BBC To Make Deep Cuts In Internet Services 246
Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that the BBC has yielded to critics of its aggressive expansion, and is planning to make sweeping cuts in spending on its Web site and other digital operations. Members of the Conservative Party, which is expected to make electoral gains at the expense of the governing Labor Party, have called for the BBC to be reined in and last year James Murdoch criticized the BBC for providing 'free news' on the internet, making it 'incredibly hard for private news organizations to ask people to pay for their news.' Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, said 'After years of expansion of our services in the UK, we are proposing some reductions.' The BBC is proposing a 25 percent reduction in its spending on the Web, as well as the closure of several digital radio stations and a reduction in outlays on US television shows. The Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union, which represents thousands of workers at the BBC, says that instead of appeasing critics, the proposed cuts could backfire. 'The BBC will not secure the politicians' favor with these proposals and nor will the corporation appease the commercial sector, which will see what the BBC is prepared to sacrifice and will pile on the pressure for more cuts,' says Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of the union."
Re:Profit... or Democracy? (Score:5, Informative)
James Murdoch criticized the BBC for providing 'free news' on the internet, making it 'incredibly hard for private news organizations to ask people to pay for their news.'
Little James Murdoch recently also said that the BBC is killing Democracy [google.com]. Funny, here I was thinking that the BBC is the only big media organization with the balls to stand up and support the democratic process, while the scholarly literature into corporate controlled media [google.com] showing exact opposite. Little Dr James Murdoch must be confused... or not?
Re:drop proprietary software? (Score:5, Informative)
BBC have developed Dirac codec for that. It's open source and royalty free. It's a very good codec, it has reached a stable version and is soon to be standardised as VC-2, unlike theora.
Re:drop proprietary software? (Score:3, Informative)
But i pay for my bbc news (Score:1, Informative)
I pay my licence fee, aka subscription, for the BBC. I get my news from the BBC website. I do not want to pay Murdoch for his news as his news is rubbish. i think it is totally wrong to try to restrain the BBC. Especially on the internet where the future is.
Re:drop proprietary software? (Score:4, Informative)
The problem is DRM. A lot of BBC programs are made in conjunction with other companies, etc. "Life" was made with the discovery channel (apparently Oprah Winfrey narrates the US/Discovery version.. jesus.. they replaced a paleontologist with a chat show host. What the hell was wrong with Attenborough?).
Part of the licensing therefore involves the Discovery channel enforcing DRM on the BBC, which means open-source is out. The alternative is to stop working with Discovery which would mean half the budget. Decisions, decisions.
Murdoch ain't in the news business (Score:2, Informative)
He sells advertising. The news is just bait to get people to buy.
Re:I love the BBC. (Score:3, Informative)
You know what? for Top Gear, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, etc, and the musical modernness of BBC radio (compared to German state-owned radio) alone they are a justified and good thing.
In Germany I can’t even imagine the state-owned TV stations producing something as cool.
Re:Stupidest move, ever (Score:0, Informative)
However the BBC themselves have admitted to a left wing bias [timesonline.co.uk].
Re:News on the BBC is not free (if you live in UK) (Score:2, Informative)
Is it possible for a UK resident to get the BBC in any form without any license fee, tax, etc.? --A curious guy across the Atlantic
Yes. Once you reach 75 you don't need to pay. Also if you don't watch live content (i.e you use iPlayer), you don't need to pay. Nobody has ever paid for listening to the radio stations. Basically the licence is to pay for reception of live TV.
Re:drop proprietary software? (Score:3, Informative)
Not any more:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/24/iplayer_xbmc_adobe_swf_verification/ [theregister.co.uk]
Note, however, the familiar consequence of this sort of strategy:
"Ironically, third party utilities that download files (which presumably the verification is there to prevent) still work fine. It is possible that this move will actually increase the occurrence of downloading files which will not be time limited, or torrenting of copyrighted material."
Re:News on the BBC is not free (if you live in UK) (Score:4, Informative)
As other replies have already said, you only need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV on any device. If you have no TV and you only use iPlayer to watch TV after its already happened technically you don't need a TV licence.
However, it's actually pretty difficult to convince the authorities that you don't watch or record live TV. You're in for a world of harassment if you don't have a TV licence. The BBC just can't cope with the concept that there are people in the World who do not watch telly.
Re:smoke and mirrors (Score:2, Informative)
I work as a boom operator. It's almost none existent to work as a boom op for the BBC, unless it is drama, they have made huge cuts in production costs. They have also got rid of sound recordists for many productions, it is now done by the camera operator. We call this a "one man band", a jack of all trades, a master of none.
The BBC have almost stopped all technical training. The masters of the trade are disappearing, many have no technological know how or engineering skills, they just know how to switch a device on and press record. The only people with engineering skills at the BBC are those old skool types, those who have worked at the BBC since the 1970's and 80's.
The only work I have done for the BBC is in drama, the productions were partly funded by HBO or AMC.
My 8 cents worth (Score:4, Informative)
Re:News on the BBC is not free (if you live in UK) (Score:3, Informative)
This isn't strictly true. My flat gets zero terrestrial TV signal, though I do own a television which is used for TV-OUT, DVDs etc. I had a TV licence man knock at my door a couple of years ago, he noticed the TV and I explained the situation. I didn't hear from them again for about a year, I just have to remind them of the circumstances. They're OK with it.
Not a fan of their guilty until proven innocent stance in general though.
Re:Stupidest move, ever (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I will happily give BBC more of my money... (Score:1, Informative)
If your in the EU there is supposed to be a directive to allow you to do this , Not all member states have implemented this yet.
Take a look at www.tvcatchup.com this site legally streams free to air freeview channels as they are shown ie. BBC, ITV channel 4, 5 and about 40+ others. They have a forum thread which details the current progress and which European isp's they currently have peering arrangements with. You have to register but its a free to do so.
It used to allow you to record shows for later viewing but this function had to be suspended due to a legal challenge.
Re:drop proprietary software? (Score:3, Informative)