MSE News: Watching BBC iPlayer on catch-up to require a TV licence 'soon'

Cornucopia

Kim_13 wrote: »

If they are requring a licence for BBC catch up only then logic dictates that those that watch non-BBC channels live should not need a licence. There are two ways of separating/grouping TV: BBC and not, Live and Catch Up. The government wants it both ways and presumably the only remedy they'll have (if they even bother) will be to require a licence for the whole lot, non-BBC catch up too.

They could have done that now, but chose not to. Part of the reasoning is likely to be that ITV complained that it would hurt their business if this happened.

The Licence is an anachronism, the BBC also, to a lesser extent.

20aday

I can't see how they are going to enforce this (personally).

I am a tenant and am covered by my landlord's TV Licence. I rarely (if ever) watch television "live" these days & things like BBC iPlayer are a God-send. Plenty of background music when I'm at home doing other chores.

Okay so the BBC are "banned" from any form of on-screen advertising but when OFCOM relaxed the rules on 'Product Placement' I do feel the BBC should've been allowed to follow suit.

patman99

So if the BBC were to introduce a special yearly license for accessing iPlayer that allows multi-access, what is there to stop me from selling-on my account details to friends for, say, £10 a time?.

I pay, say, £50 for a year's access to iPlayer, but sell my account access to 20 people. The Beeb makes £50. I make £200.

VisionMan

Cornucopia wrote: »

They could have done that now, but chose not to. Part of the reasoning is likely to be that ITV complained that it would hurt their business if this happened.

The Licence is an anachronism, the BBC also, to a lesser extent.

Whats not a well known fact is that commercial PSBs also get a cut of the licence fee.

In regard to the iPlayer itself the BBC will be introducing enhanced DRM. I have no doubt they'll nail the main Player but will no doubt balls up on-the-go.

Cornucopia

VisionMan wrote: »

Whats not a well known fact is that commercial PSBs also get a cut of the licence fee.

Err... no - unless you mean S4C.

In fact, it's the other way around - a common misconception that is not true. There may be some trickle-across through Arqiva/Freeview/Freesat infrastructure and indie productions, but no "big" money changes hands - it all gets spent on BBC services & bureaucracy - around £9m per day.

C4 say: "Channel 4 supports itself solely via advertising, programme sponsorship and commercial revenue and does not receive any of the licence fee".

Also see p11: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2014-15/BBC-FS-2015.pdf

VisionMan

Take my quote off your signature please.

Cornucopia

Done.

It's a shame, though, it's definitely a quote who's time appears to have come.

Cornucopia

patman99 wrote: »

So if the BBC were to introduce a special yearly license for accessing iPlayer that allows multi-access, what is there to stop me from selling-on my account details to friends for, say, £10 a time?.

I pay, say, £50 for a year's access to iPlayer, but sell my account access to 20 people. The Beeb makes £50. I make £200.

Many companies successfully manage on-line subscriptions of various kinds - why do you think that the BBC would be so inept in doing a similar thing?

VisionMan

Cornucopia wrote: »

Many companies successfully manage on-line subscriptions of various kinds - why do you think that the BBC would be so inept in doing a similar thing?

Netflix aside, who at the moment are losing money hand-over-fist (at a rate of 4 to 1) name me 3.

[Deleted User]

chattychappy wrote: »

Eventually I got a local to make region-free copies of the discs. Never bought anything from a BBC Shop since.

So you're blaming the BBC for Region Coding on DVDs?
Region coding is an international agreement and the BBC has no ability to circumvent this.
In addition, the BBC sells many of it's programmes to foreign broadcasters which helps to keep down the cost of the TV license.