New Deal Gives Independent Producers Rights To BBC Content
The Radio Independents Group (RIG) will own all copyrights to the programmes they produce, according to new terms of trade unveiled yesterday at the Edinburgh Radio Festival.
After 6 months of negotiations, the RIG and BBC have agreed that Independents will control all distribution rights to their output, while the BBC will take a licence to use programming across its network for ten years and to exercise public services new media rights.
Commenting on the deal, Jenny Abramsky, director of BBC radio and music said: “We are delighted that the new terms have been agreed. We’ve been in consultation with the industry since December 2004 to ensure that the new deal structure was fair and in the interests of both parties.”
Mike Hally, chairman of RIG continued: “It’s involved a lot of patient work and some hard bargaining on both sides, but the BBC team has engaged positively and constructively with us and the results amply justify the effort.”
He added: “We’re delighted to have been able to represent the industry so effectively in our first year of existence. Both our members and the BBC will benefit from what we are all agree is a fair deal that consigns the ‘all rights’ contracts to history.”
The new terms apply to all programmes from independent producers since 7 December 2004, although according to Neil Gardner, from the RIG, the Independents will continue to push for rights to everything from the past ten years.
Under the new agreement the BBC will be able to extend its licence for a further five years, and on an ongoing basis for long running commissions. It will also acquire a number of transmissions in its primary rights licence fee.
For all programming, except comedy, drama and specialist music, there is an automatic ‘break clause’ in the deal if the BBC no longer intends to exercise public service rights.
RIG will control all distribution rights including format and programme sales internationally. After the expiry of the BBC’s licence, the Independents will own commercial new media rights and audio publishing rights, subject to certain safeguards needed to protect the BBC’s licence.
“The discussions with RIG and the independent radio sector over the last 12 months have helped cement a truly collaborative, professional relationship between BBC Business Affairs and the Radio Independent sector”, Debbie Manners, director of rights and business affairs explained.
She continued: “We look forward to building the relationship further as we implement the new deal, which we believe represents a real opportunity for radio independents to maximise the commercial opportunities in their programming, whilst delivering continued value back to BBC listeners.”
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