BBC and YouTube. The power shift.
The BBC has done a landmark deal with YouTube, a clear sign of where the power in broadcasting now lies.
THE GIST ON BBC AND YOUTUBE: "The Power Shift"
What is the deal?
For the first time, the BBC will make bespoke programmes for YouTube and then put them on iPlayer and BBC Sounds. It moves YouTube from a place to put clips to a place to watch the entire programme.
What does it show?
How far audience behaviour has come. We don't go to institutions any more. We open a platform and pick what it shows us. The power in broadcasting now is access. The BBC used to control access to its programmes. Now it is effectively trying to do public service broadcasting inside a private company.
Why is that uncomfortable?
If the public square is privately run, public institutions have to adapt to private rules, and those incentives are very different. Over time it won't just change what we watch, but maybe what we value and what's worth paying attention to. A brave new world.
Should the BBC make programmes for YouTube?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
What is new about the BBC and YouTube deal?
The BBC will make bespoke programmes for YouTube, then put them on iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Where does power sit in broadcasting now?
With access, which platforms control.
What is the risk?
Public institutions adapting to the private rules of a privately run public square.
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