the end of bbc fta?

channelsurfer

according to todays mediaguardian the bbc and bskyb are to cooperate in ensuring that a free alternative to subscription is made available. guess that means in sky speak a return to viewing cards and the bbc returning to encryption..anyone have any views on it?

sceptre

It's not this, is it?

ShaneOC

I wouldn't trust Media Guardian reporting all that much.

It is highly unlikely that BBC will go back to FTV as the cost of encoding all of the regions would be very expensive.

DMC

Reading the article, quoted below... I feel that its more Sky and the BBC doing a deal around the BBC's seperate plans for "Free Sat" that Sky have now committed to.
I'm sure it wont change the BBC's FTA status.

BSkyB in talks with BBC over rival satellite plans

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1250130,00.html

Dominic Timms
Tuesday June 29, 2004

The prospect of the BBC launching a free-to-air satellite version of Freeview in direct competition with a similar service from BSkyB faded sharply today as the two broadcasters indicated they would cooperate.
BSkyB said it was actively talking to the BBC and hoped to persuade the corporation drop its plans.

Richard Freudenstein, the BSkyB chief operating officer, said his company was discussing the level of support the BBC is prepared to give to Sky's service, dubbed FreeSat, which is due to launch by the end of the year.

"We are in discussions about how much support they can give to our service and whether they need to do their own," Mr Freudenstein told MPs.

Earlier this month the satellite giant took its rivals by surprise by announcing the launch of its own subscription-free digital TV package, which will offer viewers 200 TV and radio channels for a one-off payment of £150.

Analysts said the move amounted to a risky relaunch of the BSkyB strategy and was a clear response to the success of Freeview, which has amassed half as many customers as Sky in under two years.

Describing the satellite broadcasters' relationship with the BBC as "interesting", Mr Freudenstein claimed the BBC's proposed satellite service would offer only BBC services and not ITV, Channel 4 of Channel Five.

"We are not sure about what they are going to achieve with their service, that's why we are talking to them about supporting our service," he said.

The BBC director general Mark Thompson today confirmed the talks, arguing that a tie-up with Sky "might be in the public interest".

"We have been talking to Sky, and all things being equal the idea of a partnership with Sky helping develop their free satellite service might be in the public interest," he said, speaking at the launch of the BBC's government submission on the renewal its royal charter. Mr Thompson said the BBC would be prepared to work with rivals "to create a successful free digital satellite service, able to reach those households who can't get DTT".

News of the joint discussions came as Sky answered questions on its charter review submission in front of the media select committee.

Pressed about its support for the funding formula, the satellite broadcaster repeatedly refused to say whether it supported or opposed the licence fee.

Mr Freudenstein and the other Sky executives at the committee meeting said the public needed to ascertain what it wanted from the BBC and then work out what that would cost before deciding how it should be funded.

When asked by Chris Bryant MP about whether the expected £2.5bn of funding should be paid for by advertising, subscription or the licence fee, Mr Freudenstein said it depended on what the BBC was doing.

Sin e an Fear

It is highly unlikely that BBC will go back to FTV as the cost of encoding all of the regions would be very expensive.

Well, they've done it before. For the so-called 'national' regions (Scotland, Wales and NI) there is a stronger case for encryption than for the English regions as the BBC has rights issues with Scottish football, Welsh rugby and the GAA. As I understood it, when the BBC was encrypted, viewers in England could simply select their region and watch the regional bulletin of their choice (BBC London news being default). Previously there was something called UK Today, which, despite its name, was for viewers in England.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Sin e an Fear
Well, they've done it before

bit of a difference though between the 4 BBC1 regions back then compared to the number of them now. lots of money would be needed

Sin e an Fear

bit of a difference though between the 4 BBC1 regions back then compared to the number of them now.

Yeah, but the news bulletins were all on FTV in 2003, before the Beeb went FTA.