FTV Response from Government

Hiram Hackenbacker wrote:

: But do those agreements require the use of CA? I doubt it and would
: expect that ITV, CH4 and CH5 could simply go FTV anytime they want and
: let the contracts expire.

Not true with C5 at least (and VERY unlikely with the others). Sky do
all of C5's encoding and encryption for them....and C5 just signed a new
5-year deal this month!

"Hiram Hackenbacker" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 15:24:34 +0100, "Simon"
wrote:

We are advised by the Independent Television Commission that their
present conditional access agreements with Sky has some time to run.

But do those agreements require the use of CA? I doubt it and would
expect that ITV, CH4 and CH5 could simply go FTV anytime they want and
let the contracts expire.

--
Hiram Hackenbacker

So to clarify :-

BBC TV - available on all platforms for no more than the cost of a TV
Licence;

ITV1,C4, C5 - available for no more than the TV Licence (and adverts),
UNLESS you're watching via DSat which requires the paying of fees to Sky.

Hardly a surprise that the BBC get preferential treatment, given they are
the state-sponsored national broadcaster. I just hope the 3 other channels
receive suitable advice from their advert agency customers the expected
loss of advertisement revenue as the Solus cards are discontinued and DSat
viewers are all but strongarmed into the $ly empire. It's not like Freeview
and/or cable are viable options for everybody. At this rate terrestrial
analogue should be switched off in the year 2525.

--
Carl

On 16 Jul 2003 15:48:01 GMT, Brian McIlwrath
wrote:

Hiram Hackenbacker wrote:

: But do those agreements require the use of CA? I doubt it and would
: expect that ITV, CH4 and CH5 could simply go FTV anytime they want and
: let the contracts expire.

Not true with C5 at least (and VERY unlikely with the others). Sky do
all of C5's encoding and encryption for them....and C5 just signed a new
5-year deal this month!

But are CH5 legally bound to use Sky? - by which I mean couldn't CH5
simply go FTV and write off the sums they have paid (and have still to
pay) Sky?

I may sign an agreement with someone to provide a service and pay for
it - very rarely am I then legally obliged to use the service.

--
Hiram Hackenbacker

Simon wrote:
Thank you for your email of 8 July about free-to-view broadcasting on
digital satellite.
[SNIP]
Finally, you will wish to know that Tessa Jowell has written to the
respective Chief Executives of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BSkyB
seeking clarification regarding their position over current and
future free-to-view access to their services on digital satellite. We
will publish the results of those enquiries on the digital television
website www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk as soon as it is possible to do
so.

Yours sincerely,

John Baldock

Broadcasting Policy Division
I too got the same email. The final paragraph I found interesting. At least
it appears that the gov realise something is wrong.
Also had reply letter from my MP, Andrew Hunter, which says he has had
complaints from other constituents as well. Not surprising as the C5 and
freeview from Hannington are useless.
He says he will be speaking to chairman of BSkyB about the matter.

"BillR" wrote in message
...
Simon wrote:
Thank you for your email of 8 July about free-to-view broadcasting on
digital satellite.
[SNIP]
Finally, you will wish to know that Tessa Jowell has written to the
respective Chief Executives of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BSkyB
seeking clarification regarding their position over current and
future free-to-view access to their services on digital satellite. We
will publish the results of those enquiries on the digital television
website www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk as soon as it is possible to do
so.

Yours sincerely,

John Baldock

Broadcasting Policy Division
I too got the same email. The final paragraph I found interesting. At
least
it appears that the gov realise something is wrong.
Also had reply letter from my MP, Andrew Hunter, which says he has had
complaints from other constituents as well. Not surprising as the C5 and
freeview from Hannington are useless.
He says he will be speaking to chairman of BSkyB about the matter.


Great, we'll all be saved.

In article ,
Carl wrote:
Hardly a surprise that the BBC get preferential treatment, given they are
the state-sponsored national broadcaster.

Sky are not allowed to treat any broadcaster preferentially. Every product
that the BBC buys from Sky is available to any broadcaster.

So, postcoding without buying encryption (admittedly a new product from
SSSL) *is* available to any broadcaster.

Dave
--
Email: MSN Messenger:

BillR wrote:
I too got the same email. The final paragraph I found interesting. At
least it appears that the gov realise something is wrong.
Also had reply letter from my MP, Andrew Hunter, which says he has had
complaints from other constituents as well. Not surprising as the C5
and freeview from Hannington are useless.
He says he will be speaking to chairman of BSkyB about the matter.

Got a letter from him too, saying the same :-)

I've still had no reply from Meridian TV (my local provider). Not even the
courtesy of an aknowledgement and I wrote them a very nice email ;-) Perhaps
I've touched a raw nerve there!!!


Adam :-)

"Carl" wrote in message
...

"Hiram Hackenbacker" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 15:24:34 +0100, "Simon"
wrote:

We are advised by the Independent Television Commission that their
present conditional access agreements with Sky has some time to run.

But do those agreements require the use of CA? I doubt it and would
expect that ITV, CH4 and CH5 could simply go FTV anytime they want and
let the contracts expire.

--
Hiram Hackenbacker

So to clarify :-

BBC TV - available on all platforms for no more than the cost of a TV
Licence;

ITV1,C4, C5 - available for no more than the TV Licence (and adverts),
UNLESS you're watching via DSat which requires the paying of fees to Sky.

Hardly a surprise that the BBC get preferential treatment, given they are
the state-sponsored national broadcaster. I just hope the 3 other channels
receive suitable advice from their advert agency customers the
expected
loss of advertisement revenue as the Solus cards are discontinued and DSat
viewers are all but strongarmed into the $ly empire. It's not like
Freeview
and/or cable are viable options for everybody. At this rate terrestrial
analogue should be switched off in the year 2525.

--
Carl




The year is 2525.

Buck Rogers finally receives Digital TV...

Colonel Willmar is still wearing tight fitting cat suits...

ADC wrote:
I've still had no reply from Meridian TV (my local provider). Not
even the courtesy of an acknowledgement and I wrote them a very nice
email ;-) Perhaps I've touched a raw nerve there!!!

I'm still waiting for an acknowledgement from them, about a question
I asked on January 8th *last year* regarding the accuracy of their Sky
EPG entries.