Welcome to the open public debate around the iPlayer. As the person responsible for it, you can answer the questions that nobody else can.

You argue that you had to start somewhere, and that working with Microsoft was the obvious place to start. If that is the case, why is it that the world's leading internet media and services companies all started with open source and open standards: Google, Joost, MySpace, Yahoo and many, many others. The greatest shame is that the BBC was developing its own world-leading media technology, Dirac, which has been all but abandoned whilst you hire Erik Huggers and other senior Microsoft executives, no doubt part of the 'strategic' partnership:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/28/microsoft.shtml

You suggest that only Microsoft was able to offer a DRM solution. Whatever your views on DRM, you cannot reject an open standards platform on the grounds of DRM. All the leading internet security technologies (SSL, VPN, PGP) have been built with open source and there are several enterprise-class open source DRM solutions available.

Whilst the public outcry against your lock in of the iPlayer to Microsoft continues to grow steadily, you have still given no guarantee that downloads will be made available for all major platforms including Mac and Linux. Indeed, you have laughably suggested that Linux is not a major platform, which does not bode well for your alleged desire for a cross-platform solution. A 'correction' of your figures on a rushed out blog is no substitute for an apology in the journals where you have launched your 'charm offensive'.

To be frank, Ashley, whilst the BBC, a state-funded institution which is supposed to be commercially independent, remains so firmly "in bed" with Microsoft, we have our doubts whether what you say is anything other than smoke and mirrors, FUD and Microsoft-sourced propaganda.

Yours,