BBC to Share Video News Content

LONDON: The BBC has announced that it will begin sharing a selection of its online video news content with the websites of several leading British newspapers, beginning with The Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent and the Daily Mail.

The BBC will make available video news content that has already appeared on its news website, covering U.K. politics, business, health and science and technology. The Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Independent and the Daily Mail will be able to embed the content on their websites to complement their own news material.  BBC will widen the pool of British newspapers that can participate in the future. 

The pubcaster has imposed some limits on how its video can be used: the content must not be directly connected with any advertising on third-party websites; it should be the same as what is already available on BBC Online; the content must appear in a BBC branded player, with a link back to the BBC news website; it must be geo-blocked for the U.K. only and should be offered for free.

According to Mark Byford, the deputy director-general of the BBC and its head of journalism, the initiative is part of the BBC’s efforts to open up access to its news content. "We regard this initiative as a core part of the BBC working more effectively as a public-service partner, with other media organizations utilizing BBC news content. The way the public is consuming audio and video online is changing. Audiences are increasingly expecting news content to be available wherever they are, rather than always having to navigate to destination sites. We hope this wider distribution will extend audience reach to BBC content."