We've been cut off!!!

[Joanbunting Profile]

Morning everyone.

The Beeb strikes again - or possibly the olympic "partners"

Most evening we listen to PM usually on a computer as we are often in different parts of the house. Last night all we got was a repeated vocal message saying "Due to rights restrictions this part of the programme is unavailable".

M immediately emailed the programme to find what the problem was and late last night got a reply from Eddie appologising but saying that because of rights "issues" the programme would not be available for the duration of the games.

We both find this astonishing and infuriating and not a little sinister.

Would love to have your opinions and suggestions as to how to publicise this outrage.

[Dover Soul Profile]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbpointsofview ... ad=8369637

Does any of this help?

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Dover Soul

Thank you for the link which we had looked at.

What makes us so frustrated is the fact that, apart from that site there was no warning and no real explanation.

As M said in his POV post whose rights are we talking about ?

Of course it only affects people listening on line overseas but there are a heck of a lot of people whose only contact with the BEEB is that way.

Rearrange into a well known phrase "shoots itself Beeb again foot in"

[Dover Soul Profile]

Rearrange into a well known phrase "shoots itself Beeb again foot in"

I don't think so Joan, I don't think this is a BBC decision, nor is it within the control of the BBC.

Quote from BBC4 PM website -

"Featured


International Rights Restrictions during the Olympics


The BBC’s agreement with the International Olympic Committee means we are not allowed to broadcast anything online from the Olympic Park or Olympic venues outside of the UK.

As a result this programme may need to be blanked for International listeners due to rights issues surrounding Olympic content in programmes."

[Joanbunting Profile]

OK Dover Soul, but not entire programmes surely. I am not at all worried about Olympic news on PM I can get that via World service French Radio and TV etc probably even al Jazeera if I so desired but if I want a British view on finance, politics etc I am being denied.

[Dover Soul Profile]

Joan, all I'm saying is that you can't blame the BBC, if you want to complain you will have to take it up with the IOC.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Having looked into it I do now accept that Dover Soul.

But I think most overseas listeners will be very disappointed and annoyed.

Now how do we get at the IOC - or will there be a long waiting line ?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

A part of the problem is that this week all sorts of news programs are broadcasting from the Olympic venues; so the whole program isn't available overseas. When the BBC on-site studios are full of sports commentators, they will go back to their normal locations I expect

BBC 1 Breakfast news came from the stadium this morning, for no very good reason (IMO) - though I suppose that it is partly stress-testing

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Sue

I think you might have hit on it. The email we had said the entire programme would be unavailable for the duration.

[Tatihou Profile]

And here it is in the news...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jul/27/ioc-ban-hits-radio-4-shows

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jul/27/olympic-overseas-ban-radio-4

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Tatihou

Thank you for that - very interesting and a summary of what we have discovered since the programmes went off.

I just have two things to say.

It would have been nice if the Beeb had warned their many faithful listeners in advance.

Of course we all know there a several ways of getting around such things but most are, to say the least, not entirely legal. So the IOC would prefer thousands of people to break the law so they can protect their ""rights"

Anyway it has been of little consequence for the last 48 hours because Orange kindly arranged one of their summer special "outings"

[jeral Profile]

The Olympics are causing crazy road closures around event locations too.

We were drawn (in a car) farther and farther into the centre of a maze due to road closures today at a location where an event will take place two days from now, yet all but one (seemingly) way of getting out of the maze was "Road Closed". Luckily the driver knew the area (including all alternative routes and back streets having lived there) and he found only one(!) way of exiting the maze which was actually open! - and all we wanted to do was pass through two days ahead of the event. That was after 30 minutes of queuing in various stagnant traffic queues and trying alternatives. Doh! Still, Olympics Rule! Doncha know.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Result

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/ju ... sfeed=true

It would appear that there have been thousands and thousands of objections so finally common sense has prevailed!

[jeral Profile]

Jolly good It is surprising to me that the IOC is (was) so all-powerful that they could effectively put a gagging order on the UK's public broadcasting network - you'd think there'd at least have been questions in the House that it could be allowed - and for a sporting event too (hardly WWIII)! At least the "gag" has now been redefined.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi Jeral

I suppose there might have been had the house been sitting.

I still think the BEEB (or more likely their lawyers) were so feeble as to let it happen in the first place

[Stokey Sue Profile]

It is a question of contracts for all sporting events

BBC can't show any of certain football matches, FI races, cricket matches etc

The BBC doesn't actually make the Olympic sports TV - the OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Service makes them and the BBC buys the pictures for use within the UK; a French company buys the right to use them within France, and so for the USA (NBS), Japan, etc etc. So it seems quite reasonable that the contract with OBS says you can only broadcast our pics (and sound) in the territories for which you have paid

It is still a bit surprising to me that the blanket ban extends to content made entirely by the BBC that happens, almost incidentally, to be made at an Olympic venue and in the era of the Internet, maybe this needs review

However don't think this is something that is specific to the BBC or to the London Olympics - it is the bog standard IOC/OBS way of working, it just wasn't an issue in the days when national broadcasters didn't have the technology to broadcast across borders.