This is only a portion of the policy. Archiving and material retension statements can be found within. See the direct link below for the full HTML version. I have attached an unofficial 14-page PDF copy that I made. Included in this post are only the Introduction, Section 1, and a portion of Section 2. The bold emphasis is mine.

I discovered this at http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ . Thanks Mike!

How long can the BBC expect their explanation to hold now?

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BBC MEDIA MANAGEMENT POLICY: OVERVIEW

http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/docs/historical_information/archive_policies/media_management_policy_overview.htm

Status
Policy

Intended Audience: Global. All areas of the BBC need to ensure they are archiving relevant material.
Use: This document is intended to give background and context to the Media Management Policies and Requirements. It includes all the high Level Policy Statements, and summary archive requirements.
The policy Statements and Requirements set out what must be retained, and how. Most of the sections within this document are available as separate documents, to enable different business areas to ensure that the requirements are met.

Last Reviewed: 15/04/03

1 Introduction

The BBC currently spends over £1 billion each year creating its TV, Radio and BBCi content. To maximise the value of this content, appropriate media management standards must be applied across all Divisions, irrespective of where content is located. BBC Information and Archives sets the minimum standards for achieving this and has responsibility for reporting non-compliance with this policy. This document provides a high level outline of the BBC’s existing archive policies and makes them fit for purpose in the digital environment

1.1 Why we keep BBC media content

· Research value - as a source of information

· Re-use value - repeats, re-versioning and re-use of extracts (including use by Worldwide)

· Legal requirement

· Business requirement (core records)

· Historical/heritage requirement

· Charter requirement

1.2 Selection criteria for long-term archiving

· All scripted fiction (drama and comedy)

· All major documentaries

· Award-winning programmes

· Events where the BBC played a unique and distinctive role in broadcasting to the nation (e.g. wars, royal weddings, state funerals, major sports events etc).

· Content covering the following areas:

¨ Historical. Material of events (actuality) covering all subject areas, including politics, foreign affairs etc. Includes content generated by News.

¨ Social Development. Material giving examples of contemporary life and attitudes, including current affairs material and drama.

¨ Music and Performing Arts. Examples of performance, direction, production, writing and composing, with special emphasis on works commissioned or sponsored by the BBC.

¨ People. Material featuring people of historical interest in all spheres.

¨ Natural History and the Environment. Material featuring places of geographical interest, especially related to changes in the environment and the development of natural history.

¨ Science and Technology. Material illustrating the development and changes in this area.

¨ Education. Examples of material which has been created to fulfil the BBC’s educational remit.

¨ Broadcasting and Editorial Policy. Examples of material showing the development of broadcasting and editorial policy; and programming developments e.g. new presentation styles, genres, new series etc.

¨ Technical Developments. Examples of technical developments such as Radio Data Signal (RDS), Nicam Stereo etc and material illustrating significant work in areas such as makeup, costume, set-design, editing techniques, special effects, etc.

¨ Staff and Contributors. Material showing the work of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the BBC.

¨ General Output. Examples of regular strip programming, sequence strands and magazine programmes to produce a balanced archive reflecting all output. This will typically include the first and last of any series and sample days of output on each channel/platform.

2 Policy Statements
Status
Policy

Intended Audience: Global.
Use: The policy statements set out what must be retained.Last Reviewed: 18/02/03

Ref No.
Policy Area / Policy Statement

01
Components to be Retained

01-01
The following components to be retained:-

· Two broadcast standard copies of all transmitted/published TV, Radio and BBCi output – one to be stored on a separate site as a master

· One browse-quality version for research purposes, to protect the broadcast material

· All supporting metadata to enable research and re-use

· A selection of original (i.e. unedited) material for re-use/re-versioning purposes

· Hardware/software/equipment to enable replay/transfer of the media

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For the complete policy, see the attached PDF or:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/docs/historical_information/archive_policies/media_management_policy_overview.htm