BBC Radio Moving to Astra 2d

[dvart]

Since 1999 the majority of the BBC's domestic radio stations have been available on free to air digital satellite and available throughout Western Europe.
Damian Whyte of the BBC has confirmed that radio is moving to Astra 2d, thus depriving almost everyone on the continent of access to BBC radio.

The BBC encouraged us to buy free to air receivers pointed at 28 east in a online document called Tuning-in via the Astra satellite at http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/factsheets/index.shtml.

We all understand why the BBC is moving its TV to Astra 2d, but there is no good reason why Radio should not stay on 2a. If there are any cost saving in having radio and TV on one satellite, it must be tiny compared the millions the Beeb is saving by ditching Sky encryption. Plenty of radio stations lease a partial transponder on Astra 2a.

The rights issue must have been sorted out in 1999.
In the UK, you don't need a TV licence to listen to radio so what is the harm in a few people on the Continent tuning in as well ?

It gives pleasure to thousands of people.
If you feel strongly about this issue, I would urge you to send an email to Roger Bolton at the BBC Radio 4 "Feedback" Programme
feedback@bbc.co.uk

 

[rolfw]

Although this doesn't directly affect me (or even my overseas family), I completely agree with your comments, I would hope that any other forum members who may feel the same will E-mail the feedback address and express thier concerns.

 

[dishdoctor]

Email sent............brian

 

[2old4this]

It's a while (18 years!) since I lived in the UK, but isn't it still the case that one requires a licence for radio reception? The TV licence doubles for both, but even without a TV it used to be the case that a radio licence was required (this is certainly true of the country I live in now).

I despair of this continuing trend towards ever more regional market protection, in our once supposedly single European market with all its expensive legislation ostensibly guaranteeing free movement of goods and services throughout.

2old

 

[rolfw]

No, I don't think that you do need a radio licence any longer in the UK 2old, I think they stopped it some years back.

 

[dvart]

A member of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has agreed to raise the matter on the committee and it would be very helpful if you could email the clerk of the committee with copies to the Chairman of the BBC and the Minister for Culture Media and Sport.

Contact details

To

Mr Fergus Reid
Clerk
Culture, Media and Sport Committee
7 Millbank
London SW1P 3JA
email cmscom@parliament.uk

cc

Gavyn Davies,

Chairman of the BBC Governors

gavyn.davies@bbc.co.uk

Tessa Jowell MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
tessa.jowell@culture.gov.uk

Points to Raise (please use your own words)

1. Public broadcasters in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland broadcast their public service radio to the whole of Europe. Why shouldn't the richest Public Service Broadcaster in the whole of Europe (the BBC) do the same ?

2. Keeping radio on a Europe wide basis will cost very little and probably much less than the BBC paid Angus Deayton for one appearance on "Have I got news for you".

3. The Irish Broadcaster RTE uses the same system as the BBC for TV (Astra 2d) but still offers its equivalent to Radio 4 (RTE1) on a Europe wide basis.

4. The BBC encouraged people on the Continent to install expensive satellite equipment to receive its Radio broadcasts. Yet for months, Senior BBC management must have known that the BBC was encouraging listeners to waste their money.

5. The BBC have suggested that radio via the Internet is an alternative, but this is extremely expensive, the sound quality is
inadequate and not everyone has access.

6. Radio stations such as BBC 7, Radio 4 and Radio 1 have a particular resonance with a growing number of listeners in the ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe. These stations compliment BBC World Service Radio and promote a positive image of Britain at minimal cost.

7. Peter Knowles Channel Editor of the BBC Parliament TV channel says that his service will be staying as a pan European TV channel , so why not radio as well ?

8. European Consumers will not have confidence in digital TV and Radio technology, if a major player such as the BBC can encourage listeners to make expensive equipment installations, only to make the purchase worthless in just two months time.

 

[Richardson]

Thank God that - at long last - somebody's actually doing something about this!

