It noted that:
BBC One aired 2,736 rerun shows in the year to March 2011, up 1.7% from 2006,
Nearly half of all content shown on BBC Two (49.8%) was repeats over the 12 months, up from just 30% six years ago.
BBC Four’s schedule was made up of 79% repeated programming, but BBC Three hit 84.2% reruns, a total of 3,144 shows.

The first point “BBC One aired 2,736 rerun shows in the year to March 2011, up 1.7% from 2006″ does sound a bit pointless. A 1.7% increase in the number of repeats…but note that that increase is over 5 years from 2006. Which does not make it sound that bad after all!!!

Yes BBC Three and BBC Four repeat figures are high, but then they have been allocated a small budget in comparison to BBC One and BBC Two, so obviously you would expect some repeats.

And strangely people still ask if there will be a “BBC1+1″ timeshift channel. Which in this age of Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), like Sky+ and Freesat+ missing programmes is less likely. And even more so when the BBC Iplayer is available for you to download programmes up to 7 days after transmission.

However, expect the Daily Mail to get even more uptight as the number of repeats starts to increase as the BBC decides what to do in the wake of its 20% budget cut / license fee freeze implemented by the UK Government. It has already been suggested that BBC2 in the daytime will become a channel of repeats, with limited new programming in the evenings only. And they have to find programmes to fill the gaps left by the reduction in live sporting events. 10 Formula one races of the 2012 season will not be shown live, most of the Australian Open Tennis which starts next week will not be shown live on any channel, not even the Red Button service.
As for the BBC, it is trying to do the best it can, and reduce its costs, with the 20% reduction in its funding. Even commercial broadcasters struggle with repeats. You only have to look at ITV3, and its repeats of programmes like Minder every day. And this week Channel 4 have suggested that they may launch a “catch up” channel, showing the best C4 programmes of the last week.

Sky HD users will not have to do anything, as their Sky HD box will automatically update to the enw frequency.

Freesat HD users may have to perform a new Freesat channel scan to make sure that their Freesat HD receiver is using the new frequency. If this scan is not completed then you may not be able to watch C4 HD, as your Freesat HD box may be still trying to use the old, now defunct frequency.

Any other receivers will need to be manually updated, usually via the installation menu.

As part of its “How to build” series, this programme follows satellite manufacturer Astrium as they build a state-of-the-art communication satellite. With exclusive access to specialist manufacturer Astrium, this programme shows step-by-step how to assemble one of the most complicated machines in the world.

And from the preview, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lysc9, the satellite being followed is Astra 2F, which will be launched and used for UK Satellite TV.

In addition, BBC2s output during the day will change – dramatically.

According to reports most of the daily BBC 2 output will be repeats, with new programming commencing from 6pm, with some coming from BBC3 and BBC4.

Many popular BBC2 programme will move to BBC1, or just no longer be made.

And to make way for these BBC2 programmes on BBC!, it has been suggested that the “kids strand” on BBC1 will be no more, and will just move to the two BBC Childrens channels – CbbC and Cbeebies. Common sense, as in a few years time everyone will have access to the BBC digital channels, so if every once can receive Cbbc and Cbeebies, why have a kids strand on BBC1.

And there are also budget cuts for BBC News. Which I am not surprised about – when you see press conferences, there are always about 5 BBC journalists from various departments (BBC News TV, BBC Radio 4, BBC Webteam, Newsround!) ,asking question, when surely just one needs to be there to ask questions and to report the answers.

Sky box and Freesat box users should not be affected, but if you are using any other type of satellite receiver, then you will have lost access to these channels. You may have them listed in your channel guide as “Stream”.

These channels have now been removed from their previous frequency (12441 v) to the old BBC News frequency of 11954 h.

So if you are using a non Sky or non Freesat box, then you need perform a scan (see your user manual for how to perform this) on frequency 11954 H. The “stream” channels are now (currently) listed as and look for the channel marked 6711 6712 6713 6714 6715.

Currently no channels are being shown on the OLD BBC Sports streams frequency of 12441 v. This will be an issue for some motor home users, especially if they have an automatic self seeking satellite dish system. Many of these systems have been programmed to use this frequency to “lock” onto the UK TV satellites. As this frequency is no longer carrying any channels, then these systems will not be able to lock onto the satellites.

The channels affected are:
True Movies 1
True Movies 2
True Entertainment
Bliss
Chart Show TV
Dance Nation
Flava
Kix
NME TV
Pop
Pop Girl
Pop Girl+1
Scuzz
The Vault
Tiny Pop
Tiny Pop +1

Whilst people with Sky boxes should not be affected, as their Sky boxes will automatically update to the new frequencies, some Freesat box users and some “generic” free to air receivers may be affected and may no longer be able to receive these channels.

For Freesat box users, a simple Freesat channel scan should reload these channels into the Freesat channel list with the new frequencies.

For other box users, then oyu will need to perform a scan of the new frequency for these channels, using the channel scan option in your recievers menu system.

The new frequency for these channels is 11307 v 27500 FEC 2/3

For other box users, then you will need to perform a scan of the new frequency for these channels, using the channel scan option in your receivers menu system.

