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Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#41

Post by bennyp101 »

philjohn wrote: post #39
niffydroid wrote: post #7

I normally watch some of the Olympics or have it in the background on events that took my interest. This time I've not bothered. Because the media rights were sold the BBC can't do that much coverage. I have a feeling this is probably going to have one of the lowest viewing figures ever for the games

Due to Discovery paying almost $1bn for the rights, the BBC can only show 2 sports at once. This is a far cry from London 2012, or Rio 2016, where they had 15 dedicated olympics channels and is a crying shame, as the coverage was usually top notch. I have Sky TV in the UK and so have Discovery+ free for a year, and the coverage is extensive - but mostly without any commentating.

Well that is interesting. That might explain why NowTV dropped Discovery from the entertainment package at the end of last month.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#42

Post by billbobob »

philjohn wrote: post #39
niffydroid wrote: post #7

I normally watch some of the Olympics or have it in the background on events that took my interest. This time I've not bothered. Because the media rights were sold the BBC can't do that much coverage. I have a feeling this is probably going to have one of the lowest viewing figures ever for the games

Due to Discovery paying almost $1bn for the rights, the BBC can only show 2 sports at once. This is a far cry from London 2012, or Rio 2016, where they had 15 dedicated olympics channels and is a crying shame, as the coverage was usually top notch. I have Sky TV in the UK and so have Discovery+ free for a year, and the coverage is extensive - but mostly without any commentating.

They can't do it like they do on the discovery channel

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#43

Post by BoxOfRain »

yreg wrote: post #22
phyalow wrote: post #5

The BBC World Service is still up if you are looking for something decent and similar to fill the gap. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service

This is my favorite radio! Originaly called BBC Empire Service it is targeted toward a global audience. I like that the news are much less US/EU focused than the usual media I consume. I sometimes find out that their top stories are events that our news don't report much on, because they happen - say - in Gabon.

They used to broadcast it into Europe during the Cold War on 648 kHz MW using an absolutely ridiculous 500 kW transmitter and an aerial system that developed 2 MW directionally. This got shut down in the early '10s then was taken over recently by none other than the famous offshore radio pirates Radio Caroline who use it on a much more modest 1 kW. They still have their pirate radio ship but I think its transmitters got smashed up by the government in the '80s so they relay to the old BBC World Service site over 4G.

You can still hear the World Service on 198 kHz longwave after 0100 BST in much of Europe, they even shut down Radio 4 with the national anthem just before like it's the '50s or something. It's a delightful anachronism.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#45

Post by denton-scratch »

sleepychu wrote: post #14
angrais wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way is the BBC free? You still need a TV licence to view it live or via iPlayer, which has an annual cost of about £100 if I recall correctly.

You need the licence to watch any live television, there's an increasing segment of the population which doesn't need it of course but it's a "free" channel compared to Sky/BT Sports.

> any live television

A licence is required to watch any channel while it is being broadcast. It doesn't have to be "live" (or perhaps that is the same as "while it is being broadcast"). You also need a licence to record it while it is being broadcast. You need a licence to use iPlayer.

For these purposes, "broadcast" includes satellite, even if you only watch foreign channels.

The BBC and its funding have been a political football since forever. The right hate the BBC because it's funded by taxes, and seen as socialist; the left hate the BBC because it tends to lick the as* of the government of the day - the style of news coverage changes in the first few weeks after a general election.

The licence fee is a regressive tax; the beeb should be funded out of general taxation.

I'd like to see a BBC that is independent of the government, ad-free, and cut loose from the need to chase viewing numbers. I don't know how to get from here to there. If the beeb were a subscription service, I'd consider subscribing.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#46

Post by dafman »

My favourite sport is cricket. When I was younger, it was always shown on terrestrial TV (mainly BBC or Channel 4), but after the huge success of the 2005 Ashes, Sky bought the rights and you then had to buy Sky Sports to watch it. As such over the years the interest in cricket in the UK seemed to fade, and hardly anyone was taking an interest in it anymore.

I can almost see this happening with the Olympics to some degree, if it continues to be shown only on channels you pay for, people are going to lose interest in watching it more and more over the years. I like watching the Olympics but to be honest not enough to pay an extra £7-10 a month to see it where the coverage isn't nearly as good as the BBC can do.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#47

Post by petepete »

username91 wrote: post #23
petepete wrote: post #19

The gulf in coverage quality between BBC and Eurosport is unbelievable. I actually enjoy Eurosport and their continued coverage of fairly-niche sports (mainly cycling for me), but it's clear that they just don't have the infrastructure or depth to cover an event like an Olympics or World Cup. The BBC are experts. Lots of the events aired on Eurosport are just feeds; no commentary it analysis. I think it's a huge erro…

Reading this, I would actually tune into Eurosport knowing I can watch with minimal commentary - I know commentary brings some people a lot of structure but I find the events impossible to take in with somebody talking over it.

I'm with you in sports I understand like football, but I definitely benefit from a bit of expert guidance in things I don't like taekwando, skateboarding or shooting.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#48

Post by torben-friis »

manderley wrote: post #26
torben-friis wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this why I can't find the opening ceremony on YouTube? I've tried searching for a couple of days and couldn't find anything, just found some 5minute long summaries. I've stopped caring, I'm always curious to see at least some event but this year they seem to have way too much friction in place for something that I'm really not that interested in.

I can find the full opening ceremony on Youtube, uploaded by Eurosport. I assume you're in the UK and that video isn't shown to you because of that?

I can only see a two minute long highlights video by eurosport. Perhaps I’m really bad at searching, could you share a link?

I’m not in the uk, but I’m in Spain, and it was mentioned that the sellout was europe-wide.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#49

Post by zahrc »

angrais wrote: post #12
zahrc wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Long story short: broadcasting rights have been awarded to premium channels across Europe and the globe, therefore local radio stations of the BBC are restricted there, as the BBC is a free television and radio network in the uk.

In what way is the BBC free? You still need a TV licence to view it live or via iPlayer, which has an annual cost of about £100 if I recall correctly.

The article is talking about radio channels and those are indeed free and available world wide, hence they’ve been “blocked” as they would be broadcasting olympics for free outside of the Uk.

I’ve realised that I wrote “free television and radio network” in my parent, I can’t edit anymore.

Re: Local BBC radio not available online outside UK during Tokyo Olympics

#50

Post by Silhouette »

denton-scratch wrote: post #45
sleepychu wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need the licence to watch any live television, there's an increasing segment of the population which doesn't need it of course but it's a "free" channel compared to Sky/BT Sports.

> any live television A licence is required to watch any channel while it is being broadcast. It doesn't have to be "live" (or perhaps that is the same as "while it is being broadcast"). You also need a licence to record it while it is being broadcast. You need a licence to use iPlayer. For these purposes, "broadcast" includes satellite, even if you only watch foreign channels. The BBC and its funding have been a pol…

I'd like to see a BBC that is independent of the government, ad-free, and cut loose from the need to chase viewing numbers. I don't know how to get from here to there.

The TV licence is one of those anachronisms that should have gone away long ago. There's a wild mismatch between who pays and who benefits even if you accept the principle. And as you said funding through general taxation would be less regressive anyway.

I don't see a big problem with setting that up. It requires an Act of Parliament that establishes an arms-length public body to run the BBC, which it more-or-less already has in practice anyway, and a budget, which can then only be changed through a further Act of Parliament. That's as "independent of the government" as you can ever get under our legal system, but at least any attempt to change it later would require active steps by the government at the time that would immediately attract attention and could be resisted in both Houses of Parliament if they were inappropriate.

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