Radio programmes are no longer available on the BBC iPlayer, with the introduction of the Corporation's new Sounds platform.
The idea, according to the BBC, is to make radio content more readily available and accessible to younger listeners. The new service launched with 80,000 hours of "unmissable" music, radio and podcasts available to stream either live or on-demand at the push of a button.
James Purnell, former Labour Party leech and BBC Director of Radio and Education, said: "BBC Sounds will bring you all our audio at the touch of a button. We’ll do the hard work of finding the right mix, podcast or radio programme for you. It’s the start of an adventure - we’ll learn from our audiences to keep improving what Sounds offers, so we can bring the best to everyone."
Bob Shennan, Director of Radio and Music, added: "BBC Radio has always been brilliant at reinventing itself and BBC Sounds is the next chapter in that great tradition. We make the best radio, podcasts, and offer the best music curation in the world - and through BBC Sounds we can ensure more people than ever can enjoy that when and how they want."
The death of iPlayer radio has a deeper significance to us here at the TV Licensing Blog. Until now anyone challenged by TV Licensing over their use of the BBC iPlayer could simply say "I only listen to radio programmes" and there was no way of proving otherwise. With the BBC's on-demand television and radio offerings now totally separate, unlicensed BBC iPlayer viewers will not be able to offer that defence.
Of course anyone who follows the golden rule of no contact at all with TV Licensing is unlikely to have any difficulties in the future.
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Will this mean you can't listen to other non BBC radio stations through TV?
ReplyDeleteYou can still use your TV set to listen to any radio channel without the need for a TV licence.
ReplyDelete"This blog is to highlight the unjust persecution of legitimate non-TV users at the hands of TV Licensing. These people do not require a licence and are entitled to live without the unnecessary stress and inconvenience caused by TV Licensing's correspondence and employees." That's why I very much value this website - got to say your post here could be seen as a little ambiguous in part though?
ReplyDeleteMy main comment for today however is about the BBC News website - sorry if this is the wrong place but more relevant headings are very old & out of date by now. I do not have TV but listen to BBC radio (& now 'Sounds') & visit the BBC news & weather website most days. I'm concerned that (for example) on my regional news page there's a red block labelled 'LIVE' which links to text & photo & video 'clip' updates which don't appear to be TV broadcast. Otoh on the main news page when a big story is breaking a similar red 'Live' box appears to link to the BBC News Channel - but without any obvious indication that it's broadcast TV or any warning that a licence may be needed. So accidental connection to a broadcast feed is likely & ultimately online visitors are traceable via ISPs. Any comment? Advice?
Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually something we have mused over previously (see here), but we've never achieved a satisfactory response from the BBC or TV Licensing about it. The "live" BBC News channel does require a TV licence, no doubt at all about that. However, the way the legislation is written any video at all on the BBC News website could be considered a BBC on-demand programme and therefore licensable content. However, we doubt the BBC intended the legislation to be applied so literally to the videos it embeds on the News website. TV Licensing would need to prosecute such a case in order to determine an accurate legal standpoint.