Programmes ontology
A vocabulary for programme data. It defines concepts such as brands, series, episodes, broadcasts, etc.
Introduction
This ontology aims at providing a simple vocabulary for describing programmes. It covers brands, series (seasons), episodes, broadcast events, broadcast services, etc. Its development was funded by the BBC, and is heavily grounded on previous programmes data modelling work done there.
This documentation page is a first draft. All feedback on either the ontology or this page is welcomed! Feel free to email the authors mentioned above.
The design of this ontology document is based on the Music Ontology and FOAF Vocabulary specification documents.
The Programme Model
The programme model is inspired from the PIPS database schema, used at the BBC. It describes how brands, series, episodes, particular versions of episodes and broadcasts interact with each other.
By going further on, we can associate to each of these episodes a particular version (which would correspond to a Manifestation in FRBR terms). This version can then be the factor of a broadcast event, occurring on a particular service (eg. BBC One London) at a particular time.
A simple depiction of the different modelled concepts and their interaction is the following one:
Ontology Terms
Automatically generated documentation for the ontology terms.
Classes
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/AudioDescribedVersion
Description
A version holding an audio description.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Brand
Description
A brand, e.g. `Top Gear'
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Broadcast
Description
A broadcast event.
Subsumes the event concept defined in
the Event ontology.
A broadcast is associated with a service, and with a
particular version of an episode.
Superclasses
Subclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Broadcaster
Description
An organization responsible of some broadcasting services.
It can hold a set of services and outlets.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Category
Description
A category provides a way of classifying a set of programmes. Such classifications
can be performed according to multiple dimensions and taxonomies, e.g. genre, format, places, people, subjects...
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Channel
Description
A physical channel on which a broadcast occurs.
A single outlet or service can be associated with multiple channels.
For example, Radio 4 LW broadcasts on Analogue Long Wave and on Digital
Satellite.
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Clip
Description
A particular clip, e.g. `Clip of Top Gear, first series'
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Episode
Description
A particular episode, e.g. `Top Gear, first episode of the first series' or the film 'A Walk in the Sun' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gfzdt)
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/FirstBroadcast
Description
Specifies a broadcast as being the
first one of a particular version.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Format
Description
Anchor point for format taxonomies, similar to po:Genre for genre taxonomies.
Instances of this concept include documentaries, talk shows, animation, etc.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Genre
Description
An anchor point for a programmes' genre taxonomy, e.g. 'Drama'/'Biographical'.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/LocalRadio
Description
Radio services aiming at a local coverage.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/NationalRadio
Description
Radio services aiming at a national coverage.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/OriginalVersion
Description
An `original' version, the legacy version of
a particular episode.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Outlet
Description
Outlet of a particular service, e.g. Radio 4 LW and FM for Radio 4.
Outlets are services which do not have variations.
The criterion for an outlet is its timeline.
For example, Radio 4 LW broadcasts on Analogue Long Wave, but also on Digital Satellite.
It corresponds to just one outlet, as they are simulcasts.
The two physical channels for broadcasts correspond to po:Channel.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Person
Description
A person
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Place
Description
A physical place
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Programme
Description
A programme, can either be a brand, a series or an episode
Subclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/ProgrammeItem
Description
A programme that can have versions, and as such can be broadcast or made available on-demand, e.g. a clip or an episode.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Radio
Description
Services that use a radio medium.
Superclasses
Subclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/RegionalRadio
Description
Radio services aiming at a regional coverage.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/RepeatBroadcast
Description
Specifies a broadcast as being a
repeat.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Season
Description
A season is a group of broadcasts.
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Segment
Description
Classification of an episode version's region, e.g. 'this track was played at that time'.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Series
Description
A series, e.g. `Top Gear, first season'
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Service
Description
A broadcasting service.
Instances of this concept include BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 4, BBC News, etc.
A service is a collection of outlets which contain common material, but with some variations, e.g. by
region.
Hence, a service may have multiple outlets (po:Outlet), e.g. BBC Radio 4 has BBC Radio 4 LW and BBC Radio 4 FM.
A hierarchy of services types is defined within this ontology, e.g. radio and TV.
A service that is a master brand only (a service that only commissions programmes, e.g. BBC Switch) should
be an instance of the top-level po:Service.
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/ShortenedVersion
Description
A shortened version.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/SignedVersion
Description
A version holding sign language.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Subject
Description
Anchor point for subject taxonomies.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Subtitle
Description
Classification of an episode version's region corresponding to a subtitle being shown.
Superclasses
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/TV
Description
Services that use a television medium.
