Misuse of Licence payers money?
Discussion
The BBC and ITV are to launch a free digital satellite service next year for people unable to get digital television through an aerial.
But, given that there is already a similar service available from Sky (with a one off installation fee only), is this a cynical attempt to stop the licence fee being replaced by a subscription only service?
Full telegraph article below.
The BBC and ITV are to launch a free digital satellite service next year for people unable to get digital television through an aerial.
The service, provisionally called Freesat, will carry all the BBC and ITV digital stations, plus radio stations and a selection of other channels.
To receive freesat households must buy and install a satellite dish and a set-top box costing around £150
Freesat, which is planned to begin in the first half of next year, will be the first satellite rival to Sky since the demise of British Satellite Broadcasting in the 1990s.
However, in order to watch the new free service, households will need to buy and install a satellite dish and invest in new set-top box at a cost of around £150.
The BBC said the service would be available across 99 per cent of Britain and "paved the way" for nationwide free digital television.
Currently 75 per cent of Britain can receive Freeview digital broadcasts through a rooftop aerial. However, some industry analysts have questioned whether the service is a sensible use of BBC funds.
Sky already offers its own version of Freesat - a free service with a one-off installation fee which is almost identical to what the BBC and ITV are proposing.
Yesterday's announcement is part of the race to prepare Britain for the switch to digital TV.
From 2008, the old analogue transmitters which have provided the UK's television for half a century will begin to be phased out. Instead, the only terrestrial broadcasts will be digital.
After the switch over, the only way to watch television will be by satellite, cable or using a digital TV or Freeview set-top box.
The BBC and ITV have been heavily promoting Freeview as the easiest, and cheapest, way to upgrade to digital and have persuaded five million customers to switch.
Once the switch to digital is complete by 2012, 99 per cent of homes should be able to get Freeview. But that still leaves several hundred thousand unable to watch television through an aerial. These are the key market for Freesat.
The BBC's director general Mark Thompson said he welcomed ITV as partners in the project "to develop a consumer friendly, subscription-free satellite proposition".
"The huge success of Freeview demonstrates how highly free digital television is valued by many people," he said. "Our long-stated aim has been to bring about an open market in subscription-free satellite services so we can ensure free access to all the BBC's services across the country in the run-up to switch-over and beyond."
ITV's chief executive, Charles Allen, said: "We want our channels to be available to as many people as possible, regardless of technological and geographical constraints.
"As we move from analogue to a digital environment, Freesat - and Freeview - will enable every family to enjoy a wide range of quality channels for free." Sky launched its own free satellite service, called "freesat from Sky", last October, which allows access to 140 non-subscription channels for a one-off fee.
A media analyst, who declined to be named, questioned whether the BBC should invest in a free satellite service.
He said: "Is it really the role of the BBC to replicate a service already provided by Sky? The only difference between Sky's free satellite service and the BBC and ITV version is that the latter probably won't let you upgrade to pay TV.
"The BBC are very keen to promote this alternative because it ensures that as few people as possible can be upgraded to pay TV in the future.
"That will protect the licence fee from future governments who might otherwise call for it to be replaced with subscriptions."
But, given that there is already a similar service available from Sky (with a one off installation fee only), is this a cynical attempt to stop the licence fee being replaced by a subscription only service?
Full telegraph article below.
The BBC and ITV are to launch a free digital satellite service next year for people unable to get digital television through an aerial.
The service, provisionally called Freesat, will carry all the BBC and ITV digital stations, plus radio stations and a selection of other channels.
To receive freesat households must buy and install a satellite dish and a set-top box costing around £150
Freesat, which is planned to begin in the first half of next year, will be the first satellite rival to Sky since the demise of British Satellite Broadcasting in the 1990s.
However, in order to watch the new free service, households will need to buy and install a satellite dish and invest in new set-top box at a cost of around £150.
The BBC said the service would be available across 99 per cent of Britain and "paved the way" for nationwide free digital television.
Currently 75 per cent of Britain can receive Freeview digital broadcasts through a rooftop aerial. However, some industry analysts have questioned whether the service is a sensible use of BBC funds.
Sky already offers its own version of Freesat - a free service with a one-off installation fee which is almost identical to what the BBC and ITV are proposing.
Yesterday's announcement is part of the race to prepare Britain for the switch to digital TV.
From 2008, the old analogue transmitters which have provided the UK's television for half a century will begin to be phased out. Instead, the only terrestrial broadcasts will be digital.
