2008/10/17 Phil Lewis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Doesn't the BBC also derive some of it's funding from non-license fee > activities? If this is the case then C4 and the BBC are both indirectly > funded by the tax payer and commercial activities although in different > proportions and to a different scale.
BBC Worldwide is forbidden to compete directly with BBC services, but it does flog lots of magazines and DVDs using BBC brands. The main BBC Worldwide activity in the UK is UKTV, home of "Dave" and "Watch", "Blighty" and "Alibi" etc. This is 50% BBCWW and 50% Virgin Media. Dawkins knows why UKTV uses SSSL encryption on it's satellite services, free to air channels get all the viewers! > > > Since most residents are TV license payers and the vast majority of > those will be UK tax payers, I think there should also be a similar > campaign for non-DRM-encumbered output on C4 also :-) After all, > national DTT muxes and UHF channels don't come cheap - The new Discovery slot on Multiplex A is said to have cost between £10-£30m p/a to rent from SDN (or ITV plc as they are known). > if they were > auctioned commercially to C4 I'm sure the gov't would make quite a large > amount of money in the order of billions of £s. Well, not billions. But if 1/8th of a multiplex is £20m p/a, that makes C4 statutory half of multiplex 2 worth around £80m a year. However, the coverage of Mux 2 is "universal" rather than "commercial" so this would shove the price up a bit. > > > > On Fri, 2008-10-17 at 11:12 +0100, Brian Butterworth wrote: > > 2008/10/17 Kevin Hinde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Iain Wallace wrote: > > > > So it looks like C4 is shareholder-free. > > > > > > Wow, every day is a school day. I never realised that. Even > > > so, none of my money is going towards Channel 4 so I don't > > > feel like it's any of my business how they digitally > > > distribute their programming. > > > > > > In a sense, some of your money goes towards Channel 4 because > > they get > > free analogue spectrum in return for their public service > > responsibilities. Hard to say exactly what the value of that > > subsidy is. > > > > > > This isn't strictly true. Channel 4 IS a public service broadcaster, > > has been since the first day. For this reason they were provided > > with the fourth UHF channel in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland > > by the Broadcasting Act 1980, and granted half a Freeview multiplex by > > the 1996 Act. > > > > > > Whatever happened to backstage's OFCOM mole? > > > > > > He got too senior a job there! > > > > > > > > Kevin. > > > > > > - > > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To > > unsubscribe, please visit > > http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial list archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Brian Butterworth > > > > NEW LOOK! http://www.ukfree.tv - independent digital television and > > switchover advice, since 2002 > > > > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial list archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ > -- Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002