Superclasses
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/Version
Description
A particular version of an episode.
Such versions include shortened ones, audio described ones
or ones that holds sign language.
The version is associated to a timeline.
Subclasses
Properties
Properties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/actor
Description
Relates a programmes to one of its actors - a person who plays the role of a character
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/anchor
Description
A television reporter who coordinates a programme
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/aspect_ratio
Description
The aspect ration of a particular version.
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/author
Description
Relates a programme to its author - the person who created the content
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/season_broadcast
Description
Associates a season to its constituent broadcasts
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/broadcast_of
Description
Relates a particular broadcast to the version being broadcasted.
Sub-property of the event:factor one.
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/broadcast_on
Description
Relates a particular broadcast to the service or outlet on which it was.
Sub-property of the event:factor one.
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/broadcaster
Description
Associates a service to a broadcaster
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/category
Description
Relates a programme to a particular category, e.g. genre, format, place...
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/channel
Description
Associates a service to a channel, e.g. Radio 4 LW to Radio 4 LW on Analogue Long Wave.
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/clip
Description
Associates a brand, a series or an episode to a clip.
Superproperties
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/commentator
Description
Relates a programme to one of its commentators
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/credit
Description
Relates a programmes to a person who is credited in it
Superproperties
Subproperty
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/director
Description
Relates a programme to its supervisor. Generally refers to the person responsible for all audience-visible components of a program, film, or show, whereas the producer is
responsible for the financial and other behind-the-scenes aspects. A director's duties might also include casting, script editing, shot selection, shot composition, and editing
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/duration
Description
The duration of a version, in seconds.
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/episode
Description
Associates a brand or a series to an episode constituting it.
Superproperties
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/executive_producer
Description
Relates a programme to its executive producer - a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the making process, but who is still responsible for the
overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/format
Description
Relates a programme to a particular format (eg. `Animation', `Documentary', etc.).
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/frequency
Description
Associates a channel to its frequency
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/genre
Description
Relates a programme to a particular genre.
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/location
Description
Associates a service to a geographic location,
aiming at capturing what this service aims at covering.
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/long_synopsis
Description
A long synopsis of a series, brand or episode.
Sub-property of po:synopsis.
Superproperties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/masterbrand
Description
Associates a programme with its masterbrand (its commissioner)
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/medium_synopsis
Description
A medium synopsis of a series, brand or episode.
Sub-property of po:synopsis.
Superproperties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/microsite
Description
Associates a programme to its microsite. For example http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fm04s and http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/news_reader
Description
Relates a programme to its news reader
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/outlet
Description
Associates a service to an outlet, e.g. Radio 4 to Radio 4 LW.
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/parent_series
Description
Relates a series to a series constituting it (eg. `Waking the dead').
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/parent_service
Description
Relates a service to another service encapsulating it (eg. `BBC One' and `BBC One South')
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/participant
Description
Relates a programme to one of its participants
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/performer
Description
Relates a programme to an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for audience
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/person
Description
Relates a programme to a person
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/place
Description
Relates a programme to a place (e.g. `London')
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/position
Description
The position of a particular series or episode within its containing programme. This property can also be used to give the position of an interval within the containing
timeline.
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/producer
Description
Relates a programme to its producer - the manager of an event, show, or other work, usually the individual in charge of finance, personnel, and other non-artistic aspects
in the development of commercials, plays, movies, and other works
Superproperties
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/schedule_date
Description
The schedule date of a broadcast event.
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/series
Description
Associates a brand or a series to a series constituting it.
Superproperties
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/service
Description
Associate a brand, series or episode to the master brand service.
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/short_synopsis
Description
A short synopsis of a series, brand or episode.
Sub-property of po:synopsis.
Superproperties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/sound_format
Description
The sound format of a particular version.
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/subject
Description
Relates a programme to a subject (e.g. `Easter')
Superproperties
Domain
Range
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/subtitle_language
Description
Language of the subtitles embedded in a particular version
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/synopsis
Description
The synopsis of a series, brand or episode.
Subproperty
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/text
Description
Associates a subtitle event to the corresponding text
Domain
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/time
Description
Associates an episode's version or a version's segment with a temporal interval. This interval can be associated with a timeline, serving as an anchor for further
temporal annotations, e.g. subtitles or played track
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/track
Description
Associates a music segment with a track, as defined in MO
Superproperties
URI
http://purl.org/ontology/po/version
Description
Associate an episode to a version of it.
Different versions of a same episode can exist (shortened version, version
designed for the hearing impaired, etc.).
Domain
Range