BCI-This way to sign up for Sky and UPC

SPDUB

http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=TribuneFTF&id=107713&SUBCAT=&SUBCATNAME=&DT=25/11/2007%2000:00:00&keywords=dtt&FC=

BCI warns of end to free television
Ken Griffin

THOUSANDS OF television viewers are likely to lose free access to stations such as BBC1, ITV and Channel 4 under new plans from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.

The BCI has confirmed that, due to its plans for digital terrestrial television (DTT), there is a strong possibility that viewers will be forced to pay a subscription fee to view TV channels which are currently freely received on the east coast and along the border.

"For those who receive BBC on a free-to-air basis currently, there's nothing that secures that. It may be in the future that this would only be available to them on a pay basis, " said Celene Craig, the BCI's director of broadcasting.

Craig's comments will be welcomed by companies such as Sky and UPC, who look likely to bid for the right to operate portions of the broadcasting commission's DTT system. Both companies are understood to have been among broadcasting groups that told the BCI earlier this year that "due to existing copyright and contracts for carriage, [the channels] could not be offered on a free-to-air basis on the Irish DTT platform".

Last week, UPC lodged a complaint with the European Commission in a bid to prevent RTE from carrying the channels on a free-to-air basis on its digital service. The channels are seen as a key selling point for any Irish DTT service, and Craig admitted that broadcasting them on a paid basis could hurt the platform.

"Obviously, if viewers are getting them on a free-to-air basis at the moment, they might not be terribly happy about that, " she said.

The move is also likely to be opposed by consumer bodies such as the National Consumer Agency (NCA), which has argued that all DTT channels should be freely available.

"Our overriding position is that no-one should lose anything they already had for free, " said Joe Maher, a policy analyst with the NCA. "We wouldn't be happy if people started charging consumers for something they already had."

ethernet

It is annoying but I can't say I'm too bothered.

At the current rate of DTT trials, I can't see it ever happening. I'll be quite content with FTA satellite until the launch of Irish DTT, whenever that may be.

Antenna

silly article.

The BCI would hardly take any notice of what Sky would say anyway, whatever about UPC.

It was never realistic to expect UK channels to be FTA on an Irish DTT.
How would it be payed for? The BBC itself wouldn't pay any of the costs of transmission of their services in another country (apart from perhaps BBC World?). The Irish TV licence fee? - increasing this to pay for it would lead to outcry - both from licence payers who have no interest in UK TV (they do exist) as well as from those who receive it anyway by cable, MMDS, satellite (apart altogether from objections by irish broadcasters).
A subsidy from Irish broadcasters? again a non-runner.
The BCI would prefer that services not regulated by them were not to be so freely available
anyway (though the article does not go into this)

its stupid in the extreme to suggest Sky and UPC have blocked UK TV from being FTA on Irish DTT.

flogen

That's an odd article.

Basically it's pointing out that Irish viewers may not be able to get the channels they've traditionally been able to get by accident until now.

It's not like these channels are broadcast under the Irish terrestrial network already.

TheDriver

they're all free on satellite anyways so not to worry at all about FTA UK channels, Can easily be combined with DTT Irish FTA channels when and if they come about

Denethor

Considering that we already pay a hefty licence fee I think this is disgusting

SPDUB

Antenna wrote: »

The BCI would hardly take any notice of what Sky would say anyway, whatever about UPC.

Yes because irish regulatorors have never put big business interests first and consumers second

It was never realistic to expect UK channels to be FTA on an Irish DTT.

Whether it was or not the article seems to suggest an "aw shucks there's nothing we can do even if it damages the takeup of DTT " attitude in the BCI

Sponge Bob

That article is sadly rather typical of the babbling moronic inferno that is Irish 'tech' journalism

The only free services to be closed down within the state upon the advent of DTT are the analogue deflectors in rural areas.....none on the east coast.

The analogue services that WILL close down on the east coast are LICENCED UK BASED TRANSMITTERS in NI and Wales.

Give me ****ing strength :mad:

JHMEG

Jeez, that's garbage. Next thing the Austrians will have to pay subscriptions if they accidentally receive German TV in border areas.

dave82

I Could well be wrong, but is it not likely that when the UK transmitters turn off analog and turn up the power on their Freeview transmissions that the signal on non-interfered with mux's will be just as accessable as the analog signal currently is?

Apparently the power of Freeview from Divis is to increase by 35 Times from 2133 W to 75000 W at changeover in 2013. I think that most welsh transmitters are multiplying by between 10 and 15 times at changeover in 2009.

If our DTT channel allocation is organised so that it doesn't interfere with these then surely nobody looses what they currently have but infact get more channels! I think about 3 or 4 of the welsh mux's are currently available without interference from Irish TV transmissions (some very low power)and 3 from the north . I currently can usually get Mux C from Divis in the North from South Dublin but only don't often get A and D due to current even lower power. (I think I loose two of the others from analog transmission from threerock and one from a carrier signal for the DTT trial from Threerock )

I realise that until there is analog switch off here on the east coast, from the end of 2009 until then there would be limited mux'x available from wales but there is a good chance that some of the main mux's might be available.

Does this sound realistic at all or am I just getting carried away?

Sponge Bob

Sounds more than realistic , its true. All main Welsh DTT Muxes will be boosted by a sizeable amount after DSO in 2009 in Wales .

Thats not to say that the coverage , after the boost, will equal analogue today.

who is this

True that BBC, ITV etc. may not be carried. But lets not forget one thing.

Those companies are clearly somewhat interested. BBC has 3 (or 4?) channels on the trial. They could end up launching a dedicated channel for the purpose (certainly not unheard of for the BBC to launch international channels). Also, a seperate channel would probably be more in their interest.
1. Because they can strip out stuff that an Irish broadcaster also airs (e.g. buying IE terrestrial rights to Neighbours would be a waste of their time) and
2. Because a "BBC Ireland" channel could carry advertisements - something not permitted by the BBC Trust, on the UK ones.

While Channel 4 has not shown any particular interest in DTT, they have shown a clear interest in the Irish market, being the only UK terrestrial broadcaster (of the original 4) to have any Irish adstream channels (E4).

So based on that, I could easily see E4 being carried (subject to BCI agreeing to ignore the % Irish programming) and could also see BBC setting up a channel to broacast things they do have the rights to.

But in particular I see Channel 4 doing something (IMO they show the most interest in Ireland, in general)

watty

A complete rubbish article.

After analogue closedown and boost to UK DTT, instead of 3 or 4 UK channels you'll get 28 or so. In better quality. You may need a Quad Array, but basically if you could get analogue it's just quality aerial engineering to get Digital from same mast.

And then there is Satellite.

If the BCI really believe this, they are stupider than the journalists. There is no decent tech reporting, The BBC tech reporting 20 years ago was good, now it's nearly on the level of what colours an iPod comes in.

The BBC will launch NO channels in Ireland. They have said so already. They have no objection to UPC, Sky or anyone else paying them for right to rebroadcast here (Sky pay BBC for Irish Entry on EPG, BBC pay Sky for UK entry).

The UK viewer can't subscribe to BBC Prime (has adverts) and is discouraged from receiving BBC World TV (not on 28.2 and won't be). Ireland viewers can subscribe (if mad enough), though you can pick up all the UK BBC services freely by satellite and BBC are opposed to ever encrypting. The BBC will not do a special Ireland service, other than BBC NI output.

UTV has Irish orientated Adverts.

Any commercial company can carry BBC, ITV, C4 and Five here, the price they have to pay to the UK broadcasters is small compared to paying for Sky1 or SkySports. No UK broadcaster will do it. (Sky and UPC are not UK broadcasters).