Yeah this is the part that's missing from the title. It's not that these guys are unwilling to hand over the footage they just don't want to be prosecuted for having a snatched it back in the day (incidentally preserving and protecting it for the benefit of all the fans). All the BBC needs to do is officially confirm that they will never do that. If they can't do that then fuck 'em.
The BBC could solve this problem instantly with a legally binding policy change and a press release. If they fail to do that, it’s their own fault.
Yeah this is the part that's missing from the title. It's not that these guys are unwilling to hand over the footage they just don't want to be prosecuted for having a snatched it back in the day (incidentally preserving and protecting it for the benefit of all the fans). All the BBC needs to do is officially confirm that they will never do that. If they can't do that then fuck 'em.