Remember when the BBC’s latest chief pledged to revamp the iPlayer? His bosses at the BBC Trust have just rubber-stamped the decision to extend the catch-up window from seven days to 30. The changes will take some time to implement, since there’s various technical and legal hoops to jump through, but the corporation expects the new system to be in place by the summer. Happy viewing.
The BBC Trust has approved proposals from the BBC Executive to extend the catch-up window for programmes on BBC iPlayer from seven to 30 days. The decision follows a formal assessment of the significance of the plans and advice from Ofcom on the potential impact of the proposals on others. The catch-up extension will mean that programmes will be available on iPlayer to stream or download for 30 days after they are first broadcast, rather than the current seven days. The changes are expected to be implemented from this summer. The Trust’s assessment, published today, looked at the likely impact on audiences and on the market; the novelty and duration of proposals; and their financial implications. The Trust also took account of the advice from Ofcom.