The British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) has announced the forthcoming release of an on-demand service called iPlayer that will enable computer users to view BBC television shows after they’re broadcast. Like similar services offered by broadcasters in the United States, BBC iPlayer is Windows-only, though the company has been asked by the organization that oversees it to make iPlayer Mac-compatible.
iPlayer will enable BBC viewers to download and watch BBC programs for up to 30 days. All episodes of select BBC series, including Doctor Who and EastEnders will be made available until a week after braodcast of the final installment, according to the company.
The BBC Trust, an independent organization which took over oversight of the BBC from the old Board of Governors in January, has asked that the company develop a version of iPlayer that runs on different operating systems within “a reasonable time frame.”
But they stopped short of defining specific milestones, and the BBC said it couldn’t commit to a two-year deadline to achieve that goal, according to a recent report. The BBC Trust pledged to audit the company’s efforts every six months to make sure they stay on track.