BBC World Coming Soon?

[UKintheUS]

This was a letter i got yesterday from BBC World. Looks like if you want it on Dish you have to call and ask.

Dear Mr Marsh

We now have a distribution deal with Discovery and it now depends upon whether your local cable provider takes our channel as part of its package or not. Our only suggestion is for you to contact your local provider and express your interest in having BBC World as part of your TV package.

Best regards

Mario Giannini
BBC World

[UKintheUS]

So anyone want this :)

[Darkwing Duck]

Well Discovery seems to have no problem putting niche channels in Top 180 so I don't see why Dish Network would have a problem putting in there. Although this is crazy logic.

[Stalky14]

So anyone want this :)

Hell yes! This has been my most wanted channel for like 4 years.

[Paul Secic]

Hell yes! This has been my most wanted channel for like 4 years.


Me too! I'm sick of CNN!!!!! They go on & ON.

[CCarncross]

UKintheUS, I dont mind some UK programming here and there, but it really sounds like you want to move back to the UK...please dont try to turn E* or D* into a "SKYUSA"...

;)

[UKintheUS]

UKintheUS, I dont mind some UK programming here and there, but it really sounds like you want to move back to the UK...please dont try to turn E* or D* into a "SKYUSA"...

;)
No not at all. Love it here. I just think the TV could be a little better.

[greatwhitenorth]

UKintheUS, I dont mind some UK programming here and there, but it really sounds like you want to move back to the UK...please dont try to turn E* or D* into a "SKYUSA"...

;)
Got to stick up for UK here...

There are a lot (okay, maybe not a lot, Americans are amazingly provinicial:lol: ) of people who would like to see programming from around the world. I myself would love to see an English-language international package similar to those E* offers to speakers of other languages. Maybe channels from the UK, Canada, Australia, and other English speaking countries. More viewpoints from around the world is always a good thing. Just as a disclaimer, I've seen as many bad shows on BBC America as I have on American TV:lol: Also to clarify, I am an American by birth.

[SamC]

IMHO, in a 200, 300, or 400 channel "universe" there is certainly room for English language programming from other than the USA in all genres. Certainly such a venture would be at least as popular as yet another re-mix of the same reruns from the Ted Turner Memorial Big Vault of Reruns.

[billpa]

UKintheUS, I dont mind some UK programming here and there, but it really sounds like you want to move back to the UK...please dont try to turn E* or D* into a "SKYUSA"...

;)


Yeah, I'd hate to see something to watch early in the morning besides "paid programming"

[mruk69]

I would welcome this channel.

[wkomorow]

As far as I know, Dish does not currently have an agreement for FitTV another Discovery/BBC channel. I would love to see BBC World added, but I would have thought FitTV would have been added first. (Now watch it announced as an add tonight on the Charlie Chat.)

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Hopefully they can then show Top Gear again here in the US!

[mruk69]

Hopefully they can then show Top Gear again here in the US!
Top Gear was brilliant, I use to watch it back home in England and when it was on here a few months ago. I was wondering have they taken it off the air or had the season ended.
I wish some one would put on some Norman Wisdom movies and thge carry on movies. Also, I miss On the Buses and Love thy Neighbour.

[billpa]

Hopefully they can then show Top Gear again here in the US!


If BBC World comes on then you'll get to see Top Gear; I currently watch BBC-W on StarChoice from Canada and it's on several times over the weekend. It makes all other Auto shows on TV look pedestrian.

[CCarncross]

Top Gear is on SPEED. Doesnt E* have SPEED either?

EDIT: I thought it was JL, so you dont have to miss Top Gear...

;)

[James Long]

The SPEED Channel is on E*.

JL

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Top Gear is on SPEED. Doesnt E* have SPEED either?

EDIT: I thought it was JL, so you dont have to miss Top Gear...

;)

Speed has Fifth Gear which is another UK car show program. Fifth Gear is good but Top Gear is up another notch. You should watch it to see what I mean. You'll see the difference between the two and why Top Gear was sorely missed by its fans like those who posted above and I. It was on the Discovery Channel for a few months I believe.

