The BBC has unveiled its submission to Ofcom’s ongoing second review of UK public service broadcasting provision, which is trying to find a way to prop up ailing commercial rivals. The BBC’s ideas stress partnerships and claim it can return £120 million to other public service content makers by 2014. Here are the highlights…

—iPlayer “iPlayer’s phenomenal success points to the possibility of it becoming a video-on-demand platform for PSB more widely – a possibility raised by Ofcom in September. One possibility is that iPlayer could become a federation of on-demand PSB services. Users could access this federation either via a single broadcaster-neutral central site or through separate “/iplayer” sections of each participating PSB’s website, where programmes would be viewed. Each participant would then exploit its own rights as it sees fit – maintaining the benefits of creative competition and editorial independence, but maximising the benefits of shared technology and user experience. We would see this idea being compatible with other PSB partnerships including Kangaroo, to which the BBC and other shareholders remain committed.”

But Channel 4 chief Andy Duncan said: “Based on our experience of selling advertising around on-demand viewing, we’ve given the BBC clear feedback that their assumptions about the commercial benefits of a link with the iPlayer are inaccurate. We don’t share their view that this particular proposal could deliver an immediate and sizeable financial upside.”

—Open IPTV standard: Auntie would develop out its Project Canvas idea, offering access to both free-to-air broadcast TV and a disparate range of internet video services. The common platform would be accessible for development by other broadcasters. ITV (LSE: ITV) and BT (NYSE: BT) announced support today. See our full story.

—BBC.co.uk: “BBC Online could be a better guide to high-quality PSB content elsewhere on the internet. Through increased linking, syndication and wider partnership, the site could go some way to addressing Ofcom’s concerns about the findability and discoverability of online public service content in general. Working with government, PSBs, ISPs and other partners, the BBC could also play an important role in helping bridge the digital divide. While direct financial benefits to the PSBs are limited, this activity could bring real benefits to the cultural and creative sectors, as well as important social and citizen benefits.” The Beeb said it could syndicate its content to newspapers, for example - but this is something it had wanted to do for a couple of years anyway

—Shared digital archive and production tools: A “shared repository for the industry” would, of course, ease the path to unifying multiple iPlayers and creating Project Canvas. The new production tools would allow old material to be conbined with new video more easily.
—Sharing regional news In the face of ITV’s gradual exit, the BBC is considering how it can sustain regional news, eg. by sharing raw footage with the others. “There is also a potentially significant opportunity to share regional news infrastructure. In the medium to longer term, and subject to further approvals, the BBC could share infrastructure and broadcast facilities across the UK. Co-location could enable not only shared space but also shared infrastructure, technology and support services.”

—BBC Worldwide/Channel 4 partnership: Auntie reckons working together could create £10 to £20 million a year, working with others could create another £20 million. But there’s no detail yet.