Read this: BBC Sounds Overseas Switch Off and Lyse Doucet in Iran
Summary: Podcast
Download MP3BBC sounds music Radio podcasts, I'm sure many of you will remember the earlier this year the BBC announced signs with no longer be available to overseas listeners from Patagonia to Perth lamented the loss and after an outcry from listeners the BBC cut-off for a rethink well now.
It is really happening and I'm pleased to say the director of BBC signs is going to be in the feedback studio to explain how it will work and what on earth has been going on and lyse doucet the BBC chief international correspondent has just returned from Tehran she joins me to discuss the challenges and rewards of reporting on find in Iran so the BBC has set the date 21st of July that is one BBC sounds will no longer be available to overseas listeners.
Bbc.com just called BBC offers a kind of one stop shop for blocked of BBC News and Sport mainly visual but also written and audio content well.
You might also be getting a bit of deja vu from earlier this year, when ready I'll come releases in the Welsh speaking community and Patagonia as well as loyal listeners to radios 23 and many listeners in Ireland who rely on signs to hear BBC Radio and podcasts got in touch with feedback in their droves to complain to the BBC released a statement saying it would not cut off BBC signs overseas and solicitor work died.
Hi listeners could hear live BBC Radio 4 this time round bbc.com has a directory that links list the full range BBC radio stations of course this cut-off is not happening at the height of the Summer season, but if you've got a UK phone and you're about to go on holiday apparently you can.
Listen to BBC signs for up to 4 weeks abroad but news of this imminent switch off has caused an immediate reaction Craig down.
I am writing again my deep and Happiness but the BBC's decision to discontinue BBC sounds close as living outside the UK this is clearly a very very unpopular.
Just one that disenfranchise is countless thousands of us who living abroad I live in Ireland Sonya but I'll be feeling very much less so after July 1st Louise Ross Mary I live in Hertfordshire time on holiday in the EU for over a month and I have paid my licence.
I cannot access my favourite programs on BBC sounds.
I have to listen inconveniently live or not at all by the time.
I return to the UK the programs.
Available services with the BBC and I'm blocked from BBC sounds abroad is really is not satisfactory or those are just a tiny fraction of the many many comments that you sent in as well as many questions and I hope to get some answers to those I'm very happy to say that joining me to do that is Jonathan wall director of BBC signs Jonathan back to feedback on the BBC Sounds app when it was first nights at the BBC Sounds app was to be replaced we were inundated with people saying they love BBC signs and they don't want a new app that gives some access to BBC audio, but significantly less.
So what are you doing it the brand globally is BBC it's not a player or sounds or news or sport the priority pass on a personal listen to every single comment on this program.
I've written letters to those that.
The various issues on priority was quite clear the people who value our lives radio stations globally and we have insured and they've announced last week all of those live radio stations can be heard by everybody of course when you are moving people from One digital product to another does different functionality there can be some disappointment with that but the reality is the vast amount of content and that's what matters the people were enjoying is available globally so when it was first announced the only live radio was going to be Radio 4 and world service you change that now haven't you is everything going to be available Live every BBC BBC local regional and thinking of things like a radio Cymru Radio Ulster on all the local radio.
Is it all going to be available every station will be available live as you said.
4 months ago and about 5 months ago because we gave a sense of 4-month window to tackle some complex issues the reason why stations other than rail forum world service will not included in the original mouseman with around rights issues mostly around music rights and we wanted to give yourself the opportunity about 4-months to see what Solutions could be for all of our the radio stations so for example.
We explored whether there were commercial routes available around on music stations.
We explored that wasn't the best route and that's why we landed on keeping our lives links available to all patients including patients and local and they will be searchable by your favourite search engine and I'll link to buy the BBC global app so on the BBC global app at the moment.
I listen to telling us that is actually really quite hard to find that directory.
It's in.
Choose frequently asked questions is that what it's going to stay? I think Studios team will listen to feedback and iterate and improve the thing is though stations are there and link to there somewhere.
I think they're really hard to find at the moment.
Honestly Jonathan having it so tired and I'm sure they will look to improve the visibility of how clear those stations are fine, but those stations are there.
They are there underneath Radio 4 on well service the schedule information is therefore rarely at 4 and we'll service and main headline and I listened as I said to every comment on this show and you had listened as in Europe he wanted a music stations you had Welsh language speakers in Argentina who wanted to carry on this thing too well and you have listeners in the Republic of Ireland have felt.
It was very important.
