Why is TV Listings Data Not Freely Available?
For a long time I have thought about several application/service ideas which needs TV listings data in some parseable dataformat (xml format comes to mind). But for some reason there is no free ressource to get these data, not even from the websites of the channels in question. I have found some listings of UK tv – but since I live in Denmark I would at least like the 8 or 9 danish channels to be included as well.
I have found a provider that allows me to get a personal feed for 89,- DKR pr year, which off course sounds cheap, but their terms says that you cannot redistribute the data. They also sell licenses to the data, but I suspect that this would be an expensive option, and my ideas will not be something that could make a lot of money, I think.
It seems weird to me that the data is not freely available. In my opinion it should be in the interest of the danish media providers (DR, TV2, Viasat, TVDanmark) to make it available, since it can help promote their programs, and thus make money on advertising on their tv-channels. Or maybe I have missed something in the equation??
by Claus Witt 
February 23, 2009 
Tags: api, ideas, tv Posted in: Business, Development, Just for fun, Personal
One Response
I’ve thought the same thing, it’s rather peculiar .. However, some services actually have the data in question, the danish broadcasters also share the program data somehow .. Must be possible to persuade them