Record TV Programmes
Open University television programmes are regularly broadcast at peak time on BBC1, BBC2, BBC3 and BBC4 (details at www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/whats-on). As an alternative to buying these programmes, educational establishments and companies in the UK and Eire may legally record and use them in their teaching or training if they are members of The Open University Licensed Off-Air Recording Scheme.
Licensees automatically receive broadcast information when they join the Scheme. Programmes for this year include Bang Goes the Theory Series 4, Empire, David Attenborough's Frozen Planet, Business Challenges, Made in Britain and Genome.
If you miss recording a particular programme we have a Missed Recording service, details of which are included with the Operational Guidelines. These can be requested below.
Primary and middle schools
The annual licence fee is £28 plus VAT
Secondary schools
The annual licence fee is £78 plus VAT
Further and Higher Education (including sixth form colleges and non-educational organisations)
Pay each year only for the programmes you record and retain for use during that year, on a sliding scale of between £7 and £20 per programme, per year, depending upon the number you record.
Note: Recording Open University programmes without a licence infringes the 1988 Copyright Act. An ERA licence does not cover OU programming. For further details on an ERA licence, please contact British University Film and Video council.
To obtain information on the Scheme and an Application Form for your organisation, please request 'information guidelines'.
If your organisation already holds a licence and you would like to receive the operational guidelines please 'request operational guidelines'.
2012 Off Air Broadcast Booklet
2012 Off Air Broadcast Booklet (2258kb)
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Information Guidelines
Operational Guidelines