BBC causing a problem in Ireland!!!!!

Maxi 1

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As I wrote on many occasions before there is a problem with the BBC move as stated today in Ireland.com (Irish Times).

They write the following:

BBC 'Freesat' move may erode RTE revenue.
An internal document prepared for RTÉ management has warned that a new free satellite service from the BBC could result in RTÉ and other Irish channels losing substantial audience share and revenue.

You can also read more if you have subscribed to Ireland.com I havent so I cant say anymore.

If anyone has subscribed please can you paste whatever else they have written on this forum.

Thanks

Maxi 1
 

Maxi 1

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I have also found the following from another newspaper in Ireland "The Sunday Post". They have written the following:

RTE crisis as BBC exits Sky satellite

20/04/03 00:00


By Sean Mac Carthaigh, Political Correspondent

RTE is facing the biggest crisis in its history. The station's bosses fear that it may soon be relegated to the B-list of European television channels.


The looming crisis stems from the BBC's unexpected decision to make all its stations available free on satellite from the end of next month.

RTE's stark choice is to either join BBC on the free satellite system and lose the ability to negotiate separate Irish rights to popular programmes, or to stay on the Sky-owned platform and lose a huge chunk of its viewers.

The organisation's director general Bob Collins has written to his opposite number at the BBC, Greg Dyke, in the hope of finding a solution, but most industry analysts are pessimistic. The RTE Authority has already discussed a bleak, 20-page report on the future for the station in the light of the development.

The Minister for Communications, Dermot Ahern, is also concerned. Ahern said last night the move had forced a re-thinkof his plan to roll out a 35 channel, all-Ireland digital terrestrial television system.

But he said he remained completely committed to delivering all-Ireland television - which is part of the Good Friday Agreement - whether terrestrial or satellite.

The BBC's decision stunned the television industry, and is being seen generally as a courageous blow struck by the organisation for its own independence.

Currently,the BBC pays Rupert Murdoch's Sky €85 million a year to be on the BSkyB satellite. ITV and Channel 4 are almost certain to follow the BBC onto the new platform.

The footprint for the free satellite covers all of Britain and Ireland. This means that anyone in Ireland will be able to buy a small satellite dish and box and receive all the British channels for free, forever. Viewers will be able to pick up RTE, Network 2, TV3 and TG4 only with "rabbit ears" or an outside aerial.

Studies show that because switching from satellite to a traditional aerial is cumbersome, most viewers will not bother.

The Irish stations expect a massive fall-off in viewers.

If the Irish stations join BBC on the free satellite, however, the companies that sell the rights to top series will charge them up to ten times as much, because they are broadcasting to Britain too. In effect, this will mean Irish stations will not be able to afford to buy the latest episodes, and have to make do with running old shows already seen by most viewers several months previously on British stations.

"RTE is concerned about the implications of these proposals for the acquisitions of rights for programmes, both domestically and internationally," said Cathal Goan, head of RTE Television.

Ironically, Greg Dyke has also met with some criticism from within the BBC. Programmers at BBC Scotland and BBC Wales say the top slot on the on-screen programme guide used by the free satellite viewers will inevitably be BBC

London, relegating them to further down the list. On the "electronic programme guide" of existing Sky customers, it is likely that all of the BBC stations will be relegated, partly as revenge for Dyke's temerity in establishing a rival platform.

Also concerned are cable companies such as NTL and Chorus.

Many of their subscribers will ask themselves why they should pay a monthly fee as infinitum for something they can get free after a once-off purchase.




I feel that the BBC is taking the piss here and I feel that we cant let them destroy other countries national broadcasters. Also why should British licence payers have an annual fee when this will be free for all in Ireland, France etc.

Goodby to the licence and bring in the subsription fee.

Oh dear BBC you have lost your case to hold your licence and why because you shot yourselves in the foot by acting before thinking.

Maxi 1
 

BarMoo

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With you all the way maxi1 and that article is one of the best I have read ;)

They did act without thinking, but, on such ocassions the office of damage limitation usually steps in to butter us up.

But, then, this happens:

Thousands of digital TV viewers have been left without BBC channels after the corporation's plan to save money by taking its channels out of BSkyB's digital satellite system backfired. (Media Guardian)

What was the BBC's solution? Why, turn the gas up to reg.8 on the satellite so that more people can receive the BBC (if recent reports are true). Masterstroke!

