Inexpensive means of distribution? (Score 2, Interesting)

While I applaud the BBC for this attempt to make its archives available, I wonder if they have truly considered the actual costs of distribution. Leaving aside broadband connectivity costs (something that's been considered elsewhere) I am curious as to how they are going to negotiate the retransmission rights for all this archival stock. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation did a feasibility study into this as part of their preparation for digital television and found the costs of renegotiating transmission rights for that intellectual property were more expensive than creating new television content. I imagine the internet would be even more expensive, as the penetration of internet is global, where broadcasting is geographically limited.

Thoughts on this anyone?