They could get access to all of the BBC live stations.
We've heard all of that and it was absolutely parity for us to ensure.
I live station is still available to everyone just to be clear you can't pause you can't rewind the way you can on BBC signs.
There will be some functionality differences and I'm sorry that people will be disappointed that look for me because I've been quite proud of what the sounds product has developed into in the UK over the last 6 years I understand when you take something away from people that does appointment interesting and we see the data the vast majority of consumption and there were 320000 people who listened x UK to sounds last week last majority were listening to Radio 4 live world service live on our music stations live to the vast majority of people they're getting exactly what they had just on a digital product the BBC app is a course already available and listeners already getting in touch with us and I'm afraid they are telling us.
They don't like it because William Robertson from Tennessee I cannot.
And the words to describe the level of my frustration with bbc.com bbc.com search feature seems and able to comprehend that a no interest whatsoever in video oriented programs only wish to listen to BBC Radio I was continually delighted by the BBC allowed me to scroll through the entire BBC Radio 4 programme schedule to pass programs and I somehow I've missed would you say to William some of the functionality isn't the same kind of all the things you could do on the sounds of it, but he clearly there are new ways of integrating experiences of Reading articles and listening to you.
Wouldn't have been able to do on the Sounds app.
So not all the functionality is the same but as I said to you earlier the vast majority of content is available.
To the nice dial at the top of the BBC Sounds app that you can flick through a look at all the radio stations any chance of bringing that on to the BBC app, what is Radio 4 in the world service or integrated but that we provide links to all of the other stations and is meeting the needs of the vast majority of comments that came in a program that we've got no questions from listeners, so I just want to go through them and hopefully you can get me some quick answers to some of these skills in England or breaking up.
It's a busiest time of year when you're actually taking BBC signs away so all those holidaymakers that are about to go abroad.
Can I still listen to BBC signs in the same way that they do at home short answer is yes, I told you about the complexity of this works and brilliant software engineers designed the sounds like an away if you go on holiday for up to a month.
You will get exactly the same access all that sounds of the you downloaded in the UK the experience when you go on.
Exactly the same as now if you are travelling more than that on for longer periods and that you'll be redirected to the new BBC app.
That's what will happen when we close the sound up on July 20th Ray dalio forum world service will be there prominent and there will be linked all of the other radio stations BBC signs is been cut off overseas does this also mean over the land bordering are in the same way that exactly the same way iPlayer is this comes down again to the issue around music Ride primarily and sometimes things like sports rides that are well.
We have rides deals for the UK the priority for the Republic of Ireland was to ensure all of the light output particularly Radio Ulster would be fully available on which is not just on FM which you would probably be able to get as well and that was the Paris ESO that's a solution with no I know that there has been a suggestion here on this program actually that.
The spirit of the Good Friday Agreement but are you confident that the BBC is not in breach of their 2010 memorandum of understanding between the two governments on the role of Public Service Broadcasting throughout the island of Ireland yeah will 100-percent confident we have liaise with the Department of Culture Media who have been very satisfied.
I think with the solution.
We've come up with around live radio in hand thorn from North Carolina it appears that we are outside the UK may still be able to listen to BBC music stations, but only like what we listen to I know rewinding this is a very poor solution because we all live in different time zones.
Why can the BBC not get there around providing the content we currently have and charging for it comes to music stations.
It's not a financial reality for us to be able to do that.
There are not 100.
Thousands of people every week globally consuming on music station, there are tens of thousands the cost involved in global music rides is highly significant, so as I said to you earlier.
We explored all possibilities including talking to third parties about whether there was possibilities around global rights being covered there for advertising inserted into those music feeds.
We didn't think that was a satisfactory solution and that's why we got to dilution.
We've done so we'd love to all possibilities.
Of course.
I'll colleagues insidious done the same not quite a simple all the money doesn't add up in the way some listers my finger does so high is the new BBC app then going to maximise revenue I believe it's just I don't care about 12 days before this current announcement.
There was one that said there is going to be a paywall in the US about $50 a year I think so that's going to be on the new BBC app.
Is that something that?
Rolling out globally are you going to make money out of this when we bring you our colleagues and BBC they should be doing as you said rightly they announce last week a subscription model in the US and it's in the US at this state.
What they made.
Clear is that the daily essential journalism and breaking news and indeed Radio 4 and will service and there's hundreds of podcast are not there.