Wasn't the whole idea to limit coverage?

Interesting that the office of damaged information hasn't gone public about this one. Its certainly something the studios and other right's holders should be made aware of though :D

Talking of gas. If the BBC were still run on town gas, I know who's head I would stick in the first oven I found. )(-red

Have Fun,

Mark.
 

barrym

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Originally posted by Maxi 1
If anyone has subscribed please can you paste whatever else they have written on this forum.

Bit rich that, seeing as how we are on a forum which discusses how to get normally paid for tv for free! I am a sub to the IT so I'll summarise the article.

The article is really a colour piece commenting on a leaked internal RTE doc. The jist is that the BBCs decision to go FTA on Astra will hit RTE. Well surprise, surprise, IMO, it is not as if RTE was not already hit by BBC being widely available via various free, or nearly free and paid for methods. The article does mention the 'perfect reception' element of FTA from Astra as a problem, true that, in many parts of the Emerald Isle terrestrial reception is patchy, it is a measure of the geography, especially in the West, but everybody now has to pay €150 a year for a license!!

I suspect the real RTE beef is that they are on the Irish Sky Digital package (to offer better reception and a chance to be on the EPG), they are paying Sky and now BBC will be available in the same reception quality for free.

I don't think the item amounts to much, may have been a slow news day....
Bye, Barry
 

Maxi 1

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Barry I would like to now where you getr your facts.

I can tell you from my own experience in Ireland that you do not already get BBC free. Only if you live close to the border of N.Ireland. I have lived in Dublin and we tried with no success. But soon now the whole country will be able to do so with a small dih and no card.

Why should the national broadcaster suffer with loss of revenue and advertising. Ireland dosent have the same population as Britian so cant fund a BBC size empire. However the way the BBC are using this power to me makes me feel that they are no better than Sky and are causing a seroius problem. These problems will come to us in two years time when the BBC have hooked up the foregin nations for free. This could cause diplomatic problems in europe while the big countrys abuse the small nations is not taken lightly.

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barrym

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Originally posted by Maxi 1
Barry I would like to now where you getr your facts.

I can tell you from my own experience in Ireland that you do not already get BBC free. Only if you live close to the border of N.Ireland.

I said free or nearly free. In fact I know (because I have used it until I decided to pay) you can get SCTV with an aerial all along the South coast (a 'legal' relay service following several court cases). A lot of people use it and don't pay.

Why should the national broadcaster suffer with loss of revenue and advertising. Ireland dosent have the same population as Britian so cant fund a BBC size empire.... This could cause diplomatic problems in europe while the big countrys abuse the small nations is not taken lightly.
Maxi 1

I don't quite understand your argument. The EU has a green paper called 'tv without frontiers' published a long time ago, which said that the arrangements between film, sports, etc., and tv distribution need to be modified to take account of technology changes (just exactly what is happening with dtv). It doesn't suit Mr Murdoch & Co, nor the Hollywood moguls, nor UEFA, etc., to do this. Meanwhile smaller tv stations such as RTE will find that their attempts to sign up shows and sports will be affected by the fact that the BBC is available technically in their 'territory'. If there was an EU wide deal then a) the price per user should be lower and :cool: there would be less playing off of one market against another.

Bye, Barry
 

BarMoo

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I don't think with have to get upset with minutiae ;)

Why cannot RTE to go down the BBC route?

They could use the same arguments as their british counterpart for going FTA - i.e., a nasty satellite with a (not-so) tiny footprint. Should save them a bit of money that they can then spend on more expensive content.

If RTE weren't allowed to do that - then the BBC shouldn't be allowed to either.


Whatever, Greg Dyke's moronic fudging will have serious consequences for all.

Perhaps RTE and all the other boogers should start playing the BBC game too: then we can all watch on as everything falls apart.

They better hurry up though - there isn't that much space left on 2D :rolleyes:

Regards,

Mark.
 

Maxi 1

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You have a very good point there mark.

Sorry if I was came across as being upset but I was only sataing what is obvoius just as you did Mark.

Maxi 1
 
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