All posts by Charles Stuart
Below are all of Charles Stuart's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.I notice that there are two test transmission channels from Comux this morning. Made in Bristol gets one. Does anyone yet know who gets the other?
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I wish more sites would consider how their structure affects their usability. For instance, I find that many newspapers have so many advertisements that they cause serious problems on older machines. The Telegraph and Independent both do this. Another thing is when sites link to their advertisers' servers, rather than hold the adverts on their own servers. This slows down loading of websites incredibly, even when a very fast connection is available. Just one bottleneck in the chain can cause the whole site to hang. Very annoying.
I congratulate you on taking the time and making the effort to ensure that everyone can read your site easily. (51.4634,-2.5264)
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I noticed recently that Channel 5+24 started broadcasting on channel 55, that ITV4+1 is now showing on the EPG at channel 54 and Quest+1 at channel 57. I assume that this indicates that the compression technology is getting even more efficient, even within the constraints of DVB-T. (I haven't noticed any services ceasing to broadcast.) How is this being achieved and does this mean that DVB-T2 can also provide more channels because of improvements to compression technology? (51.4634,-2.5264)
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Seeing that Bonanza has commercials, I am of the impression that it's a permanent new channel, rather than some kind of test transmission. (51.4634,-2.5264)
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According to another site I found by chance, Bonanza Bonanza is only a temporary channel. However, I think that a channel of really old repeats could be quite welcome as a permanent addition. I've forgotten the name of the other site. It was quite weird - looked like a road number. (51.4634,-2.5264)
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I disagree with your comments on BBC2. It's the BBC's main channel for science and, if anything I think that more resources should be put into science programming as it's currently an underserved area in British TV.
I think that John Clemence has a point and I also think that it's terribly difficult to separate an objective view from a subjective view. For instance, as far as I'm concerned, yesterday's TV schedules were a waste of space on the five main channels. But I'm sure that one reason why the BBC gives us saturation coverage of that abomination, The Voice, is that it does bring in the ratings. I am obviously unusual in thinking that it's unspeakably dreadful.
I think that the BBC should not chase ratings in the way it does. It should aim to achieve customer satisfaction but its primary purpose should be quality over quantity. For that reason, I'd defend Radio 3, even though I might listen to it once every two years at most. Classic FM does not serve the same market as Radio 3 and though it may only appeal to 1% of the population, I think that's enough to justify Radio 3's existence.
I do not know how you achieve true objectivity in this type of analysis and that's a part of what makes decision-making so difficult for the BBC. On the whole, I think that they are currently doing a reasonable job, though I would like to see more serious science, more serious history documentaries and fewer reality TV shows.
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"I can't accept "fewer reality TV shows" as the BBC doesn't broadcast any! "
Maybe I've got the genre name wrong but shows like The Voice, Strictly Come Dancing, that thing about sewing and all that type of thing where people are judged by "experts" or telephone voting drives me crazy. I cannot stand any one these shows, with the possible exception of Masterchef - The Professionals, which I think is just about OK.
I think that a lot of savings could be generated by making better use of classic TV programmes and old films. FTA TV hardly ever broadcasts any films made before about 1980 and even less frequently broadcasts films made in black and white. If I were the BBC, I'd fill the afternoon daytime schedule on BBC1 with classic films from the '30s to the '70s. There are many fabulous films that could be shown and I bet they'd be cheap to buy. They could probably broadcast a different good classic film every day for ten years and still have some to go. And they could have some foreign language films - and I bet that digital technology would allow the viewer to choose between dubbing and subtitles. These films would replace what I see as second rate original programming that's currently being transmitted. I'd keep the classic TV programmes on BBC2.
I think that the BBC has too many radio stations. While I think that Radio 3 and Radio 4 serve a market that it's hard for the commercial sector to serve, and I think that Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live complete a good all-round service, I think that most of the digital services are surplus to requirements, with only 6 Music really adding something. I'd drop the others. I might also keep Asian Network because there may well be a need for its service - I honestly don't know enough to judge.
