The BBC's broadband plans were revealed today at the Financial Times New Media and Broadcasting Conference by its director of new media and technology Ashley Highfield.
The BBC already broadcasts parts of Glastonbury each year but it will be the first time the music festival has been available on broadband in the year that former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is to headline.
The Athens Olympics in August marks another broadband world first. Users will be able to choose from a wide selection of broadcasts from both events as well as being able to play games, interact with other users and access facts and statistics at the same time as viewing.
The BBC's Creative Archive, first announced by former director-general Greg Dyke at the Edinburgh International Television Festival last August, is to launch in the autumn. The archive will give the general public access to free clips of the BBC's television and radio archive.
Surfers will be able to access around 2,000 clips of up to three minutes long or 100 hours of content. The BBC has confirmed that it also hopes to talk to other independents and rights holders about clearing rights to other clips. At present, material is fully owned by the BBC.
Highfield said:"We see a clear role for the BBC in helping to drive a broadband Britain and would like to see that reflected in the outcome of the review."
Last August the secretary of state for culture, media and sport Tessa Jowell announced an independent review of the BBC's online service. The BBC submitted its own report on the performance of the BBC against the commitments laid down when the service began.
This paper is being assessed by the independent reviewer Philip Graf, the former chief executive of Trinity Mirror, who has also been seeking comments from the industry and users of the website. The public consultation ended on November 17. Graf has been asked to submit his report to Jowell in the spring.
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