Having already added a download option for their iPlayer catch-up video service, the BBC are looking to expand their on-demand offerings by making their radio content also available to download and listen to offline.
The option, designed to offer a guaranteed feed of any content of the past 30 days for a 7-day period that is not reliant on internet connection once downloaded, will apparently mimic the successful iPlayer video formula in every way possible, despite previous concerns that the inability to gain permission for rebroadcasting from artists/record labels featured in music shows might hamper any efforts to make such a service available.
Other matters that may have stopped the progress of the otherwise straightforward plan for the BBC is the fact that a large amount of their content is subject to ‘rights negotiations’ with the many independent production companies that hold the rights to rebroadcasting shows.
It appears as though the update to the iPlayer spin-off brand is now set to occur ‘some time this year’, according to the BBC’s official @BBCiPlayerRadio Twitter account, with the 30-day offering moving up from the current standard of 7 (on limited programming) that the BBC have in place at present.
Having convinced the ruling BBC Trust that their service wouldn’t provide an unfair distortion of the market, it appears as though a new service is set to make an appearance in line with a majority of TV content (either in new or updated iPlayer Radio app and desktop form), but will the move represent full and easy listening for users once it arrives?
