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

the photo album is at http://archive.bibalex.org/web/*sa_/http://www.h2g2.com

doesn't seem that long ago that i was at the 1st birthday party

Congratulations to the bestest place on the web!

Humph. The next thing you know it'll be demanding to go to school in long trousers!

I ask you. Six-year olds these days

I couldn't get the links to work.


Happy Birthday hootoo!!!!

Here's to many more birthdays to come!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the BBC seriously needs to change the overseas rule. Or else I could just move to the UK... then I'd get in on the competitions *and* get the tv!

Seriously, though, you eds need to have a talk with whomever's in charge of these things...

In early May, I will be celebrating 4 years of Hootoo madness. The only question is whether I've been giving or receiving the madness.

Both

Happy birthday!! *brings in a humongously huge basket of mufflewhumps*

Happy Birthday Hootoo!

Happy birthday to a very splendid and worthwhile website.

My salutes you, and we thank you for sharing and enjoying. Now, go stick your head in a pig!

While I appreciate that I can't enter the competition from Germany, I wonder if "overseas" includes the Scilly Isles, Isle of Skye (etc etc) and Northern Ireland.

Not to mention the Isle of Wight

Hi EMR

Sorry about the 'overseas' thing, but BBC competition guidelines are very clear, and apply equally to TV shows, radio programmes and any online competitions. The BBC is funded by UK licence fee payers, therefore any prizes donated to the BBC or paid for out of the licence fee MUST be given ONLY to UK residents. I know it seems rather unfair to our wonderful overseas community members, who contribute so many things that are utterly brilliant and marvellous to the site, but it would take a whole BBC-wide policy shift for us to be able to bend the rules.

Sorry once again!

Paully

Yeah, that bit about licensing is very strange to me, as an American. I hate to hijack this topic, but does that mean you have less adverts, or even commercial-free programming? Our TV is paid for by corporate sponsorship, which is why I turn to outside sources of news...

Yep, the BBC is completely commercial-free. Except when advertising itself, that is.


Geggs

Wow. I'm rather jealous then. Believe me, as insipid as most of our commercials are, a license fee would be a very nice trade-off...

There are no adverts of any description on any BBC TV or radio channel, just as you'll note that there are no banner adverts on BBC websites such as h2g2. The only exception to this is the fact that often trailers for 'forthcoming attractions' are shown inbetween programmes in the slots you'd normally expect to see adverts for detergent, cars and ready meals on a commercial station.

The BBC is funded by 'the licence fee', which costs £126.50 per year per household. People over the age of 75 get their licence free, the registered blind pay half price, and people with black and white sets pay a lower rate too.

This isn't an optional subscription - every household in the UK is obliged to have a TV licence if they own a TV set. Many people argue that this is, in effect, a TV 'tax', one that they object to paying. Having said that, 98% of the UK population used BBC services EVERY MONTH during 2003/4. Other people feel that paying a TV licence fee is a sure way of guaranteeing an advert-free independent broadcaster that doesn't have to worry about getting the highest-possible ratings in order to please advertisers.

Just as an idea, here's a breakdown of where the money from the licence fee goes each month (based on just under £10 per month):

BBC One (TV) £3.37
BBC Two (TV) £1.45
Digital television channels (BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News 24, etc) £0.98
Transmission and collection costs £0.98
BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 4 and Five Live £0.99
Digital radio stations (1Xtra, 6Music) £0.08
Nations & English Regions television (Local TV news and programmes) £0.90
Local radio (Local radio stations) £0.61
bbc.co.uk (That includes us lot!) £0.31
Total £9.67


As the BBC is basically funded more or less entirely by the people who pay the licence fee, that's the rationale for not opening our competitions up to people who don't pay to keep our programmes and services going.

Hope that makes some sense!

Paully

Where does the other 33p go then?


Geggs

Sorry - just re-read. You said 'just under £10'.

Ignore me.


Geggs

ignores Geggs