BBC does it again: On-demand service given the OK

BBC NEWS Entertainment BBC gets TV on-demand service OK

Another fine example of the BBC leading the way forward and proving the license fee worthwhile, as the green light is given for internet downloads of TV programmes.

They can be downloaded within 7 days of broadcast, and kept for 30 days.

Others in the media industry just don't seem to "get it", for example with music and movies, something like this would be seen as a huge 'no-no' because of the potential piracy risks and intellectual property concerns. "Oh no," they say, "a very small minority might crack the 30 day limit and trade it, so forget it, everyone loses out because everyone's a potential criminal."

The likes of the BBC seem to see the light - that not everyone is seeking to use the downloads for some sort of evil deed, and that in fact... people will be delighted with the convenience of this service (even better than TiVo or Sky Plus), and any losses they do make to people cracking the 30 day limit instead of buying DVDs (a very small minority I'm sure) will be greatly offset by happy and loyal viewers. BBC wins again.

As I've said in the past, if the BBC and Google got together there would be an earth-shattering surge of Quality and Common Sense on the web.