible for anyone to create Web pages out of Auntie's data. One user has built a prototype interactive talk show; another user's project delivers news via SMS.
Feature:
>
Plus:
>
