The BBC has launched an online video stock library, giving content creators access to over 10,000 video clips from the BBC and CBS archives.

The Web site, bbcmotiongallery.com, allows media professionals from around the world to search and license clips for use in a variety of creative projects, including new media, advertising, feature films and videos.

The archive includes UK programmes such as Top of the Pops, The Office, Walking with Dinosaurs and The Blue Planet and US and international footage covering 50 years of historic events, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War and Neil Armstrong’s first lunar steps, the Challenger explosion and the events of 9/11.

The BBC is keen to try to generate revenues from its huge archive of material and the initial 10,000 video clips may be the BBC dipping a toe into a market which Rupert Gavin, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, said “is estimated to be worth around £150m per annum”.

Simon Gibbs, managing director of BBC Motion Gallery added, “The demand for motion imagery is forecast to grow substantially over the next decade as the expansion of broadband and third generation telephony opens up an increasing number of media outlets ... this is a natural market for BBC Worldwide to exploit. "

The entire BBC archive consists of 500 million feet of film and 350,000 hours of video dating from 1934, with more than 200 hours of new content added every week, the corporation claims. The CBS News archive held by the BBC also contains more than 700,000 hours of US and international film and video imagery from CBS News archive.

From DIGIT Magazine