With plans for an 'open' version of its popular iPlayer on demand video service, the BBC could pave the way for third parties such as Channel four and ITV to adapt the service for its own programmes.
Since its launch on Christmas Day 2007, users of iPlayer have watched some or all of the BBC's programmes 500 million times. However, the corporation has recently come in for increasingly harsh criticism at the way it has been seen to use its size and influence to dominate various avenues of new media. The proposal to open up the iPlayer is one of the ways in which the BBC is attempting to diffuse this criticism.
Director of future media and technology at the BBC, Erik Huggers, explained that the proposal to adapt the iPlayer technology for use by other channels was part of a wider partnership initiative to share its technology.
Although the iPlayer is currently only available as a medium for BBC programmes, somewhat ironically, two of the most searched for terms users have input are 'Coronation Street' and 'X factor'.
Responding to the initiative, a spokesperson from Channel 4 pointed out that they already had their own successful on demand service – 4oD, but they were open to any new technology sharing proposals from the BBC.
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