The BBC has launched a series of ideas to share its technology which could generate more than £120 million a year by 2014 for the commercial sector.

The proposals include sharing the BBC's hugely successful iPlayer with other broadcasters and bringing it to television sets. The proposals cover the production, distribution and exploitation of content.

One of the BBC's partnerships - to develop a common industry approach to delivering on demand and internet services to televisions - is already being promoted by a group that includes the BBC, ITV and BT.

Other proposals include helping to support regional news outside the corporation; BBC Worldwide working with other broadcasters to develop new revenue and the BBC sharing technology and research and development to create a digital production standard.


But Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan responded to the proposals by saying that apart from a partnership with BBC Worldwide suggested by Ofcom, he could see no tangible financial benefit in the plans to Channel 4.

The proposals come during watchdog Ofcom's review into how to plug the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) gap.

It has been mooted by the regulator that one funding source for Channel 4 could be for it to take control of some or all of BBC Worldwide.

Ofcom has set out analysis suggesting that by 2012 Channel 4 could need extra funding of up to £100 million to deliver its existing remit.

But speaking in London, BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons said the proposition that BBC Worldwide might be taken away from licence fee payers was "pretty extraordinary".

He added that BBC Worldwide was not a "portable cash machine" for the Government, the regulator or anyone else to "wheel around".

Sir Michael said people came up with "fanciful ideas. The danger is they detract from what's do-able".

The BBC said that Deloitte research indicates that the partnerships, if approved by the BBC Trust and supported by others, could generate more than £120 million a year by 2014 of benefits to PSB beyond the BBC.

The announcement comes at a time when Ofcom is carrying out a review into PSB which is due to come to a conclusion in the New Year. The BBC developed the proposals following a challenge to do so from the BBC Trust in June.

They include:
* A public service iPlayer offering the initiative beyond the BBC.
* Internet services to the television working closely with ITV and BT to enable audiences to enjoy a range of on demand and interactive services via the TV set including the iPlayer.
* Opening up access to regional audio-visual content and broadcasting facilities.
* The BBC is exploring options for sharing regional news footage and premises where appropriate to support provisions beyond the BBC.
* Sharing digital production technology to allow a common industry approach to producing, sharing and editing digital content.
* BBC Worldwide - discussions are under way to explore a series of commercial areas of co-operation between BBC Worldwide and Channel Four.
* Broadband - using the popularity of the BBC's website bbc.co.uk to drive usage and reach of other public service content across the internet.
* Sharing research and innovation, training and audience research with the rest of the industry.

The BBC also wants to explore the possibility of doing more to support the newspaper industry. It announced it is waiving the charge it makes for television listings which it says will benefit the newspaper and magazine sector.

The corporation is in discussions with newspapers about a "non-exclusive" pilot scheme to share content.

Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, said: "These proposals directly address the central question of the public service broadcasting debate: how we ensure a sustainable future in the digital age.

"We are proposing that the BBC shares some of the benefits of its scale and security with the rest of the industry to strengthen it for the long term.

"While the BBC is also facing significant economic challenges, we can still play a valuable role in underpinning public service broadcasting at a time when the industry is grappling with huge strategic challenges.

"Through partnerships I believe broadcasters can help secure the future of public service broadcasting in this country."

Michael Grade, executive chairman for ITV, said of the on-demand TV-over-broadband plan: "This proposal will bring catch-up from the PC to the TV set in your living room, and all for free... it will also future proof our free to air platforms, Freeview and Freesat.

"We are delighted to be working with the BBC, BT and other internet service providers to bring this idea to fruition for viewers."