Backstage.bbc.co.uk

Infobox Network
network_name = backstage.bbc.co.uk
network_
country = flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
network_type = online
available = International
owner = BBC
key_people = [http://cubicgarden.com/ Ian Forrester] , [http://thelondonbiker.com/blog/ Matthew Cashmore]
launch_date = May 11, 2005
founder = Tom Loosemore, Ben Metcalfe and James Boardwell
motto = nowrap|"use our stuff to build your stuff"
past_names =
website = http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/ backstage.bbc.co.uk is the brand name (and URL) of the BBC's developer network.

=History=

backstage.bbc.co.uk created by [http://www.tomski.com/ Tom Loosemore] , [http://benmetcalfe.com/ Ben Metcalfe] and [http://www.technogoggles.com/ James Boardwell] . It was piloted internally within the BBC in the Spring of 2005, then launched on May 11, 2005. It [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/aims/ aims] to encourage innovative use of the content across bbc.co.uk, including the BBC News website, by 3rd-party developers.

The website came out of beta as an official site on July 23, 2005 at the backstage.bbc.co.uk OpenTech event which was organised by NTK and the UK Unix Users Group. It is sometimes referred to as BBC Backstage, although the official title of the project is backstage.bbc.co.uk.

The BBC admit that in the past they had not always welcomed amateur innovators who attempted to reuse BBC content, but now, through the backstage site they aim to foster a dialogue with such developers and the wider community.

In July 2006 backstage.bbc.co.uk won the [http://www.newstatesman.com/nma/nma2006/nma2006winners.php New Statesman New Media Innovation award] .

=Purpose=

Launched partly as a response to the Graf Review [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/pdf/bbc_graf.pdf BBC's Response to the Graf Review] ] of bbc.co.uk, the aims of backstage.bbc.co.uk are to encourage innovation and creativity in the UK, and to identify new talent. According to the BBC's response to the Graf report, the site aims to

=Community=

A mailing first mailing list, [http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/ [e-mail]] is for general discussion, with a second [http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/ [e-mail]] for technical developer discussion and assistance. The main list is also [http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/info.html publicly archived] for anyone to look through before subscribing or un-subscribing but still keeping an eye on what's being said.

In addition, there is a feed of website stories [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/index.xml backstage.bbc.co.uk feed] plus [http://bbcbackstage.blip.tv/rss backstage.bbc.co.uk podcasts]

=Feeds=

XML feeds are available on the backstage website for people to build with on a non-commercial basis. A complete list of the feeds available can be found [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/data/ on the site] , but they include RSS from the BBC News Website, TV listings (in TV-Anytime format) and travel delay data. The BBC's RSS feeds, which are a main component of their backstage philosophy, output around 500 unique pieces of news each and every day from its network of over 5000 journalists.

=Events=

Google Developer Day: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhXD8SPqMdM Google Developer Day London: BBC Backstage presentation] .

In June 2007, backstage.bbc.co.uk and Yahoo! hosted a weekend Hack Day in North London's Alexandra Palace for several hundred developers and designers followed by a performance by The Rumble Strips. The event was hit by lightning on the Saturday morning.

Also in 2007, backstage.co.uk hosted the [http://tvunfestival07.pbwiki.com/ TV Unfestival] at the International Television Festival in Edinburgh.

backstage.bbc.co.uk is currently part of BBC Research & Innovation. It sits within the Innovation Culture Portfolio headed up by Dr Adrian Woolard. The senior producer is [http://cubicgarden.com/ Ian Forrester] and producer is Rain Ashford. [http://www.thelondonbiker.com Matthew Cashmore] use to be developer producer at backstage but now runs BBC Innovation Labs, another BBC project.

In April 2008 backstage.bbc.co.uk held a new event (based on the Yahoo! concept - Hack Day) called [http://www.overtheair.com/ Over the Air] which was based around mobile development and ideas.

In June 2008 backstage.bbc.co.uk held an event (based on the Yahoo! concept - Hack Day) called [http://mashed08.backnetwork.com/ Mashed] at Alexandra Palace in North London.

= External links =
* [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/ backstage.bbc.co.uk homepage]
* [http://welcomebackstage.com/ beta of new website]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/rss/4498287.stm Backstage RSS licence]
* [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/05/api_licence.html Backstage API licence]

= Notable backstage.bbc.co.uk projects =:"A full list can be found on the [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/prototypes/ official site] .
* [http://www.pyrosoft.co.uk/news/ BBC News Archive, built using backstage rss feed]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/homearchive/ BBC Front page Archive live on the BBC domain]
* [http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/ The Programme Catalogue]
* [http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/prototypes/archives/2006/10/how_in_touch_is.html How in touch is the BBC?]
* [http://www.trafficeye.co.uk/ Started off as a BBC Backstage Prototype and went commercial]

=References=