[SWLUG] BBC's "iPlayer"

[Steve Hill]

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007, Gerald Davies wrote:

> the thing with stuff like this is i do believe we're currently
> building a two-tier system... (maybe we always have had one), it's not
> really that free.  as long as poor folk have to shell out for a
> computer, a broadband connection, etc...

I'm increasingly dissatisfied with the way that the licence is tied to TV 
ownership.  I'm a supported of the concept of having a publically funded 
BBC, but they are doing an increasing amount of stuff that is not TV 
related (and thus is accessible to people with no TV who are not paying a 
licence fee).

I think it would be fairer for them to be funded through general taxation 
- maybe something collected in a similar way to council tax.  And that 
should also result in less of the money going on admin costs since you can 
get rid of the TV licence inspectors, etc.  It's a lot easier to collect a 
tax from every household instead of maintaining a list of who has a TV, 
proving people have TVs when you take them to court and libelling people 
who haven't got TVs (remember those letters they used to send out with 
"YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW" printed across the envelope?)

*However*, the BBC shouldn't be allowed to have their cake and eat it.  If 
they want to make money from selling DVDs and exporting programmes then 
they should be free to do so, but not at the expense of the licence fee 
payer.  Using DRM on stuff they release to the licence holders in order to 
protect their DVD sales and exports should not be allowed - I paid for 
the content through my licence and I damned well should be allowed to 
watch it on whatever hardware or software I like.

-- 

  - Steve
    xmpp:steve at nexusuk.org   sip:steve at nexusuk.org   http://www.nexusuk.org/

      Servatis a periculum, servatis a maleficum - Whisper, Evanescence