No TV Licence

[Alex321]

Well, that's the only link between S4C and BBC. S4C gets its own smaller DCMS grant, not licence fee money from the BBC.

No it isn't.

First, the BBC disagree with you about t being a separate grant. They think S4C is partially funded from the licence fee.
Second, they have a strategic agreement for cooperation, with the BBC providing at least 520 hours per year of S4C content. While some BBC Studios content is bought by other broadcasters, that is not close to the same level of cooperation.

And S4C content is all available on iPlayer. No other broadcaster has that.

And they share the broadcasting centre in Cardiff.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/governance/s4c

 

[mjr]

No it isn't.

First, the BBC disagree with you about t being a separate grant. They think S4C is partially funded from the licence fee.

S4C is indeed partially funded from the licence fee, but it's still a separate DCMS grant to one to the BBC. You may be getting confused by the government letting licence fee collection out to the BBC Licence Fee Trust, who collect it under names like "TV Licensing Authority" which Capita and friends do much of the actual work/bullying for, as described in earlier posts. The income still goes into government funds and then DCMS uses it to fund grants to broadcasters.

You can see the grants in the DCMS accounts (figures are in £thousands):

Second, they have a strategic agreement for cooperation, with the BBC providing at least 520 hours per year of S4C content. While some BBC Studios content is bought by other broadcasters, that is not close to the same level of cooperation.

And S4C content is all available on iPlayer. No other broadcaster has that.

I expect BBC would host other Public Service Broadcasters if the price was right or it made sense to them. Broadcasters often make strategic agreements, whether that stops at cooperation or results in merger or takeover, but it doesn't make them the same corporate family until then.

And they share the broadcasting centre in Cardiff.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/governance/s4c

So they sublet some space. BBC Look East broadcasts from the central library building in Norwich, but that doesn't make them part of the Norfolk County Council family. S4C's HQ is in Carmarthen not the Cardiff studios. That's an even weaker argument than S4C being in "the BBC family" because BBC currently collects the licence fee that funds it.

So, I feel the only way that the original claim:

None of the channels outside the BBC family get any funding from the licence, regardless of nationality.

is true, is if you redefine the BBC family to include all channels funded by the licence fee, which seems rather circular and not what's generally seen as a family of companies.

 

[Alex321]

So, I feel the only way that the original claim:

is true, is if you redefine the BBC family to include all channels funded by the licence fee, which seems rather circular and not what's generally seen as a family of companies.

That is only one part of the reason.

What S4C themselves said, in 2021 (my bold) -
S4C Chief Executive, Owen Evans.

"As we move our headquarters to Yr Egin and partner with the BBC for our broadcast services, we are ensuring a successful end to S4C's transformation of its former headquarters at Parc Ty Glas.

"From now on the BBC will be responsible for S4C's broadcasting and distribution on television and online, as well as S4C's technical infrastructure. I would like to thank everyone who has worked diligently to ensure this successful transition."

Director of BBC Cymru Wales, Rhodri Talfan Davies said:

"Today sees S4C's playout go live from the BBC's new broadcast centre in Central Square and is testament to the hard work and dedication of teams from both broadcasters.

"This complex programme has been even more challenging as we continue to navigate the global pandemic and I'd like to thank all those involved in this significant collaboration for getting us to this important milestone."

S4C will continue to commission and schedule as usual and the channel's headquarters will remain at S4C's Yr Egin Centre, Carmarthen with an office also remaining in Caernarfon.

If you wanty to still say they aren't part of the same "Family", fine. But I suspect most people will think they are.

 

[mjr]

If you wanty to still say they aren't part of the same "Family", fine. But I suspect most people will think they are.

Because they use BBC for playout, in the way other channels use Arqiva (or did until they stopped) or Ericsson/Red Bee? Pull the other one! Most people neither know nor care which playout service each channel uses. Well, until it goes offline https://www.tvbeurope.com/media-man...-bees-broadcast-centre-takes-channels-off-air

 

[Drago]

I see the serial pervert employers BBC have mooted the return of a llicence for listenjng to the BBC on the radio.

Theyve clearly forgotten that the old radio licence (yes, there was such a thing!) was abolished in the early 70s because so few people were paying it the whole shebang became unenforceable.

Ditto extending the licence to cover viewing Netflix.

They just need to accept that im not paying it snd never will, and neither will millions of other deliberate non payers, so they need to come up with something else rather than flogging the same dwad horse harder and harder in the hope it suddenly springs back to life.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don't have a radio

 

[Drago]

Im waiting for Hugh Hefner tomorrow round to check if I'm reading Playboy.

 

[potsy]

I had my monthly threatening letter last week, they just go straight in the bin now, the joy of seeing where they are up to with my investigation has gone.

Will you be in on...blah blah blah

 

[mjr]

I don't have a radio

I do, but the BBC medium wave transmitter in my town is expected to be turned off next year, the supposed fm equivalent doesn't really cover us and DAB radios are still too expensive to replace all my radios, so I suspect I'll mostly be listening to radio on my phone by streaming from the TV set top box to the speakers in whatever room I'm in. And less of it will be BBC because there's so much more choice on satellite than analogue. ORF, BR & Radio France are all good.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I see the serial pervert employers BBC have mooted the return of a llicence for listenjng to the BBC on the radio.

Theyve clearly forgotten that the old radio licence (yes, there was such a thing!) was abolished in the early 70s because so few people were paying it the whole shebang became unenforceable.

Ditto extending the licence to cover viewing Netflix.

They just need to accept that im not paying it snd never will, and neither will millions of other deliberate non payers, so they need to come up with something else rather than flogging the same dwad horse harder and harder in the hope it suddenly springs back to life.

The only source I could find for that is an article in The Sun, which can be treated as a work of fiction. Nowhere does it quote anyone from the BBC stating there will be a return of the radio licence.

https://archive.is/lew9m - none paywall link

I use BBC sounds a lot, on my computer or alexa mostly. In the unlikely event they do decide to do this I'll simply not use it anymore, I might get a DAB radio but more likely I'd setup my own media server to listen to my own music or other different radio stations.