On Tue Sep 27 12:18:53 BST 2016, Roger Bell_West wrote:
so far use of iPlayer for _radio_ programmes
does not require a licence
Though not clear in the BBC News article
that started this thread, the Daily Mail one
(linked to by CJB) states:
From early next year, anyone accessing TV and radio content
via the streaming service will have to
register their names, email addresses, and postcodes.
So it would appear the obligatory login (via BBC ID)
will also apply to iPlayerRadio users, despite, as you
correctly said, no TV licence is (currently) required for that...
or residency in the UK.
Again, I fear this will also apply to Int'l users (in the millions...)
wishing to access iPlayerRadio offered to them (in low bitrates);
in their recently revised pages:
https://www.bbc.com/register/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/account/help-registering/
you need provide age, valid e-mail address and password;
their "register" page automatically figures out (via IP check)
physical location of registeree and auto-completes the
Country input field; if !=UK, you need not provide a postcode.
From Tuesday, BBC ID holders also have to
add a postcode to their account.
TV Licensing has access to the information
but the BBC says it has no current plans
to use it for enforcement purposes.
The corporation says the changes are part of an attempt
to make its services more personal and localised
...yeah, right... Localised to a specific postcode!!!
County/City would have sufficed for that...
This compulsory login, come next year, is but a prelude
to the next stage where valid TV licence credentials will
also be required in the login, at least for TV content
(a speculation on my part...).
Just have a look over at the major TV-On-Demand
sites in the US; they all require you
"Select your TV provider, sign in and watch."
When the real underlying issue is loss of revenue,
tightening the control over those who access iPlayer
comes as no surprise;
The BBC has said "significant numbers of new people"
have bought a licence since the new rules came into effect.
Probably not that "significant" to have resulted in this new
tighter access scheme...
(I very rarely contribute to OT-ish threads,
this is just one of those instances...
Apologies to those that feel annoyed by the noise...)
Kind regards
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