A controversial deal between the Smithsonian Institution and Showtime Networks hasn't affected other filmmakers' access to the institute's collections, a U.S. government review has concluded.

The report from the Government Accountability Office, published on Friday, found that the institute rejected only two out of 117 requests for filming in the first nine months of 2006.

The GAO was investigating an extraordinary 30-year contract that the Smithsonian Institution and Showtime Networks signed early in the year. The institute's officials have pegged the pact's value at between $99 million US to $150 million.

The institute rejected only two out of 117 requests for filming in the first nine months of 2006.-GAO report

Showtime, in turn, got the semi-exclusive right to create documentaries using the institution's extensive collection for broadcast on its new network, Smithsonian on Demand — to be launched in March 2007.

The Smithsonian holds millions of documents, films and photographs spread throughout its 18 museums.

The contract permits the Smithsonian to create documentaries with six non-Showtime filmmakers every year.

The government probe was launched in June after complaints from members of Congress and filmmakers, who said they feared Showtime would restrict access to independent producers.

Although the inquiry's 51-page report said the Smithsonian has so far allowed access to the collections, it also warned "it is still too early to tell what the long-term impact of the contract will be."

It also reprimanded the Smithsonian for not providing enough details of the agreement to the public.

Centralized request process

In April, Ken Burns — the award-winning director of documentary series such as Jazz and Baseball  — protested the contract, saying it would limit other filmmakers from using the collection for their documentaries.

The Smithsonian has acknowledged that it may not have "done enough initially to inform others about how the contract would affect existing Smithsonian policies and procedures."

The inquiry has prompted the organization to clarify guidelines for non-Showtime researchers or filmmakers, stating that ideas or proposals do not have to be presented to Showtime for access to the collections.

The Smithsonian has also centralized the request procedure.

Sheila P. Burke, the CEO of the Smithsonian, said it "fully intends to implement both of the recommendations cited in the report's conclusion: documenting in more detail the reasons for accepting and declining requests from filmmakers, and updating the website to provide filmmakers and other interested parties with more information about the contract."

With files from the Associated Press