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| BBC's troubled £133m digital video archive leads to delays to programmes | |
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| A £133m digital video archive designed to ensure the redeveloped New Broadcasting House is "tapeless" is not working according to programme-makers, with old-fashioned tape editing machines having to be installed as a result. | A £133m digital video archive designed to ensure the redeveloped New Broadcasting House is "tapeless" is not working according to programme-makers, with old-fashioned tape editing machines having to be installed as a result. |
| However, because the corporation's central London headquarters was not designed to accommodate the heat from the tape editing machines, plans are being discussed to put them in a specially constructed, refrigerated area. | However, because the corporation's central London headquarters was not designed to accommodate the heat from the tape editing machines, plans are being discussed to put them in a specially constructed, refrigerated area. |
| According to sources, Panorama's office in NBH is "littered" with tapes and news and current affairs staff say their work is being held up due to delays and problems with the BBC's troubled Digital Media Initiative. | |
| DMI is an attempt by the BBC to do away with video tapes and create and run a kind of internal YouTube of BBC archive content that staff could access, upload, edit and then air from their computers. It has a budget equivalent to around 914,000 BBC licence fees. | DMI is an attempt by the BBC to do away with video tapes and create and run a kind of internal YouTube of BBC archive content that staff could access, upload, edit and then air from their computers. It has a budget equivalent to around 914,000 BBC licence fees. |
| However, only the "first parts" of DMI have been rolled out, the BBC admitted. But staff who are trying to use DMI said it is "clunky", being patched together with an old system and that they can't find much footage on it. | However, only the "first parts" of DMI have been rolled out, the BBC admitted. But staff who are trying to use DMI said it is "clunky", being patched together with an old system and that they can't find much footage on it. |
| One BBC insider said of DMI: "Not only have there been huge problems with the software, but only a relatively small amount of the BBC's archive has actually been digitised. The vast bulk remains on tape and film." | One BBC insider said of DMI: "Not only have there been huge problems with the software, but only a relatively small amount of the BBC's archive has actually been digitised. The vast bulk remains on tape and film." |
| One source said programme-makers were frustrated with the new system and questioned why, since DMI was supposedly a "pan-BBC" project, BBC Sport has decided to ask outside suppliers to tender to design its own digital video archive system at a cost of just £500,000 – a fraction of the millions spent on DMI. | One source said programme-makers were frustrated with the new system and questioned why, since DMI was supposedly a "pan-BBC" project, BBC Sport has decided to ask outside suppliers to tender to design its own digital video archive system at a cost of just £500,000 – a fraction of the millions spent on DMI. |
| The BBC denied claims that the project could cost more than expected, saying it "has not exceeded its total budget". | The BBC denied claims that the project could cost more than expected, saying it "has not exceeded its total budget". |
| However, the BBC declined to reveal how much of the £133m (which is supposed to last to run the service until 2017) has actually been spent or how much of the £95m of benefits DMI was supposed to deliver back to the corporation have been achieved. | However, the BBC declined to reveal how much of the £133m (which is supposed to last to run the service until 2017) has actually been spent or how much of the £95m of benefits DMI was supposed to deliver back to the corporation have been achieved. |
| A BBC spokeswoman admitted that there have been "some initial problems" but the BBC is "working with teams to make it better" and the project had not exceeded its total budget. | A BBC spokeswoman admitted that there have been "some initial problems" but the BBC is "working with teams to make it better" and the project had not exceeded its total budget. |
| She claimed the system being requested by BBC Sport would "link together" with DMI and said: "The BBC continually strives to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, from audience offerings like BBC iPlayer to digital production systems like DMI. | She claimed the system being requested by BBC Sport would "link together" with DMI and said: "The BBC continually strives to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, from audience offerings like BBC iPlayer to digital production systems like DMI. |
| "We are currently undertaking a review of the strategy for delivering further digital, tapeless production and broadcast capabilities going forward, which will be submitted to the BBC executive and the BBC Trust over the coming months." | "We are currently undertaking a review of the strategy for delivering further digital, tapeless production and broadcast capabilities going forward, which will be submitted to the BBC executive and the BBC Trust over the coming months." |
| Problems with DMI were first exposed during the coverage of the death of Baroness Thatcher last month, when BBC News staff were unable to access archive footage of the late prime minister via computers in New Broadcasting House and were reduced to ferrying tapes from the corporation's archive storage facility in Perivale, north-west London, in taxis or on the tube. | Problems with DMI were first exposed during the coverage of the death of Baroness Thatcher last month, when BBC News staff were unable to access archive footage of the late prime minister via computers in New Broadcasting House and were reduced to ferrying tapes from the corporation's archive storage facility in Perivale, north-west London, in taxis or on the tube. |
| Some BBC executives have expressed concern internally about parts of DMI and a review by director of operations Dominic Coles has been ordered into its future. | Some BBC executives have expressed concern internally about parts of DMI and a review by director of operations Dominic Coles has been ordered into its future. |
| Public Accounts Committee member Ian Swales MP, commenting on the BBC's refusal to say how much DMI has cost, said "this type of secrecy is inappropriate". He also said he had reservations about the scale of the project and is going to discuss the issue with his fellow PAC members. | |
| "That [DMI] is money taken away from programmes … An unwelcome suggestion in our hearing [with corporation executives about the project] was when the BBC said they were going for a world-leading type of solution. I'm not sure their business requires it. We keep getting these kinds of stories." | "That [DMI] is money taken away from programmes … An unwelcome suggestion in our hearing [with corporation executives about the project] was when the BBC said they were going for a world-leading type of solution. I'm not sure their business requires it. We keep getting these kinds of stories." |
| DMI has had a chequered history. After it was approved by the BBC Trust, technology supplier Siemens was given a £79m contract without open competition. | DMI has had a chequered history. After it was approved by the BBC Trust, technology supplier Siemens was given a £79m contract without open competition. |
| But Siemens failed to deliver and the contract was terminated in 2009, with Siemens given a pay-off. DMI was taken in-house but the BBC had incurred a two-year delay and lost £26m in projected cost-saving benefits as a result. | But Siemens failed to deliver and the contract was terminated in 2009, with Siemens given a pay-off. DMI was taken in-house but the BBC had incurred a two-year delay and lost £26m in projected cost-saving benefits as a result. |
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