14 DAY TRIAL // BBC has made public its intention of creating an iTunes & iPod alternative, to be materialized as an online media player that would be a more suitable choice for customers. This comes in a time when Apple's iTunes faces growing pressure from several European countries demanding the Cupertino-based company to open up its DRM solution, FairPlay.
According to The Financial Times, BBC has already invited other broadcasters to "put their programming on its new online media player". BBC hopes this new service will become available sometime this year.
It's called iPlayer and it will bring users both ad-funded and priced content. If approved by the BBC Trust, this new digital platform may be up and running as early as this fall. BBC Worldwide's CEO likened the software to Freeview, a free digital terrestrial TV service.
John Smith, BBC executive, spoke at the FT digital media conference about this new initiative and looked to recruit content providers for this on line service. Reportedly, ITV, Channel 4 and BSkyB have already launched such online digital platforms. "We would be delighted if other major UK broadcasters wanted to join us and make it a pan-UK service," said Smith at the conference.
He also stated they will not adopt Apple's model of fixed prices on media categories. "We might get, say, 50 per cent of ?1.99 whether it's Planet Earth that cost millions to produce or daytime cookery that cost a few thousands", said Smith.
For now, iTunes is the fastest growing media player. It has now around 27 million users, about 50 percent more than in 2005. The growing rate of iTunes in 2006 was 47.5 percent, compared to 9.1 percent for RealPlayer and 2 percent for Windows Media Player. At this rate, iTunes will surpass RealPlayer during the year's second quarter.