Should we have a heated debate?

I’ve had a lot of feedback in the last few days following my recent posts about the BBC. My position can be summed up thus: The BBC could do more than it currently does with its assets and its platform to encourage innovation, especially in the way it interfaces with startup tech companies. I think it could release even more data and feeds and could even think about creating a platform for startups to use, perhaps as a public-service backed testbed for new applications. I’m not saying the BBC hasn’t been great at distributing its OWN content on its OWN platform. It clearly has. What I am saying is that it contains within it a great deal of data which could be opened up and released for the benefit of other people with ideas, thus powering new entities as yet undreamed of. Channel 4 appears to be moving in this direction, should the BBC? People who defend the BBC on this issue either say they have been doing this already or say they are about to do more in the vein (see the comments). It’s obviously more complex than that, but that’s the gist of it.

So I am prepared to put on an event in London where the two sides can meet and discuss these issues. Steve Bowbrick, a long-time Internet entrepreneur who has blogged extensively about the BBC’s role, has kindly agreed to chair a panel to discuss these issue. I have provisionally booked a venue in central London for June 25th. All I need now is a panel. (And maybe a sponsor to cover the small costs).

I’m asking the BBC to put up a person, or more, to be on the panel. And I’m looking for people from the startup tech sector who want to argue the case that the BBC should open up more.

Who’s in? Leave some comments…