h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So then nobody is actually paying for this service.

I think we should all be more grateful for it than some seem to be.

In my humble opinion, of course.

az

"So then nobody is actually paying for this service."

No, everybody who has a UK TV licence is paying for this service, along with all the other services branded as "BBCi", even if they don't have a computer. It's all part of the gov't's plans to make the UK the most "connected" country in Europe, if not the world.

It's a bit like taxing people to pay for adult literacy teachers, even if they themselves are already literate. Or something...

I just visited your personal space... I didn't realise you were an English teacher - that comparison was purely coincidental...

Question - if the BBC radio connection went wonky at times, would people be as up in arms about it as they are about h2g2 having occasional problems?

az

That depends on which channel. There were marches in London when they changed the time "The Archers" was broadcast...

(BBC Radio 4, fyi - http://www.bbc.co.uk/archers )

I give up!

You lot can all feel like you you have a right to castigate h2g2 when it doesn't perform up to your standards, if you like.

I still see it as a lovely gift.

I'm always happy when it is here.

az

ps
thanks h2g2!

You need a licence to own a tv, but you do not need a licence for any other bbc services.

I thought I was being clear, I hope this sorts it!

'I still see it as a lovely gift.'

Good for you, you can, we cannot

Just because we do not need a bbc licence to view h2g2, doesn't mean that we do not provide the money for it. Our tv licence fee pays for all bbc services. So all Brits who possess a tv and pay the licence are also paying for all bbc services which includes h2g2.

We are paying for your lovely gift, so sigh all you want, you get a choice, we do not.

glad you pay for me too
Funny system you have, I wouldn't need to pay for tv or radio if I hadn't any, but I would still have to pay for the cable services installed in the house.
Pay the telecom for getting online , that's a huge sum

We definitely see bbc.co.uk as being paid for by the licence-fee paying public. That's the audience we're aiming for, and the one that the BBC wants/counts.

Of course, we're very happy to have other members across the messageboards, DNA and other services, and they are never *discounted*! Not forgetting that there are people who live abroad who still pay a tv licence...

Kaz - the bbc are accountable, they are set up to be. http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/producer_guides/text/section8.shtml

There's also this page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/report2003/audiences.shtml

Not all complaints are, or can be, answered, but they are all read.

Kaz- "you need a licence to own a TV" isn't strictly accurate- you need the licence if the TV can pick up broadcast television. if it can't, and you only use it for watching videos or DVDs on, or for attaching your computer to and using the screen as a moniter, you don't need to pay.

If it can play videos you'll still be forced to buy a licence, on the principle that it can display broadcast TV by having your friends tape shows for you. I believe this point has come to court more than once, although I can't quote any specific cases.

Oh, and a VCR with a tuner requires a TV licence, even if there isn't a TV in the house to play the tapes back on.

I knew it was a complicated issue... but never this complicated!

hi Mina,

<>

But is this actually the reality? Sorry, but it seems a television licence pays for television use. The 'extras' like BBC radio and this site seem apart to me.

Meanwhile, Kaz, no need to snap at me!

<>

My point was simply, for example, if you didn't have a television at home and didn't pay the licence fee you would still be able to access h2g2 on your computer, like the rest of us who don't live in the UK.

Perhaps h2g2 is actually funded by UK television licencing fees - I don't know. If so, it then makes sense to me that some UK residents get up in arms when the service here is less than they would like. As they feel upset that a service they are paying for is not delivering proper service. Which is understandable.

As I said before, I don't feel I have any right to complain about the service here as - for me - it *is* a gift. As it is for all of us who live outside the UK. That's all.



az

"Perhaps h2g2 is actually funded by UK television licencing fees..."

It is. Directly. That's what we've been saying.

The gov't rakes in a pile of cash for the BBC through the TV licencing scheme. This is used to fund TV programming, radio programming, online services, restoration of archive material (aka "bloody repeats"), training of new engineers, "Open University" and other educational content etc. etc.

Oh, okay then!

Thanks for clearing that up, Peet.

az

The bbc are not allowed to get their money any other way, so where else could the money be coming from?

Even if you don't have a tv, yes you could access h2g2 without paying the licence fee, but this happens rarely. It is well known that the bbc hound anyone without a licence regardless of whether or not they have a tv. They even get as far as court procedings, as they cannot believe that anyone would choose tolive without a tv. I know a blind man who didn't have a tv, it took him to hell and back, trying to prove this. The bbc accused him of hiding the tv in someone elses house, when they searched the property to verify his claim.

Anyway, I am glad you finally 'got it' and realised we were not lying and we do know how the bbc works and how the licence fee works over here.

Ok, bigger picture time. Lets start at the beggining.

1) In the beggining came radio and thus the British Broadcasting Corporation. Someone had to pay for it so a royal charter was put together so you had to have a radio licence.

2) TV turns up and the licence changes to pay for TV too. BBC1 and BBC2 are the only channels.

3) TV turns colour and the licence fee goes up if you own a colour TV set. All this licence money goes to a big pot that the BBC take and make in to TV and Radio programmes.

4) Other broadcasters start turning up, but they are Independant (ITV, Channel 4 etc). Because they are independant, they cannot take funds from the royal charter so have to make money by advertising.

... and the bigger picture is ...

Today, lets say you have 16 million people in the UK who pay a licence fee of around 90 quid per year. Which works out at 1440 million pounds per year that the BBC get as gross profit. Take out salaries, buildings, contracts, hardware and TV programmes and you have some money left. What to do, what to do??

AHA! That guy Douglas Adams, that created the Hitchhikers radio series, has a web site that is in trouble. BBC can look after it with some of their unused cash, and call it community something or rather.

Now the real problems start for the beeb from two sides.

1) Only UK TV owning residents pay for H2G2 via the licence, which is jolly unfair when you overseas people get to enjoy the benefits for free.

2) Companies like ITV have to really work very hard to get their money. Worth noting though that the revenue that ITV gets for adverts alone is over 1700 million pounds a year which will increase to 2000 million now that they have merged with Carlton. I should now. I work there. They have higher overheads so it sort of balances out.

It all comes down to a war between ITV and BBC about who has the greater number of people watching their programmes. I think the beeb is winning so far. If the Beeb start to loose this war, they could loose the licence. It's safe until at least 2006 though. That was due to negotiations Greg Dyke made.

Hope I haven't confused you any further. Please note that this is the infinitely simplified version. There's a lot more than just this going on.

Cheers

"BBC1 and BBC2 are the only channels" - actually, at that point, BBC and ITV were the only channels. BBC became BBC1 when colour services were introduced on BBC2.