May be opportunities abound some exclusive content some window chance to hear things first some ad-free contact special 5-ft special unpaywall that kind of thing I'm sure those things are things that CD is would wonder look at that to be clear that isn't even in what they've announced that the state and what they've announced this stage.
Clearly is also just for the US market at the moment and the other thing that's important for the US market is the Today programme we get a lot of questions from listeners abroad who say that they want to be able to listen to The
Program not the best of today, but the actual program but because of the fact that there in a completely different time zone.
They can't listen to it live at the moment it comes into your feed the entire program.
Just after it goes out so anyone can listen to it particularly if they wake up in the States as my point because of course they're behind as soon as it comes out and I'm just asking you questions to ask if that will still be available my understanding is that the live program and the podcast associated with the program will be on the global app.
That's not necessarily the same obviously their functionality on the global after my not allow listening.
That's not at the same time as the light program.
I think again it goes back to the functionality difference in what that product can do I go back to the point and the vast majority of listening and we see in the data that comes through my sound the vast majority is listening live.
Listening to those biggest hundreds of podcast over 95% of the consumption that we currently see is still available all day.
It was something on the new global.app given the level of anger and confusion last time you would make this announcement at the beginning of the it's going to happen in spring you then put a statement saying that you were going was it even I decided that it's going to happen in just a few weeks time is it definitely happening this time? Is this a 100-percent guarantee that this switch off is going to take place on the 21st of July no matter what this week to complete this in 4 months is actually 5 and a half.
So I'm sorry.
It's taking a little bit longer as we work for this is as we talked about earlier around music rights and we believe we got a good place to believe we've taken on board as the program feedback and more general feedback if you like but
The work we've done on insuring you can get access when you're on holiday and the work we've done the guarantee.
I'll live stations are available to everyone has put any good will Jonathan on our listeners that will will tell you how they feel about it, and I thank you very much indeed for answering all my questions and engaging so directly Jonathan will director of BBC signs.
Thanks so much.
I'm sure that you're going to have plenty more to say on this so if you're outside the UK on the 21st of July on holiday or permanently.
I'd be interested to know how to switch off impact you and you can touch with us anything you hear BBC audio that live radio and podcast all you have to do is send a voice note on WhatsApp the number is 0345 440 3454 and you can send an email.
Feedback at bbc.co.uk and it's at BBC R4 feedback on social media and you can search for feedback and then click to subscribe so you get every episode in your feet and you can listen whenever you like night of the coverage of the recent conflict between Israel and Iran recording on the situation countries positive difficulties especially in the case of Iran were BBC journalist to generally denied access, so it was something I'm surprised listeners, won the BBC chief international correspondent.
Lyse doucet broadcast from Tehran having been given special access to report from inside the country.
It was her first visit that since 2009 and reports for BBC Radio connect to Bluetooth
Yes, not really good day angry.
Yes, please.
Can I find lyse doucet report on what's happening to Ordinary People in Tehran very informative and illuminating is a reporting was cool.com that will cover the different side to the way ordinary Iranians are sometimes excellent reporting as always from the East and West Sussex I hope that the BBC appreciate just how special she is she adopted sensitive gentle path and elicits far more from her interviewees than any other Porter I can think of
What is tempered by her reliance on the old-fashioned principle of telling the story and letting the facts speak for themselves well lots of Praise therefore at least in supporting from Tehran I know that should be back in London I am absolutely delighted to have her ear and the feedback studio to answer some of your questions and just too kind of getting a little behind the scenes sense least welcome.
It's wonderful to be here with you and also you lured me in with all these wonderful emails I can tell you how much it it.
Pleases me that people see the Politics of a country to try to see the people of the place.
It's clearly not easy to get into around.
How did you manage the BBC and Iran have had a long difficult relationship and apparently stems from a long relationship between Britain and around because of Stacey the British Broadcasting Corporation has been linked to the British government and then of late they have.
Criticisms and criticisms of the very good BBC Persian service in our colleagues who keeps reporting despite the harassment and pressure but just remind interactions over many years of research going to run when I lived in Afghanistan and Islamabad in Pakistan I was in the region many years ago and went frequently and so I kept in touch with Iranian diplomat send and I do know that there were many in the foreign ministry in administration wanted the BBC back of understand the importance of the BBC so finally they did lettuce lettuce in Edward was a momentous time and the actual process of getting in.
I think I remember listening to you when you're in Turkey and stamp the most patient.
I mean I still hard.
