A single program, called R&D TV, will be released for download to anyone, regardless of whether they’re located in the UK or not. So far, only one episode is done, and a second is in the works; more may be made if these prove to be reasonably popular. Episode one can be downloaded from a BBC FTP server, where Flash, Quicktime, and Ogg versions are available, either as a five minute series of excerpts or in its full, half hour glory.
But it’s not so much the ready availability of this material that makes it a bold step forward, but the license under which it’s released: the Creative Commons non-commercial attribution license, v2.
To make it easier for people to play around with the contents, they’re also packaged in what’s termed an asset bundle, which includes separate files for each of the segments, as well as some metadata. The BBC is looking for feedback on whether any of it actually gets used, and how. “We ask you to please tell us what you do end up doing with the bundle footage,” the Read Me states, “so we can learn what works and what does not work and fix it next time we release another bundle.”
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Image Source: Tim Loudon