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BBC Strikes Deal With YouTube

Posted by Zonk on from the you-got-your-british-stuck-in-my-tube dept.

twofish writes "Google's YouTube video site will soon be showing content from the BBC in a deal announced today. Auntie Beeb's content will be spread across three different channels, one for news and two for entertainment programmes. Content will include adverts, and clips from shows such as "Top Gear," "The Mighty Boosh," and nature shows narrated by David Attenborough. The deal is likely to be controversial, particularly since the BBC is paid for by a compulsory tax system (the license fee) rather than through advertising or subscription. The article goes on to say that they won't be 'hunting down' people that upload their content to YouTube. Just the same, they reserve the right to take down or remove programmes that have run on their channels which might damage relationships; examples might be football offerings or 'edited' shows."

5 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Adverts... by sheriff_p · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Worth noting that in the UK, the BBC's "iPlayer" project which is currently being rolled out, will provide ad-free TV-over-IP on-demand for anyone with a UK IP address. Thus, just like BBC America, the BBC's adverts are the BBC's way of maximising the value they offer to the UK public, by getting foreigners to watch 'em.

    -sheriff

    --
    Score:-1, Funny
  2. It's not a tax. It's not compulsory by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's a licence fee. The money goes to the BBC. Not the government. And you don't have to own a TV, so you don't have to have a licence.

  3. Censored by naich · · Score: 4, Informative

    "they reserve the right to take down or remove programmes that have run on their channels which might damage relationships"

    And ones that show how they were involved in the 9/11 conspiracy!

    That's a joke, BTW :)

  4. Re:A compulsory Tax system by Teresita · · Score: 5, Funny

    They don't "sweep an area", they park their vans outside houses which are in their database as not having a license around the time the residents are coming home from work. I'm not sure how technically effective the vans are, probably just more scare tactics to prompt you into getting a license.

    In Old Blighty, TV watches YOU.

  5. Re:Here in Germany we also have compulsory taxes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    German is a truly terrifying language. The names of those departments scares the crap out of me just from reading them.


    Even "Squirrel Hugging Department" translates to something like Eichhörnchenumarmendienst, which is enough to cause immediate French surrender by merely thinking it loudly.