After the switch over, the only way to watch television will be by satellite, cable or using a digital TV or Freeview set-top box.
The BBC and ITV have been heavily promoting Freeview as the easiest, and cheapest, way to upgrade to digital and have persuaded five million customers to switch.
Once the switch to digital is complete by 2012, 99 per cent of homes should be able to get Freeview. But that still leaves several hundred thousand unable to watch television through an aerial. These are the key market for Freesat.
The BBC's director general Mark Thompson said he welcomed ITV as partners in the project "to develop a consumer friendly, subscription-free satellite proposition".
"The huge success of Freeview demonstrates how highly free digital television is valued by many people," he said. "Our long-stated aim has been to bring about an open market in subscription-free satellite services so we can ensure free access to all the BBC's services across the country in the run-up to switch-over and beyond."
ITV's chief executive, Charles Allen, said: "We want our channels to be available to as many people as possible, regardless of technological and geographical constraints.
"As we move from analogue to a digital environment, Freesat - and Freeview - will enable every family to enjoy a wide range of quality channels for free." Sky launched its own free satellite service, called "freesat from Sky", last October, which allows access to 140 non-subscription channels for a one-off fee.
A media analyst, who declined to be named, questioned whether the BBC should invest in a free satellite service.
He said: "Is it really the role of the BBC to replicate a service already provided by Sky? The only difference between Sky's free satellite service and the BBC and ITV version is that the latter probably won't let you upgrade to pay TV.
"The BBC are very keen to promote this alternative because it ensures that as few people as possible can be upgraded to pay TV in the future.
"That will protect the licence fee from future governments who might otherwise call for it to be replaced with subscriptions."
minimax said:
am I missing something? isn't this the same as BBC freeview?
Similar, but you will need a satellite dish to receive it. The Key point is you can receive an identical service from Sky, so what is the point unless they want to prevent people having boxes which can be used to pay for channels received.
JagLover said:
"That will protect the licence fee from future governments who might otherwise call for it to be replaced with subscriptions."
Are you threatened on pain of death not to by sky then? do you nolonger have the choice to get sky if you want to.
Nonsense.
I am not real supporter of the license fee as it stands atm but if the Beeb want to stop Uncle Rup having a monopoly in 2012 there is no way I'd want to stop them.
>> Edited by Rude-boy on Thursday 8th September 14:02
Rude-boy said:
"That will protect the licence fee from future governments who might otherwise call for it to be replaced with subscriptions."
I am not real supporter of the license fee as it stands atm but if the Beeb want to stop Uncle Rup having a monopoly in 1212 there is no way I'd want to stop them.
He will not have a monopoly in any case due to the existence of cable and digital tv.
JagLover said:
He will not have a monopoly in any case due to the existence of cable and digital tv.
Please tell that to those who don't have access to Freeview now and there are some of us who will never get cable.
I do hear what you are saying but in no way do i see this as a waste of money.
Eastenders on the otherhand...
Wasn't there a problem with "community" aerials. Where the reception was poor or non-existant a local "community" company was setup to feed a cable solution to the affected area. Since they all had to be turned into companies SKY bought them up and demanded Subscriptions not allowing them to get the "free" card. Hence the gap in the market. It Could give the BBC and ITV a quicker way "in" to the HDTV market as well. Having their own bandwidth to play with allows them to "slice" it as they please.
apparently freesat won't have C4 or Five. FFS...why?
on a vaguely related note - we got a pikey flyer through the door from Lidl saying you can buy all the component parts of a satellite receiving system - if you did this what would you actually be able to watch..?
i am not sure it's a waste of money - but it makes you wonder what to get for the longterm - what if freesat takes off will freeview die..?
>> Edited by baskey on Thursday 8th September 14:23
on a vaguely related note - we got a pikey flyer through the door from Lidl saying you can buy all the component parts of a satellite receiving system - if you did this what would you actually be able to watch..?
i am not sure it's a waste of money - but it makes you wonder what to get for the longterm - what if freesat takes off will freeview die..?
>> Edited by baskey on Thursday 8th September 14:23
foreright said:
Am I missing something here? If you have to pay £150 to get it, it's hardly free is it?
Thats ok you will get a refund from the initial monies already spent on the TV license after all there is nothing new that you have not already paid for from the BBC and ITV is all covered with adverts.
So thats ok the license will be going to something useful.
oh it isn't, I have to pay more??
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