On 07/11/2007, nick richards <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On 11/6/07, Tom Loosemore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Forget management, I fear you'll find that the BBC Trust's permission > > to offer 7 days catchup TV was predicated on using DRM. > > > > Various parts of its non-DRM on demand radio proposals (book readings, > > classical music) failed the Public Value Test due to the BBC Trust's > > fears over the negative market impact of non-DRM downloads. > > Agreed, and this does add some spice to the debate. Having been mildly > close to the stats about the UK audiobook market I think it's safe to > say these three things: > > 1) BBC Worldwide audiobooks (ie people paying for access to BBC stuff, > be it TV or Radio) have about 50% marketshare. It can do this because, > although there's rights issues the cost of production for the material > is usually already sunk. (although I could be wrong here) > > 2) Audiobooks are stuck in a trap where high costs of production and > low sell through cause high prices which stifle potential demand (ie > from digital) which makes them very easy to undercut but also > perversely quite low margin for the production. > > 3) The UK audiobook market is tiny. Really, really small. We're > talking double/very low three figure sales to get into the weekly top > 10 most weeks. > > These points are attempting to be put without prejudice but it is > interesting to note that there are certainly more Linux users in the > UK than there are regular retail audiobook purchasers ;-) (there are > other sources of access to audiobooks so it's a bit apples/oranges but > still worth a laugh).
I would have thought that the BBC Radio 4's book readings as podcasts might have actually stimulated the market, rather than destroy it. Again, the whole fact that the potential podcasts of Radio 4 book readings have already gone out free-to-air on AM, FM, streamed online as Windows Media, stream online as Real Audio, as listen again as Real Audio, broadcast on DAB, Freeview, digital satellite and cable renders the BBC Trust argument a bit weak, IMHO. Nick > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial > list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > -- Please email me back if you need any more help. Brian Butterworth www.ukfree.tv