The justification for discontinuing the pan-European coverage of BBC Radio 4, BBC 7 and the other domestic radio channels from the end of May can only be good old-fashioned British blinkered spite.

And what will it achieve? Nothing but this: thousands of BRITONS living and working on the continent will shortly be deprived of their favourite radios just so that a handful of narrow-minded bureaucrats at the BBC can gloat in the knowledge that all those lousy expats and assorted foreigners will have the door slammed in their faces once and for all.

If the BBC thought they were in any way justified in restricting the coverage of the radio channels on Astra they wouldn't be so secretive about it. Their furtive behaviour betrays a bad conscience, but - alas - they have no shame.

 

[Expat]

I am currently setting up a small website for those of us outside the Astra 2D footprint. Now that the BBC is moving both radio & TV, there will be even more nead for a place where all expats & sat enthusiats can come for usefull information and news. There will ofcourse be a link to this GREAT SITE!
I could use your help, if you have any information or tips on equipment or reception please contact me! Anything that can help others, pull in this dreaded bird!
Well if the BBC wants to go FTA, good, let's watch them!
I will let you all know when the site is online!

 

[Richardson]

Just seen this on an expat board:

http://www.british-expats.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=5762&forum=24&1

[Haynes711] "Well, I've listened to this week's "Feedback" (the last in the series -- the next one starts on 16th May) -- and am sorry to say that once again Roger Bolton didn't take our case up.

From listening to this week's edition, though, I think we can make the following deductions:

1. The BBC have certainly been put on the defensive: in this week's "Feedback" there was nothing less than a "commercial" for internet radio, crudely camouflaged as an item about the blessings of internet radio reception for expats in places like Australia and -- take note -- Romania.

2. "Internet reception" is the only argument the BBC currently have in response to the charge that they're ditching expats in Europe. What they don't say is that the quality of their online radios is very low (44 kb/s for Radio 4) -- eight times less than satellite quality!

2. The BBC are still loathe to discuss the satellite channel issue in public, which means that they know perfectly well that they have no case AND that there will be sympathy for those British expats on the continent who are soon going to lose Radio 4 etc. on satellite.

3. They are still hell bent on treating European expats as if they were living on another continent!

4. The only thing expats on the continent can do - to try and get the BBC to change their mind - is to send emails to ministers and MPs.

 

[Cordless]

It's obvious that the Radio channels going over to 2D has not been well thought out, if at all. Radio does not suffer from the same rights issues, in most cases anyway! Some sports rights on Radio 5 are affected. The only reason that I would think this is planned is obvious! If you are leasing transponders on 2D for your TV stations you may as well use the same ones for your Radio broadcasts! It is as simple as that! I believe though that there will be a change of plan and Radio will continue. I hope this will be the case anyway. As for the TV, I'm sorry for all the expats in southern Spain you will loose out unless you get bigger dishes. As for our freinds n Rejkavik, Iceland, welcome to UK TV you will get a lovely signal!

Regards
Cordless

 

[Richardson]

Cordless, I wish I could share your optimism:

I believe though that there will be a change of plan and Radio will continue.

So far the BBC have been adamant that European expats should content themselves with very low quality (44 kb/s !) internet reception of Radio 4 and BBC 7. This is not the treatment that expatriate Germans, Italians, Poles, Hungarians etc. get from their countries.

I've listened to the last issue of "Feedback" on Radio 4 and I must say that Roger Bolton's "commercial" for expat internet reception -- complete with the gibe that they don't even pay the licence fee and so their emails really ought not to be taken too seriously! -- was quite sickening. Many expats run homes in the UK as well as on the continent and actually DO pay the licence fee.

 

[VVCB]

I have emailed Greg Dyke and Gavyn Davies about the change of satellite, after I was advised last summer to invest in a new satellite system to receive BBC Radio in Spain.
So far Gavyn Davies has promised to look into the situation... But, no acknowledgement from Mr Dyke.)(-red