BBC Update

[w hole]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/06_june/13/dsat_statement.shtml

BBC Press Office Announcement

BBC and BSkyB announce agreement on digital satellite distribution

BSkyB and the BBC today (Friday 13 June 2003) announced a five year agreement which includes the continued allocation to BBC ONE and BBC TWO of channel numbers 101 and 102 on BSkyB's Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).

Therefore the BBC will withdraw its complaint, made in April 2003, to the Independent Television Commission.

From 10 July, the BBC will broadcast all eight television channels in the clear.

By Autumn 2003, all 22 national and regional variations of BBC ONE and BBC TWO will be available and listed on the EPG.

As part of the agreement, the BBC is buying a regionalisation service from BSkyB to ensure that viewers within the UK with Sky viewing cards will continue to automatically receive the right national and regional versions of BBC ONE and BBC TWO at 101 and 102 respectively.

The agreement will end the payment by the BBC to BSkyB for the provision of "Solus" viewing cards to digital satellite viewers who do not have a subscription to a pay-TV service.

In future, viewers will continue to be able to view all unencrypted channels and will receive versions of BBC ONE London and BBC TWO England in the 101 and 102 positions.

They will also be able to manually select the rest of the BBC's national and regional variations listed on the EPG.

 

[PaulR]

According to a phone call I made last week to the FTV card telephone number there will be no more FTV cards issued after 1st July, now gone of course.

Furthermore the cards will not be authorised after July 11th. Fortunately I ordered a pair of cards for the 2 spare dodgyboxes I have and will be authorising them PDQ.

PaulR

 

[rolfw]

Even that may not help long term PaulR, see the two threads in the Sky sections, it is suggested, although I believe it unlikely, that they will turn off even the new issue of cards.

 

[PaulR]

Have got the new cards in front of me at the moment and they are the new type with the picture of a house and dish on it.

That should last 2 - 3 years going on the time the last issue of NDS cards were/are valid for.

Barring accidents of course.

PaulR

 

[rolfw]

The longevity of the original issue of cards is not relevant PaulR, if as has been suggested, they turn them off.

As the BBC will no longer be paying for the card management, Sky will feel that they are within their rights to turn them off and will probably increase their subscriptions as a by-product.