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BBC to Provide Extensive RSS

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lots-of-simple-syndication dept.

Georgie2032 writes "The BBC News Online's Editor states that beginning in the middle of May, the BBC will be 'completely liberating the availability of its content' using its Really Simple Syndication (RSS) tool. 'So in May we'll be happy for outside websites to dip in and take our headlines'"

12 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. already there by pangoo · · Score: 2, Informative

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_world_edition /front_page/rss091.xml

  2. the BBC by sg310l · · Score: 5, Informative

    The BBC is a public information service and doesnt rely on advert to get money but every english perosn paying for the privilage of having a TV or radio, this may be an alien concept to many americans but this is why the BBC can give other sites access to their RSS feed, because they dont cling to users visiting their site to keep their heads above water and resorting to obnoxious flash adverts and popups

    1. Re:the BBC by silent77 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes, I can't wait for the BBC to adopt the American and Australia advertising methods. I've frequently seen a show end, ad breaks come on, return to display the closing titles, and follow with, you guessed it another add break! Yep, as for the taxes, I'll stick with the free education system, free school meals, free health system. I still can't believe people have to pay for an ambulance... is that to subsidise the fuel expenses?!

    2. Re:the BBC by aaron.rowe · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Every english perosn paying for the privalage of having a TV or radio,"

      Points of correction. Welsh and Scottish people also pay a TV license in the UK. I'm pretty sure they do in Northern Ireland too.

      It's also only one license per household not each person watching TV. I think Pensioners get a free license now and you don't need one to listen to radio.

      It does pay for the BBC and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than cable. Theres more to watch too.

    3. Re:the BBC by Tandoori+Haggis · · Score: 2, Informative

      FYI, the BBC have regional production offices all over the UK, not just in England. Not all broadcasts are in English either, e.g., Welsh and Gailic

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/

      --
      My hyperlinks aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
  3. Re:But this exists already... by arivanov · · Score: 4, Informative

    There is a long and ongoing conflict between the BBC and the other online media in the UK. BBC has been able to nearly exterminate all UK online news except the specialized ones. Even those have nowdays moved to a subscription model (FT, DT and the like). It is free, it is high quality and it is updated round the clock. This is seriously annoying most newspaper owners and editors who see their circulation dropping and online presence being pushed into the oblivion. Allowing them to feed on an RSS feed is a great marketing ploy. They instead of protesting endlessly will now become largely dependant on BBC news online existing. Once this happens Blair (or any other creature which replaces him) will no longer have the option to exterminate news.bbc.co.uk for "efficiency of public spending" reasons.

    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
    http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  4. Re:But this exists already... by MartinB · · Score: 4, Informative

    The current feeds are made accessible for personal use only. The difference is that the Beeb will now be OK with commercial sites using them without prior agreement/contract.

    --

    The only thing you can accurately describe as "Scotch" is a sticky tape made by 3M. And it's

  5. Re:hey why not by planetoid · · Score: 0, Informative

    Because you aren't using Adblock?

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    Slashdot requires you to wait longer between hitting 'reply' and submitting a comment.
  6. Well, if both sides hate them... by FhnuZoag · · Score: 2, Informative

    Meanwhile, there are also persistent claims of systematic pro-Israeli bias.

    http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2402.shtml

    Seems to me, they've got the balance pretty right.

  7. Re:But this exists already... by Uber+Banker · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nearly exterminate? There are still more than a few news organisations with online presences:

    Reuters
    The Times
    The Guardian (interesting... the content is free but if you want to read it in a paper format you can subscribe)
    The Sun
    The Mirror
    ITN Sites, e.g. Channel 4 News
    The Scotsman (a surprisingly large online presence)

    The sites you mention: FT and Telegraph, it isn't surprising they charge as they have concentrated readerships with higher levels of disposable income, so why not go for a straightforward revenue model?

    I have no doubt that the popularity of BBC news is for reasons consistent with the popularity of their television and radio news: high quality and impartial in a way commercially sponsored news could not be (commercial news also remains very popular: the total cross-media circulation of ITN, Times, Sun, etc is massive).

  8. Re:I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    "Why would they wait until AFTER the U.K. elections?"

    Because of precisely that. The election part of the BBC's site takes up a considerable amount of resources - ditto Wimbledon and other national events. RSS is the next project in the list and rolling it out mid-election is stretching a little too much.

  9. Re:Partage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    No wonder "meme" is an English word

    no its greek actually

    [Shortening (modeled on gene), of mimeme from Greek mimma, something imitated, from mimeisthai, to imitate. See mimesis.]
    even the American dictionary gets that right, i guess your schooling didnt though, not suprising though.