Speaking at the Digital TV Group Summit in London, the BBC’s chief technology and product officer, Matthew Postgate, said that the BBC’s current 11-year charter period will be “one of transition” and said that change is already underway. While the BBC will continue to cater for both people who watch and listen to traditional linear channels and those who use the web as their premium consumption method, Postgate said that the question is not when, but how we will make the transition to being an internet broadcaster.
We believe that the days when all media will be distributed over the internet are not too far away and there are many reasons we are optimistic about this next phase of our industry, said Postgate. The impact of on-demand is already apparent. That is only the beginning. TV is going to evolve into something more immersive, more pervasive, more interactive and more personalised. We already see the beginning of this shift.
The BBC’s technology chief said that for the web to be an effective distribution network it needs to not only be robust, but also universally available to everyone in the country, without exception.
Turning to the increasing dominance of US giants like Netflix and Amazon, Postgate suggested that the UK comes together to help secure the IP future that I believe this country deserves.The story is unfolding as we speak and it’s a story that is being written on a grand scale and at high speed. It is time for us to write our next chapter together and not let someone else write it for us.
Read the full story in Digital TV Europe
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