BBC "Delivering Quality First" changes to transmissions
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Here is a quick overview of the services that are going to be cut back.
BBC TWO England HD to replace BBC HD channel
The BBC proposals say:Closing the BBC HD channel and replacing it with a single version of BBC Two in high definition.
We will continue to invest in high-definition broadcasting, including through the replacement of BBC HD with a single version of BBC Two HD. The variants of BBC One in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be broadcast in HD from 2012.
Launch a single version, with no variations in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, of BBC Two in HD in 2012 to replace the current BBC HD channel. Nations variations would continue in SD
Some BBC One regions to be culled from satellite
The BBC proposals say:We are reviewing the number of regional variants in England we carry on digital satellite and intend to reduce this to enable savings in distribution costs, though these programmes would continue to be transmitted on Freeview
Red button to be cut to single screen on satellite and cable after Olypmics
The BBC proposals say:Reduce the number of video streams available on satellite and cable from nine to one to provide a more consistent service across all TV platforms. This would take place towards the end of 2012, after the Olympic Games
Close the news multiscreen service
Medium Wave and Long Wave to close
The BBC proposals say:Reductions to Medium Wave transmissions for local radio in England in places where coverage duplicates FM
No re-investment in Long Wave once the current infrastructure ÂÂwhich relies on technology that is no longer being manufactured has reached the end of its life. In the long term, this will result in the end of Radio 4 on LW, although we do not expect the transmitters to fail in the current Charter period. If they do fail suddenly, we are committed to safeguarding the programming on Radio 4 LW and will use our analogue services to provide continued coverage.
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In this section
Saturday, 8 October 2011
I to have heard that. But loosing the BBC regions on satallite will be upsetting. But surely by cutting them they mean the ability to be able to tune into the individual regions As you can do at the moment. I.E getting Look North when you live in Cornwall. So your local news Programme will still be there at 101
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In the beginning there was the testcard.
Then the mighty teletext service Ceefax came and killed (replaced) the testcard.
Then came iText on digital TV that replaced Ceefax.
And then came the BBC cutbacks, and low and behold the rebirth of the testcard came once again.
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Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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Ian Smith12:19 PM
I can appreciate a BBC regional re-shuffle. Living in Wareham, I find that BBC South and Meridian are more appropriate to the Home Counties and South East. They are predisposed to Folkestone and Oxford and not very interested in incidents on the western side of the A36 Southampton to Bristol road. We are better served by the Bristol and Plymouth service areas.
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Alvin Pritchard10:49 PM
Just as i was getting used to a here today and gone tomorrow type TV station platform, along comes a here today and gone tomorrow satellite, BBC HD, Medium and Long Wave radio service to boot!
I can see this never ending patten of change going on forever now.
Can't the boffins leave anything alone?
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Sunday, 9 October 2011
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Mark9:10 AM
The MW services for Radio Guernsey & Radio Jersey are being retained because they carry the States proceedings (the Governments of the islands).
The MW services for Radio Gloucester & Radio Derby are being retained because there is no FM coverage over large parts of these counties.
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Des Collier6:21 PM
The BBC can save money by not having every station broadcasting 24 hours a day,it's not necessary, i know we would lose mw on local radio,but it's useless any way,especially at night.
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Duncan7:57 PM
I always thought having every BBC region available 24 hours a day on satellite was a complete overkill and was decided on when NuLabour was at the helm and I guess the BBC management thought they would continue to get inflation+ increases in licence fee year on year to support their lavish spending.
Well finally they have been made to wake up and smell the coffee! Unfortunately none of the Big Cheeses have been decapitated and it will be the lower orders in the engine room who will be sacrificed. I think the cuts are not deep enough and remember they are still working with a budget of THREE and a HALF BILLION POUNDs a year and that's around TEN MILLION QUID a day to provide a few lack lustre broadcasts. Strewth !
There are plenty of solutions to the problem of supplying local regional news by satellite at 6:30 pm which would involve a more complicated delivery procedure and make more efficient use of the satellite bandwidth purchased. I am sure the BBC are aware of this but seem reluctant to do it. They were also reluctant to scramble all their broadcasts on Freeview and Freesat and sell them al-la-carte on the basis that the viewer could decide which channels he wanted to pay for.
Instead we pay for everything regardless of if we want it or not. With a more flexible and subscription based service they could provide more channels for sport and film for example and compete with Sky. It seems they are not allowed this option and allow Sky a free run at it.
Maybe the tide is turning for Sky and with the recent EU ruling regarding the use of other decoders to show football in pubs, they may not have the game to themselves.
We need people in Government with vision and leadership skills, but sadly these are all lacking and I expect things will linger on and be bodged in the manner the BBC are taking the axe and hammer to their services.
It is my view that like the NHS, the BBC has become too big for itself, a dinosaur and will eventually sink under the weight of its own arrogance and conceit for those who pay to fund it.
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John F8:49 PM
It was with dismay that I have read some of the comments.
In my opinion the licence fee is value for money even with the few progs I watch.
I have just given up my cut price £20 pm, which is £240 py, subscription to Sky Sports as I did not consider it value for money even at that price.
Are these the sort of prices we want from the BBC.
Whilst I agree they have some serious overstaffing caused by the old boys network
the present position is caused by politcal dogma.
Why should the cost of the propaganda World Service come out of the licence money as the present goverment insist it should.
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Monday, 10 October 2011
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michael 9:17 AM
A forum such as this lives by exchanging different viewpoints. Unfortunately, deciders take no notice of the good ideas put forward here. I recommend contributing to the DQF consultation in constructive terms. Writing to MPs might also help. Of course, we might end up cancelling out each others opinions, but such is democracy!
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michael 9:45 AM
DQF consultation - The section on MW switch-off where FM is deemed to provide cover interestingly omits reference to DAB. One might wonder why. There are areas, in valleys or remote or low-lying, where FM and DAB signals are unreliable or not available. Due to cost, topography or complexity, satellite or internet radio are not an option for many. There are also issues of portable or mobile reception. Many are used to having a number of easy to operate, cheap and battery-powered radios around the house. Being tied to the TV, PC or hifi-system is not exactly progress for local radio listening. The local press should be made aware of these issues, so that those who might lose their local radio station are forewarned and can write to the BBC and their MP to claim the right to MW local radio if FM or DAB are not available or reliable. I also hope there is a viable plan for MW coverage nationwide in the event of a national emergency including significant failure of digital networks.
If the BBC were open as to where costs could be saved, we all see many alternatives, such as presenters, overpaid "celebrities", top echelons, night-time duplication etc. Although the BBC World Service is not as outstanding as once it was, it is not an organ of government and renders an invaluable service to the world, where relatively objective information is ever harder to access. It used to be denied to UK listeners - at least we now have it on DAB (alongside a lot of duplicated commercial stations; but that is another story).
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