Satellite viewers may lose ITV

timpat

This headline is appearing on the BroadcastNow.co.uk site.

web address below - Anyone got access to this site for the full article? Does it mean end of FTV card scheme????

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/frames/master.asp?sid=22

Satellite viewers may lose ITV

Up to a million viewers, who watch the main public service broadcasters on satellite but do not take a Sky package, could be frozen out of ITV, Channel 4 and Five by the end of the year, writes Leigh

dmeehan

sounds wrong
isnt it a legal requirement that itv is carried?

dmeehan

broadcastnow.co.uk want users to fork £140 sterling for an anual subscription, whats so special about it?

icdg

Nope, they were not on DSat from 1998 until 2001.

From the looks of it you're right in the statement that this may mean end of FTV card scheme. I don't have site access so I'll check the print copy of Broadcast on Monday. If Eason get it this week... it seems to appear here on an on-off basis.

carrolls

Here is the article

Up to a million viewers, who watch the main public service broadcasters on satellite but do not take a Sky package, could be frozen out of ITV, Channel 4 and Five by the end of the year, writes Leigh Holmwood

At present anyone who wants to receive free-to-air channels through satellite but does not want to pay for a Sky package needs a special smartcard - called a Solus card - which is paid for by the BBC as part of its "universality" strategy.

Around 250,000 people use a Solus card. A further 600,000, who originally took a Sky package but then cancelled their subscriptions, use a similar smartcard which the BBC subsidises. Both cards allow access to encrypted public service channels.

However, the BBC will stop funding this system from the end of May after it decided not to renew its "conditional access" contract with Sky. It will move to a new satellite where its services will be accessible unencrypted.

The BBC-funded cards still work, but Sky is in the process of replacing all smart cards to take account of updated technology. As the BBC will not contribute to the cost of their replacement none will be re-allocated, blocking viewers’ access to the commercial free-to-air channels in digital.

ITV, C4 and Five have so far not indicated to Sky that they will take over funding the cards from the BBC.

One commercial channel source told Broadcast the cost of providing the cards was not merited and they would prefer viewers to watch them via analogue instead.

ITV, C4 and Five said they were currently reviewing their options and would hold discussions with each other on the issue soon.


Source:broadcastnow.co.uk

robert muldoon

Originally posted by carrolls
Here is the article

I just got a new BBC FTV card in the last 2 weeks - What does this mean?

carrolls

I'm just after phoning the BBC FTV card number (870 243 8000)and asked a similar question.
I asked "Will the old FTV cards need to be replaced?"
I was told the old FTV cards will not be replaced, but will continue working indefinately. Even after May 31st.
I asked her is this an official policy? She said
"thats what they were informed, but she is unaware of any plan to switch off the old FTV cards."
She said only the old Sky subscription cards will be replaced.

TVDX

I tell you what, Thank god for Carrolls!!, always has an optimistic outlook, and its reassuring because this issue is something i have wanted to clear up for ages.

I have 2 old FTV cards, one mis matched, one matched,
and i have just ordered a new card, through a very nice guy from the Digitalspy forums after i had posted looking for help on getting one(try it, it works!).

So, to hear the old cards will be working is excellent news,
i will still go ahead and pair this new version on to my box just to sort of upgrade at least, for safety.

So if its true that cards will continue working,
but that they just wont issue more after May 30th,
then this will have to do,
i advise if you havent gotten one, do it now,
lets hope they just say right, just leave the people who have it and dont give them to anymore, though this i must say is unfair.

Richard

I can't see how this would affect existing FTV card holders. And I'm sure people who cancelled their subs wouldn't lose ITV/4/5 either. It is just that if the scheme folded, you wouldn't be able to get a FTV card in the same way as now.

On another point - one of the big drawbacks of the scheme IMHO is that it clutters up the EPG with loads of Pay-tv channels which can't be watched. It would make more sense only to list the FTV channels.

carrolls

It would make more sense only to list the FTV channels.

More sense to whom? Filtering the non pay channels would make the FTV package too attractive for Sky's customers.

Richard

Originally posted by carrolls
More sense to whom?

Not to Sky, obviously. But you'd think that those people who operate the FTV card system might have some say in what channels appear in the FTV EPG. Or maybe not...