iPlayering around

I'm worried about the iPlayer strategy at the BBC. A new BIG SHOT has been brought in, and he's all about buying content.  I suspect the market research is telling them 'there isn't enough stuff on it'; that 'yoof' turns to YouTube, Amazon, Netflix and Disney for apparently bigger catalogues. 

Buying 'more stuff' is alright if you've got the budget, and it's not just filler. If you want filler, try streamers like Pluto, who've got there first. 

Sue Deeks, previously the acquisition boss, is not leaving, but easing back. She's done a brilliant, largely unsung job for the BBC.  She's sustained BBC Four. She's made us realise you CAN enjoy shows with subtitles, if both the drama and the subtitles are good enough. She's helped turbo-charge the UK market for crime and thriller books.  

Here's just a few of the Deeks Delights: Vienna Blood, The Newsreader, Kin, Colin From Accounts, Scrublands, Marie Antoinette, Magpie Murders, Tokyo Vice, onette, Borgen, The Bridge, Spiral, The Killing, Montalbano (Young and Old), Beck, Cardinal, Paris Police 1900, Millenium, Hidden Assets, The Valhalla Murders, Clean Sweep, and, dare I say it, Suits. 

I think the trick for the BBC is to think in a more agile way about the archive; as with subtitles, people tolerate black and white, odd screen formats, and a bit of white noise for great content. And great content that's unchanged, rather than bundled into clip shows. There's more than just Top of The Pops....