
The new terms signed between the BBC and Welsh-language S4C, which reduce the value of TV shows the former makes for the latter from £23.5 million in 2010/11 to £19.4 million in 2012/13, also include specific new media and website provisions…
In them, S4C has become the only broadcaster to accept the BBC’s offer of receiving catch-up TV links from iPlayer. The terms state: “Where permitted (e.g. via iPlayer ‘Open Linking’), a link shall be provided from the BBC site to the appropriate S4C on-demand service (S4/Clic).”
Having failed with its earlier invitation that broadcasters host their own VOD on iPlayer, the BBC last May held out another olive branch, for iPlayer to link out to counterparts’ own-branded catch-up sites (eg. ITV (LSE: ITV) Player, 4oD, Demand Five). Again, none of the main broadcasters has accepted.
At the time S4C said it would accept links from summer 2010 – but that still hasn’t happened. Now a re-iteration of the plan is inked in to the new agreement between the pair.
BBC iPlayer already hosts some Welsh-language TV shows the BBC makes for S4C. But the addition of links pointing viewers to the shows on s4c.co.uk’s S4/Clic will not mean those shows disappear from bbc.co.uk’s iPlayer, a BBC Trust spokesperson told paidContent:UK.
In fact, the revised terms give the BBC additional new rights to host its BBC-produced S4C shows on iPlayer from the moment of transmission, not just a week after transmission.
Despite concern the the BBC now effectively runs S4C, after the UK government switched S4C’s funding source from central government to the BBC itself, the terms place an onus “on the BBC to recognise that S4C is solely responsible for delivering its remit, its statutory duties … and its additional activities and objectives”.