haynes711

The BBC have at last grudgingly admitted that they no longer intend to provide satellite reception of Radios 1 - 7 for expats:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/answers.shtml#bbc_europe

"The BBC is presently using the Astra 2A satellite which covers most of Europe. At the end of May the BBC will be migrating to the Astra 2D satellite.

A local electrical retailer or installer, would be able to tell you if it is possible to receive a signal from the Astra 2D satellite at your location.

Click here to see the Astra 2D Satellite footprint:

http://www.astra.lu/satellites/beam/...STRA+2D&xpr=41

As an alternative, it is also possible to access all BBC National Radio stations via the internet, the following link will take you to the BBC radio homepage:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/"

Nige

The heading seems to refer to RADIO only, but it would also apply to TV. Unless the deal that BBC had with SKY is unravelled, Greg Dyke is removing the entire TV and Radio from the Astra satellite / Sky system that covers most of Europe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...io/2843621.stm

Maybe some alternative will emerge ?

Especially if ITV and others go down the same route.
Nige

haynes711

The BBC domestic TV channels will be moved to Astra 2D and will no longer be scrambled because the footprint of Astra 2D has been designed to exclude most of the continent (you'd need a three-metre dish in places like Hungary, Greece or southern Italy!). This is wonderful for UK and Irish television viewers, as they'll be able to receive the satellite TV channels on any receiver they like.

The problem for expats who live outside the footprint of Astra 2D is that Greg Dyke is also moving all the domestic RADIO channels to Astra 2D. This will effectively make it impossible for most continental listeners of Radio 4 and BBC7 to continue to receive these programmes by satellite.

This is a savage cutback, coming only a few years after the BBC boasted that all its domestic radio channels could be heard everywhere in Europe on Astra 2A:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/facts...adio_astra.pdf

Hence the surreptitious way -- the "small print" -- in which the BBC are now talking about the change. They know perfectly well that their actions have been despicable and that sooner or later the expats will start complaining that they've been left in the lurch.

Several groups of alarmed expats have been organizing a response. I've found the following appeal on another board:

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/...8009#post18009

" [DVART] Please spend a few minutes to send an email before it is too late.

A member of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has agreed to raise the matter on the committee and it would be very helpful if you could email the clerk of the committee with copies to the Chairman of the BBC and the Minister for Culture Media and Sport.

Contact details

To

Mr Fergus Reid
Clerk
Culture, Media and Sport Committee
7 Millbank
London SW1P 3JA
email [email protected]

cc

Gavyn Davies,

Chairman of the BBC Governors

[email protected]

Tessa Jowell MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
[email protected]

Points to Raise (please use your own words)

1. Public broadcasters in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland broadcast their public service radio to the whole of Europe. Why shouldn't the richest Public Service Broadcaster in the whole of Europe (the BBC) do the same ?

2. Keeping radio on a Europe wide basis will cost very little and probably much less than the BBC paid Angus Deayton for one appearance on "Have I got news for you".

3. The Irish Broadcaster RTE uses the same system as the BBC for TV (Astra 2d) but still offers its equivalent to Radio 4 (RTE1) on a Europe wide basis.

4. The BBC encouraged people on the Continent to install expensive satellite equipment to receive its Radio broadcasts. Yet for months, Senior BBC management must have known that the BBC was encouraging listeners to waste their money.

5. The BBC have suggested that radio via the Internet is an alternative, but this is extremely expensive, the sound quality is inadequate and not everyone has access.

6. Radio stations such as BBC 7, Radio 4 and Radio 1 have a particular resonance with a growing number of listeners in the ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe. These stations compliment BBC World Service Radio and promote a positive image of Britain at minimal cost.

7. Peter Knowles Channel Editor of the BBC Parliament TV channel says that his service will be staying as a pan European TV channel , so why not radio as well ?

8. European Consumers will not have confidence in digital TV and Radio technology, if a major player such as the BBC can encourage listeners to make expensive equipment installations, only to make the purchase worthless in just two months time."