BBC plays nice with YouTube

THE BBC is to play nice with YouTube in an interesting handshake agreement that will see clips and trailers from entertainment, news and Worldwide channels appear on the mother and father of all video-sharing sites.

Also, although it will not push full programmes, Auntie has let it be known that it is unlikely to pursue YouTube over user-posted clips but could swap them out for better-quality ones.

It's a halfway-house deal that lets the Beeb keep skin in the YouTube game while still able to claim that full content is only available to licence-fee payers.

Non-UK residents might struggle to understand this but on this side of pond, TV owners must pay up a hefty annual sum for the right to receive BBC content. And get this: WHETHER WE WISH TO VIEW THAT CONTENT OR NOT. (Sorry about the caps.)

In return, we get what in theory is a top-quality, ad-free broadcast product that informs and entertains in equal part. That means some decent programmes interspersed among the wall-to-wall EastEnders, laughter-track sitcoms, reality rubbish, consumer-watchdog nonsense and charity appeals.

The YouTube deal could, in theory, queer the pitch for continued state handouts as the BBC Worldwide channel which carries advertising will be available over the web in the UK complete with ads.

However, the Beeb has always got away with spots promoting its own tie-in products such as magazines, so maybe it feels it is Teflon-coated.

The BBC News site's delicately balanced coverage is here. µ