Box of Broadcasts (BoB): Transforming Learning Through TV and Radio Programming
The boundaries of education have expanded far beyond textbooks, whiteboards, and even the physical classroom. Nowadays, anyone with an internet connection can access online learning tools, including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, that can be used for academic research and teaching.
In the UK, among the many learning tools that have revolutionized access to audiovisual material for educational purposes is Box of Broadcasts (BoB). Developed and run by Learning on Screen, BoB gives students and staff access to over three million broadcasts from more than 75 channels—from BBC to Channel 4, from Sky News to BBC Radio, CNN and Al Jazeera.
Overview of Box of Broadcasts
But more than just a streaming service, BoB is a powerful educational tool, built to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and bring teaching to life across any curriculum using UK broadcasts—all within copyright, thanks to the ERA licence.
Whether it’s a documentary that explains a complex theory, a news segment capturing a political moment, or a drama that brings literature to life, BoB makes it easy to use broadcast media in teaching, learning and research—without worrying about legality or quality.
Why Educators Love It
Launched in 2007 Box of Broadcasts is used by the vast majority of UK universities because it has:
An academic archive like no other
BoB’s searchable archive dates back to the late 90s—and even earlier for some content. It’s updated daily, so staff and students always have the latest context at their fingertips. Users can access the archive or request a recording of any program from the past 30 days. If a program aired on one of the supported channels and isn’t archived yet, it can be retrieved and made available within 24 to 48 hours.
On-demand programming made to share
Programmes can be clipped and added to playlists allowing users to create custom playlists and extract clips from longer broadcasts handy for educators who want to show only relevant sections of a documentary or film during lectures or for students conducting focused research on a topic. BoB makes it easy to build resources around the broadcast moments that matter.
Built for learning
Subtitles, searchable transcripts and detailed metadata mean content is more discoverable and more accessible—helping all students engage in a way that works for them. BoB content can also be cited easily in academic writing and embedded into learning management systems.
Covered by copyright
As BoB operates under the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) license, which enables broadcast media's legal recording and reuse in educational settings all institutions with a license can use the content in lectures, presentations, coursework, and independent research, without worry. BoB removes the legal and ethical grey areas sometimes associated with using broadcast material in education.
How Is Box of Broadcasts Being Used?
BoB is used across a wide range of subjects, helping to connect theory with real-world examples and develop media literacy in the process:
- Media, Film & Journalism: Explore narrative, framing, bias and representation across genres.
- History & Politics: Use news archives and documentaries to examine past and present events as they unfolded.
- Language Learning: Build listening skills with authentic speech and cultural context.
- Literature & Drama: Compare adaptations, study staging and performance, and explore author insights.
- Health, Science & Medicine: Access current affairs and specialist programming that puts scientific developments into social context.
BoB is being used to help students see the world more clearly, think more critically, and engage more deeply. With BoB, the broadcast becomes the beginning—not the end—of the learning journey.
Some Considerations
Due to the restrictions of the ERA License content can only be streamed by UK institutions and students who are registered at that institution. Their offshore students can also access broadcast content on the platform via playlists, however, under a new pilot between Learning on Screen and ERA.
And although the archive is vast, there are time limits for requesting programs that aren’t currently on the platform, and not all content is guaranteed to be available, particularly older content.
The Future of Broadcast Applications for Education
Box of Broadcasts is an example of how digital innovation and licensing collaboration can transform the learning experience, benefitting both teacher and student. By giving students and educators access to millions of TV and radio broadcasts, legally and with tailored educational features, BoB has become an indispensable tool to UK universities. It supports numerous learning styles, empowers critical thinking, and turns passive media consumption into an active learning experience.
As the role of media in society continues to grow, services like BoB will become more vital in helping educators and students navigate and understand the world through the lens of broadcast storytelling and journalism.
Image credit: Getty Images/mediaphotos