Thailand and wasn't very which borders would be open and we have to look to see which was the fastest way to get to Tehran in there is no fast way and it was more than before we had to drive through drive through to the breeze and then to Tehran so it took the part of a day and then you finally get in I wonder what that felt like being talked to the people on the Grind how did that feel this time? There is no alternative to good old-fashioned face-to-face journalism in the Heat and the to actually be on the streets to eat food to listen to music to talk to Iranians to to see the women mini them longer wearing the obligatory headscarves to be able to speak with people.
This is should be the gold standard in Ireland Tony Turner of odds and Cambridgeshire has been enjoying these two sets recent dispatches from Iran I'm concerned about her interview.
Identify themselves before expressing my opinion, please come and review This requirement.
I personally would have no problem hearing an interview from a parcel by a bus or even a soldier is it protected the anonymity and safety marriage? I see two people every time I'm from the BBC very many said all night all the talk to the BBC but it must be very happy and I said this is just voice and I'll only use your first name so I would introduce myself and make it very clear, but it was all about and they wanted to put anyone on there was no secret recordings and people did speak their minds so openly if we can be anything it was to compare two people.
It's not so black and white you'll be go from Street people were shouting their slogans death to America get to in a cafe and we have iced americanos kind of the contradictions of Iran and just to be clear you.
People if they wanted to to give their first name, but you didn't identify anything we didn't we didn't it is very important to keep people safe in case where there was a young woman with her her boyfriend and she actually came up to me afterwards and said I'm a bit worried about it.
I said I'm not going to use your name so whichever name out.
I took the boyfriend out and if you can identify a woman with blonde streak Hair by speaking English and she wouldn't says speak in English we were very very careful.
We were not there to get people into trouble for not allowed to be reported it on BBC Persian and that was said at the top of every piece you did I think we're there any other restrictions? When did you think that you're being followed by Iranian please for us that are BBC Persian colleagues.
Do you suffer harassment on the part of you?
Your family's still in Iran and it's frustrating process of the authority said we want to separate we will do we will do reports to BBC English for BBC Weather but we will not do them BBC Persian there is an international as mannitol this other television channels in Exile but when I take this up with the with the reindeers.
They said this was step-by-step is actually legal for an official's to be on BBC Persian reuters an Apu offer there.
They're footage to news news broadcasters around the world on the dog.
She does we call it the list of the pictures.
They say this cannot be used with Iran international BBC Persian or monitor does not just BBC Persian it's not just us.
We all hope that one day this week that you move to a situation in which certificate do we not go with all or do we work on these conditions, then I can BBC2 this decision to end with the right one to make it clear under the conditions.
We were we were broadcasting but did you feel that you were being watched when you were there? I mean did you reminder with you the whole time so I'm not contracted when you went to Syria during the president Assad we had a mind which is a government mind going back heating which they have these Media houses and some of the modulus of the university professors, but they're not government officials.
They have good contact with somebody come with us.
They never stopped us in Heywood report to me things which are were on this channel that channel to help me to understand certain things they never stop dusty never questioned us and when we were stopped by please if you take on a microphone your stop on the streets, please get suspicious everyone control their own corner and this time it happened again almost on a daily.
He was sorted once we sold our cards sometimes.
We are waived away with a smile other times.
We were held but there was no major major incident which stopped us from completely doing our word you must have a great sense of satisfaction being back in London line that you managed to do it and actually to bring to the world the voices of of around that we haven't heard for such a long time.
Do you think about my job about narrowing the gaps between us and them between to say listen do not so different from you were yesterday politics and yes, there is very different but if we can try to somehow.
See this to remote human lens.
Maybe that we would care more about the stories.
That will be all 1 people to do with them when they listen to our news if they don't don't want them to kick in swipe.
They want to see all the cuts happening to the people living with restrictions, just want.
Let me do you say I like a normal life.
I want a better future whatever they decide is that better future will thank you very much indeed for coming back and thank you very much indeed for these reports from Iran which ship many of our listeners really enjoyed.
Thank you know next week Sam Jackson the controller of radio 3 will be back in the feedback studio to answer your questions and comments maybe you'd like to send in US thoughts on the New Look schedule for Radio 3 on wind or you've got a question about the Proms anything to touch, but that's all for this week.
Thank you for listening and for giving us your feedback goodbye.
I'm David runciman and from BBC Radio 4.
This is post from the Cradle to the grave.
They said 80 years on telling the story of the 1945 election and the creation of post-war Britain
living this is the Britain that many of us grew up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are in Winston Churchill
post-war with me David runciman listen on BBC sounds
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