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Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#31

Post by emerongi »

Reason077 wrote: post #6
fabricexpert wrote: post #2

> Reach has been growing and only a small proportion of listening is online. However, we should heed the lessons of other industries and change before we have to. I too have been wondering how long podcasts will remain using RSS before being utterly demolished by paid for platforms. Can you imagine if we had TV content shared over RSS? Actually pirates have distributed content through RSS for a long time and it was a…

”pirates have distributed content through RSS for a long time and it was a much better UX than anything offered by the big players.” Perhaps if viewed through a technical/hacker lens. But platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and iPlayer have been successful at attracting (paying!) users precisely because their UX is so much better. Better than traditional TV boxes, and also better than the pirate world.

Netflix's UX is that it works and there are no ads. Otherwise there are way better UIs out there in the pirate world which actually have features other than "scroll through boxes of images".

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#32

Post by dbbk »

afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

I worked at the BBC when this account requirement was rolled out. The idea behind it is honestly about improving the user experience. If you're logged in, they can keep your progress saved across devices (so for iPlayer that means across platforms like Computer, Phone, Xbox etc), and they can learn more about you to promote recommendations on what to watch. People broadly speaking really like this, it's one of the best features of Netflix as an example.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#33

Post by detaro »

dbbk wrote: post #32
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

I worked at the BBC when this account requirement was rolled out. The idea behind it is honestly about improving the user experience. If you're logged in, they can keep your progress saved across devices (so for iPlayer that means across platforms like Computer, Phone, Xbox etc), and they can learn more about you to promote recommendations on what to watch. People broadly speaking really like this, it's one of the be…

Between a "log in to sync your progress" and a "log in to to hear anything at all", the latter seems like worse UX.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#34

Post by jdietrich »

afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

>Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide?

The BBC's funding is increasingly under threat and the license fee is being used to fund a wide range of non-core and non-BBC services; mandatory logins are a hedge against several risks.

Over-75s are entitled to a free TV license; this was historically funded by government subsidy, but that subsidy will be completely phased out by 2020-21. This will create a revenue shortfall of about £0.5bn, of a total budget of around £4bn.

On the other end of the age spectrum, an increasing proportion of young people are living in TV-less households, making it far easier for them to continue watching BBC programming while evading the license fee.

The BBC is increasingly reliant on international commercial partnerships (most notably the BritBox streaming service) in order to raise revenues, but this is potentially jeopardised by the increasing use of VPN services; GeoIP walls aren't very useful if a large proportion of internet users can choose their IP location with a couple of clicks.

Mandatory logins make a lot of possible future scenarios easier. The BBC may decide to tie logins to the license fee if rates of digitally-assisted fee evasion become untenable. The license fee may be abolished altogether by a future Conservative government, necessitating a shift to a subscription model. The BBC might also decide to open up iPlayer and Sounds to an international audience on a subscription basis.

If you object to mandatory logins, I'd suggest writing to your MP to ask them to help safeguard the BBC's funding.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#35

Post by astura »

dbbk wrote: post #32
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

I worked at the BBC when this account requirement was rolled out. The idea behind it is honestly about improving the user experience. If you're logged in, they can keep your progress saved across devices (so for iPlayer that means across platforms like Computer, Phone, Xbox etc), and they can learn more about you to promote recommendations on what to watch. People broadly speaking really like this, it's one of the be…

The podcast app I use has this as an option, it's not mandatory. Personally, I wouldn't use it if I had to sign in, syncing is not a feature I care about one bit and I don't need even an ounce of friction between me and "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me." If I had to sign in to listen I'd just turn on the radio or something instead.

If its truly about improving consumer experience its optional. I am not required to login to Chrome or Firefox to use them even though some people find bookmark/history syncing to be useful features.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#36

Post by afandian »

dbbk wrote: post #32
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

I worked at the BBC when this account requirement was rolled out. The idea behind it is honestly about improving the user experience. If you're logged in, they can keep your progress saved across devices (so for iPlayer that means across platforms like Computer, Phone, Xbox etc), and they can learn more about you to promote recommendations on what to watch. People broadly speaking really like this, it's one of the be…

I don't doubt the good faith of individual implementors such as yourself. But, like the official BBC communications, you fail to address the _compulsory_ nature.

To draw a very apposite analogy, YouTube on Android requires sign-in for minor functionality. There's no 'back' button and you can't bookmark videos for later. The UX is deliberately crippled unless you sign in: clicked video by mistake? Good luck getting back to the previous one.