It is thought that this change of frequency for these channels is due to interference from DECT phones and other wireless devices that can result in loss of these channels. In fact , these channels used to run adverts saying if you are affected by interference move the DECT phones and wireless internet router away from the TV, satellite receiver and satellite cable….although how you are meant to see those adverts if you cannot receive those channels beats me….

So what is Real Digital TV?

Well, its just yet another name to join Freesta and Sky in providing your satellite TV. They will have their own EPG, their own set top boxes, but use the same “signals” and satellite as the exisiting Freesat and Sky services.

But where they differ, is that Real Digital say they are also able to offer some PAY channels also. It may be that Sky Sports would be made available to Real Digital customers as a stand alone channel, without the need to subscribe to other Sky TV packages.

However, we shall wait and see what happens…if this system does eventually launch…

This came around when, in Sweden, two tenants installed a satellite dish on their rented property, and the landlord ordered them to take it down. The tenants refused and the landlord threw them out of the property. The tenants took the Swedish Government to court, claiming the Swedish government had failed in its obligation to protect the couple’s right to receive information.

European judges ruled in favour of the tenants, and said that satellite dishes come under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as it provides required news and information.

Yet, the EU Television Sans Frontiers (TV without Frontiers, now the AVMS Directive) includes provisions within it for landlords rights and planning permission with regards to satellite dishes.

So do we have a case of two “laws” saying two different things..!

Surely this ruling in relation to the Swedish tenants is in relation to “receiving of information”. Maybe a satellite dish is not required, maybe that information is also available on digital terrestrial. Maybe it’s also available on the internet, so not “TV” service is required to be installed…

Is this another case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing?

The BBC iPlayer service is a live event, video on demand and “catch-up” service. If you are in the UK, then it is available on various platforms, like internet, and Freesat. It allows you to watch the BBC channel live on the internet, and also, under its catch-up service, view programmes that you may have missed.

The UK version of the BBC iPlayer is available for free, but you do require a UK TV License to watch the live TV broadcasts. According to the TV Licensing authority, if you use iPlayer to watch TV programmes at the same time as they are being shown on TV – such as live sporting events – then you need to be covered by a valid TV licence. However, if you use the service to watch programmes after they have been broadcast, either as downloads or via streaming on-demand, then you do not need a licence.

However, this “UK version” of the BBC iPlayer is for UK only use. If expats in Spain were trying to watch IPlayer services in Spain, then they would be blocked. The BBC iPlayer would check the “internet address” and see if the user was in the UK or not. There are a few ways around this, like subscribing to a “VPN” service or use a “”internet address” blocking service to trick the BBC iPlayer into thinking you are actually connecting from within the UK.

However, recently, after many months of speculating, the BBC have launched a version of the iPlayer designed for expats. The service will be a bit different for international users compared to the UK. Firstly, the BBC iPlayer “Global” version is currently only available on iPads. It is not yet available via internet or on Freesat receivers being used outside the UK.

The iPad app is free to download. And although some content on BBC iPlayer Global version is provided free, albeit with some pre programme advertising, to gain full access you will need a subscription of € 6.99 per month or € 49.99 per year.

At the moment the service is only available in 11 countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Again, “internet address” checks are in place to make sure subscribers are within the iPlayer “official” territory. US and Canada will be next to gain access to the global BBC iPlayer in Q4 2011. Australia will follow in Q4 2011/Q1 2012.

Also, unlike the UK version of iPlayer, radio won’t yet be available on the global iPlayer.

And, there is no requirement for users of this global BBC iPlayer to have a UK TV license, as the service is not showing live content, just programmes after they have been broadcast.

It may be a nice opportunity for expats to be able to watch UK TV, but is it really worth it?
Many of the programmes are from the BBCs huge back catalogue of programmes, spanning some 50 years of broadcasting.
Many of the programmes are already available on other subscription TV service channels, like Dave and Watch, where the global BBC iPlayers owners and operators, BBC Worldwide, already have stake. In the same way that it is competing with BBC Worldwide other channels, like the BBC Entertainments / BBC Prime or BBC America channels, subscription based channels designed for expats.

At least it may help in bringing in some more revenue for the BBC, now that it is in the middle of a huge cost cutting exercise with the 5 year license fee freeze the UK government has implemented, which has already impacted on some losses of programming, the most highly publicised being the loss of some Formula One races being shown live on BBC TV from 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv

It will be shown live in the UK on Sky Box Office.

However, it is available for free on other satellites, if you are not too worried about watching the fight with a different counties commentary!

You can always tune into BBC Radio 5 Live for commentary in English.

To be able to watch this fight for free, then you will need a satellite dish pointing towards one of two satellites, either Astra 1 at 19 east, or Hotbird at 13 east.

Astra 19 east
RTL Germany (digital) Frequency 12.188 Horizontal Symbol Rate 27.500 FEC 3/4
RTL Austria (digital) Frequency 12.226 Horizontal Symbol Rate 27.500 FEC 3/4
RTL Germany (Analogue) Frequency 11.229 Vertical Audio channels settings 7.02/7.20

Hotbird 13 east
RTL CH (Switzerland) (digital) Frequency 11.054 Horizontal Symbol Rate 27.500 FEC 5/6