By Tim Ferguson, 20 May 2009 13:58
NEWS
People who only view BBC content through the Beeb's online video-on-demand service iPlayer should pay for the privilege, according to the broadcaster's tech chief.
A loophole which allows those who only watch BBC programming through iPlayer to avoid paying the licence fee means that some users are getting a "free ride", the BBC's director of Future Media and Technology, Erik Huggers told a Broadcasting Press Guild event.
"My view is that if you are using the iPlayer you have to be a television licence fee payer," The Daily Mail quoted Huggers as saying.
"I don't believe in a free ride. If you are consuming BBC services then you have to be a licence holder."
Despite some media reports claiming plans are afoot to charge people for using iPlayer, the BBC has refuted such suggestions.
The broadcaster said in a statement: "These claims are completely false. The BBC has no plans for charges to use the iPlayer or changes to the licence fee. In any case changes to current arrangements would need to be made by Parliament."
However, the BBC's independent regulator, the BBC Trust, recently indicated that a rethink may be required around the TV licence due to changes in the way audiences are consuming publicly funded television content.
A BBC Trust report published last month said: "Legislative change is likely to be required in order to reflect technology changes in the licence fee regulations."
The BBC Trust added at the time that it regularly reviews the impact of new technology on audience behaviour but has so far found that online on-demand viewing tends to supplement television rather than replace it.
Comments
There are 13 comments. Join the discussion
1. Anthony Hunt
Surely a email-based login where the TV licence number is submitted at the account creation point would suffice?
2. anonymous
I know people who have no TV - and hence no licence - but seem to be using iPlayer an awful lot.
3. Hob Monday
How about allowing the BBC to advertise on a variation of the iPlayer, possibly combining their content with other broadcasters to provide a one-stop shop for online viewers instead of a fragmented mish mash of different players and technologies from each broadcaster? Oh yes - the competition commission already vetoed that idea when they killed off kangaroo on the grounds that it wouldnt be in the public interest! Sorry but what planet are they on?
4. Richard
Far simpler, and long overdue: Abolish the TV licence.
Now that almost the whole population benefits from TV, the unfair "poll tax" style TV licence should be abolished, together with the ghastly licence collection mechanisms.
Genuine "public service" content should be funded by a small grant from general taxation;
The remainder of the BBC's activities should be privatised.
This will also end the crazy situation where the BBC's henchmen demand a second licence fee if people watch any TV away from their main (licensed) home.
5. Bob Gear
I have found iPlayer very good for catching up with programmes I missed, either becuase I ddn't know they were on, was doing something else or navigating around the tv chanels stupidly trying to compete for the nine o'clock slot on Friday (and leaving little to watch all the rest of the time) very useful.
If I had to remember and mess about with yet another username and password or other DRM inconvenience I would probably find myself just giving up on the programs.
I gave up on sky player because its a peer to peer network and it is too inconvenient - being restricted to only one computer via its drm mechanism.
6. Andrew Jenkins
Surely if the user has a licence which is uniquely identified then that licence number could be used as a "password" or key to the iPlayer content? With today's database abilities it could be checked in real time against the licence holder database.
7. karen challinor
here it comes
someone has noticed people are watching the BBC without a license
so we have license payers subsidising the free viewers, which isn't fair on the license payers and doesn't gain any revenue for the BBC
so the arguments will be
it will lead to a drop in revenue for programming as people switch to using iPlayer
why should those who pay subsidise those who don't
my internet connection is slow because my neighbour uses iPlayer
leading to calls for internet viewers to pay a license fee to use iPlayer, a blanket internet tax just in case you want to use the iPlayer or an increase in the license fee
I further predict that no one in authority will suggest scrapping the license fee and having the BBC use advertising to support it's business
8. Julian Nicholls
I would say that the vanishing small number of people who do not have a TV licence because they don't have a TV, but still watch iPlayer, are not costing the BBC an amount of money that can be economically collected.
Obviously, anyone watching TV without a licence is not going to pay for iPlayer either.
9. anonymous
It can't be beyond the wit of man to have to enter a key string from your latest licence to verify license payment if that is the worry.
I backed out of it when it became apparent that you are forced to use IE and the kontiki client which seems to use all free cpu cycles available.
I want my resources available to me not the iplayer client.
10. anonymous
Yes, and if you are a license payer you should be able to view I-Player from abroad.
11. Lionel A Smith
karen challinor
'...my internet connection is slow because my neighbour uses iPlayer...'
I am glad that you have brought this point up as I was about to.
I have noticed a further deterioration in my broadband service over recent months, in particular recent weeks probably as interest is fueled by MP's expense claims.
I am running software that tells me exactly where (what nodes) and when packet loss is at a maximum. I frequently see wall to wall red (total packet loss) at certain times of the day.
Customer support only offer the power-down and up cycle advice for the old cable modem but of course I know such exercises are futile.
12. Gee Cee
There is not a "loophole" in the law which enables people to watch television programmes through iplayer without possessing a licence.
iplayer is based on flash software which had already become already widely popular for watching videos online in the year 2002 and 2003.
The BBC started playing with that kind of software in 2005 and brought out iplayer in 2007. Why should the BBC expect payment of £142.50 for its streamed video when other other websites that stream video (and had done for many years before the BBC) do not ask for payment?
any charges made for watching its programs or video clips should be by mutual agreement.
13. blogger123
How will they enforce this?? Will they make you type in your TV license number when you want to watch a video.