YouTube has recently added a Shows section to its site which allows users in the UK to watch full-length television programmes free of charge.  Companies providing material include BBC Worldwide, Five, The Discovery Channel, Aardman Animation, ITN, Al-Jazeera and PBS. Currently the main provider is Channel 4, which is using YouTube to mirror its 4OD site, providing not only a catch-up service but an expanding collection of archive programmes. These cover all genres, of which the largest is currently documentary –  e.g. five complete series of Time Team are available, as well as  David Starkey’s Monarchy, and The Ascent of Money.  The ‘Shows’ section currently contains more than 5,000 video titles, which are searchable by programme title, genre and broadcaster.

In a separate development on YouTube, BBC Worldwide has launched the  ‘World in Motion’ Channel. This is home to clips of high definition videos from BBC Motion Gallery, and includes footage from all sixteen  programmes in the Notes on a City series.