This is a choice they made. It's not beyond the whit of an Android app to store bookmarks locally and sync them when you sign-in. Or to maintain a history for a back button.

The ostensible reason is "so you can have a uniform experience across all devices". The real reason is "so we can use your data to shift ads". We all know this, and it's part of the Google value proposition. It's free because they exploit your data.

The BBC is something different altogether. It's partly non-profit, has no shareholders, funded in a unique way, and, without wishing to seem mawkish, something special. Emulating commercial SV companies leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth. That combined with the privileged place it holds in public life, is not a nice combination.

Maybe Netflix has some nice features. Maybe the BBC can adopt them. But if they really are for _my_ benefit, let me opt in, don't make it compulsory.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#37

Post by [deleted] »

dbbk wrote: post #32
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

I worked at the BBC when this account requirement was rolled out. The idea behind it is honestly about improving the user experience. If you're logged in, they can keep your progress saved across devices (so for iPlayer that means across platforms like Computer, Phone, Xbox etc), and they can learn more about you to promote recommendations on what to watch. People broadly speaking really like this, it's one of the be…

[deleted]

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#38

Post by tcd »

jdietrich wrote: post #34
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

>Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? The BBC's funding is increasingly under threat and the license fee is being used to fund a wide range of non-core and non-BBC services; mandatory logins are a hedge against several risks. Over-75s are entitled to a free TV license;…

The BBC is under threat because they refuse to innovate. They're not yet doing full scale 4k streaming, programs disappear after X number of days, and to be quite honest, they don't offer the value for money Netflix does.

And BBC's own shows, like Planet Earth 2 are already on Netflix, so why would you even still need a license fee at that point?

It made sense 20 years ago when there were only 5 or so channels, now there is so much content available so quickly (even if it's not "legal") that people are realizing it's a waste of money.

Which is true.

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#39

Post by youngtaff »

jdietrich wrote: post #34
afandian wrote: post #13

I commented on the BBC website but I might as well post it here too: As a proud listener, viewer and supporter of the BBC, this is one part that seems really unfortunate. Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? Please re-consider. Allow your content to be made available vi…

>Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? The BBC's funding is increasingly under threat and the license fee is being used to fund a wide range of non-core and non-BBC services; mandatory logins are a hedge against several risks. Over-75s are entitled to a free TV license;…

> Over-75s are entitled to a free TV license; this was historically funded by government subsidy

It was introduced in 2000 and fundamentally it was about buying older people's votes.

Ultimately the BBC are part of source of their own demise - the move to digital TV allowed them to innovate and move from a licensed based to a subscription based approach but they refused to take that option preferring the soft funding of the license fee and creating ever more channels.

They've got themselves in a right pickle - they justify the license fee on the basis of 'public interest broadcasting' but then spend it on stuff like Eastenders to compete with ITV (because if they're not popular the license fee becomes hard to justify)

Then of course they are largely responsible for the rise of Farage who they've put on Question Time 'more than any other politician'

We've got a TV license but hardly ever watch BBC

Re: Opening up BBC Sounds to others’ podcasts and commercial radio

#40

Post by timthorn »

tcd wrote: post #38
jdietrich wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why should I need an account to listen to BBC content? All the pages on the BBC website that pretend to answer this question are evasive and dodge the question. What do you have to hide? The BBC's funding is increasingly under threat and the license fee is being used to fund a wide range of non-core and non-BBC services; mandatory logins are a hedge against several risks. Over-75s are entitled to a free TV license;…

The BBC is under threat because they refuse to innovate. They're not yet doing full scale 4k streaming, programs disappear after X number of days, and to be quite honest, they don't offer the value for money Netflix does. And BBC's own shows, like Planet Earth 2 are already on Netflix, so why would you even still need a license fee at that point? It made sense 20 years ago when there were only 5 or so channels, now t…

The BBC certainly doesn’t refuse to innovate. It has a massive history of technical innovation – not least broadcasting TV over IP multicast in 1999 and launching the iPlayer in 2005. There’s no point in them offering full scale 4k streaming given their catalogue, and the 4 week programme availability is a regulatory restriction due to competition concerns – this is demonstrated by the fact that they’re showing series back-to-back in the early hours to allow box-sets of older shows to be on iPlayer.

The BBC license fee is about £12.90/month, which to provide all the BBC National and Local Radio in addition to the multiple TV channels and their online offering is fantastic value.

Their shows will be disappearing from Netflix as rights expire in order to bring the content back to BritBox which will launch in the UK soon.

Edit - corrected fee

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