I would seek to change the BBC's Royal Charter to allow it to enter joint venture broadcast businesses with commercial stations. I'd then convert the local radio services to these joint ventures and they'd mostly be funded by commercials but with BBC licence fee money being used to provide a top quality local news service. The BBC could also sell its local news service to other fully commercial local stations.
I quite like the morning schedules on both BBC 1 and BBC 2, so I would do little to change them. I'd save a little money by not starting transmissions on CBBC and CBeebies until 0730 each morning and closing CBBC during term time between 0845 and 1600 each weekday. I don't think it's right that children's programmes should be transmitted when the children should be at school. I assume that if there's empty space on a multiplex it doesn't consume loads of money. Maybe the BBC could sell the space for other uses when not being used for children's TV.
I think that my main ideas are for bringing in new income streams, rather than much that would actually cut costs but both have the same effect - to provide enough money for the BBC to provide the services that it chooses to provide.
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C
If the Licence Fee is frozen for 5 more years how could the BBCMonday 10 March 2014 11:17AM
Bristol
Mike B, I don't think that you understand my suggestion re CBeebies and CBBC. I'm not suggesting amalgamating them into one channel but that they shouldn't start until 0730 and CBBC shouldn't broadcast during school hours. I don't see why a multiplex cannot contain blank space or have that part used for non-TV purposes. I definitely think that during school hours CBeebies should transmit programmes wholly aimed at pre-school children, though I'm inclined to agree with those who think that a ban on TV for the under twos is desirable.
I wonder whether the BBC could find a way to phase in lower pay for its presenters and actors. I wonder, if the BBC had retained actors on a regular salary, might these people accept a lower rate of pay in exchange for a guaranteed salary and pension rights? The BBC might occasionally bring in a big name for an inflated price but I don't think that BBC drama would suffer if the was an in-house BBC Company of Actors. Equally, I reckon that there are plenty of people able to present programming, who could do it for a reasonable salary. I get the impression that many TV presenters are paid highly, if not six figures, then high five figures. To be honest, I think that most TV presenters should earn in the £30-£50K area, with just a few earning more. The way to do it is to give them 20-year contracts at the start of their careers with big restrictions on what they can do in British television if they leave early. Therefore, I think that the biggest way to cut costs is to cut the payroll.
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C
Why the BBC should abandon 700+m "regional news" to fund local Tuesday 11 March 2014 8:00PM
Bristol
I think that you probably have a point about local news. I generally watch the One O'clock News on BBC 1 HD and don't bother to switch over to see the lunchtime edition of Points West, unless I know that something exciting has happened locally - and that's usually because it was covered in the national bulletin. However, rather than scrap the regional news services completely, I'd extend the Six O'clock News to an hour and have a selection of regional stories that might interest the whole country but normally wouldn't get coverage outside their local areas. The journalists who present these stories could be drawn from the BBC's local radio stations or even ITV. Maybe there's an idea that regional news could be a BBC/ITV joint venture, not getting rid of it completely but saving both organizations money.
I have very little opinion of BBC Three. I watch one or two programmes a month on it and the quality of the shows seems fine, though mostly not for me. I take your word that there are good reasons to keep the service going on broadcast TV.
I do think that BBC local radio should provide good local news, particularly as few commercial local stations do.
I would like to find a way to get BBC Four broadcasting from 4pm. I realize that there are bandwidth constraints as it shares with one of the children's services.
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Sunday 26 January 2014 7:28PM
Bristol
In the days of analogue TV, it was very easy for a competent DIYer to install a TV aerial. With digital, it is much harder. Could I suggest a tool where one inputs a postcode and the program generates a list of transmitters likely to serve the address and the direction in degrees that one should point an aerial? As an example, Mendip is almost due south of me, so my postcode of BS15 1EF would generate a direction close to 180 degrees, maybe 177 or 183 degrees. I realize that sometimes an obstruction or some other thing can cause an effect that means that reception is slightly better if the aerial is slightly out of alignment but I think my idea would generally work.