[Brekkie]

Firstly who (no pun!) is to pay the rights for this?  as the standard BBC deal is for a number if airings (and the window on IPlayer that was allowable  at the time)
To pay those up front is a drain on the LF for everything not shown.
(The fact that with indies  there are few rights with the BBC has kept the  LF down as the BBC cannot buy them )
Secondly to have all this archive material on IPlayer  is a “gross abuse of market power “ with CC CMA OFCOM etc ..
an issue which has and still plagues the BBC generally and the whole history of IPlayer if not to say a dead Kangaroo…..  that is why IPlayer started of with a very short window….  While other non PSB catch up could do what they had the rights to,do. (Like all4)
Only few more people watch BBC1 than itv (1) so why is there itv+1 whist BBC ONE +1 is not allowed because of the effect on itv. (actually IMHO, it was a bad idea in any case but in part brought about by the effecient use uf the airwaves which no other broadcaster has imposed other than pure spectrum. (Ref David Mellor in 1990s when he tried to seek off BBC space))

Sadly have to agree.  Whilst it's nice to have such archive content available for free, and whilst there is likely a significant amount of content on the iPlayer that couldn't be monetised, this feels like a switch from something making money for the BBC to something that is now costing them money - at a time when money is tight.