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

If BBC World comes on then you'll get to see Top Gear; I currently watch BBC-W on StarChoice from Canada and it's on several times over the weekend. It makes all other Auto shows on TV look pedestrian.

Good deal, thanks for the heads-up. Looking forward to BBC World coming soon then. Hopefully E* will carry it soon as it's available.

[billpa]

Looking at the BBC World website for this weekend, Top Gear is on at 4:30 am, 11:30 am and 9:30 pm on Saturday...and 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on Sunday (Times are Eastern). So that's five times over the weekend.

And for those who are not familiar with the way BBC World works, it's not like CNN, BBC-W shows a 30 minute newscast and then fills the second 30 minutes of each hour with (mostly) news programming...it's that second half hour that sometimes can make BBC World more than worth the price of admission for people like me. Especially in the early weekend hours, when other channels are showing hours of paid programming, BBC World actually has some intelligent CONTENT on!

[dhclaypool]

Many Top Gear episodes can be found on Google video...

[Stalky14]

I love Top Gear, and was thrilled to catch it on Discovery last summer. The ones
they show actually have more content than the BBC World episodes, which are
heavily edited to fit into a 30 minute time slot. The US-version 43 minute Top
Gear that Discovery shows has the same stories, but different host-segments.
The editorial content of the show is brilliant all-around, though. I just wish they'd
do more stories on consumer-level cars. I think they're only 13 episodes a season
like most BBC shows. That's why it ended from Discovery in October.

Anyway, fingers crossed for BBC World. Even if it doesn't get added to AT180,
I'd drop my basic service level a notch or two to budget it in as an extra. I
want this channel BAD!

They also have:
Talking Movies - a movie review show. Kind of snooty, but decent.
Click Online - a technology show. Just highlights, but not bad.
HardTalk - a one-on-one interview show like Chralie Rose, but more political.
DreamSpaces - An architectural review show, hosted by Justine Frischmann (of Elastica fame. Who knew she holds an architecture degree?) This is more entertaining
than you would think. Think of it as a travel show with an emphasis on buildings.
FastTrack - A travel show. Aktar Khan looks like he gets a lot of action from the ladies, and what a cool name!

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

I love Top Gear, and was thrilled to catch it on Discovery last summer. The ones
they show actually have more content than the BBC World episodes, which are
heavily edited to fit into a 30 minute time slot. The US-version 43 minute Top
Gear that Discovery shows has the same stories, but different host-segments.
The editorial content of the show is brilliant all-around, though. I just wish they'd
do more stories on consumer-level cars. I think they're only 13 episodes a season
like most BBC shows. That's why it ended from Discovery in October.

Anyway, fingers crossed for BBC World. Even if it doesn't get added to AT180,
I'd drop my basic service level a notch or two to budget it in as an extra. I
want this channel BAD!

They also have:
Talking Movies - a movie review show. Kind of snooty, but decent.
Click Online - a technology show. Just highlights, but not bad.
HardTalk - a one-on-one interview show like Chralie Rose, but more political.
DreamSpaces - An architectural review show, hosted by Justine Frischmann (of Elastica fame. Who knew she holds an architecture degree?) This is more entertaining
than you would think. Think of it as a travel show with an emphasis on buildings.
FastTrack - A travel show. Aktar Khan looks like he gets a lot of action from the ladies, and what a cool name!

:( Edited to fit 30 min.? That's sad. I even thought Top Gear on Discovery was edited. I thought their episodes were originally about 1 hr. 15 min. or so.

[UKintheUS]

Top Gear on

BBC 2 = British version 1 hour long no ads
Discovery = US version 44 minutes long for ads
BBC World = International Version 25 min long for ads

[billpa]

Top Gear on

BBC 2 = British version 1 hour long no ads
Discovery = US version 44 minutes long for ads
BBC World = International Version 25 min long for ads

I might have to BT the Two version to see the whole thing...

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Top Gear on

BBC 2 = British version 1 hour long no ads
Discovery = US version 44 minutes long for ads
BBC World = International Version 25 min long for ads
So the full program is 1 hour long? BBC 2 plays ads before and after each program, huh? Sometimes I like those better though the commercial breaks are crazy-long, sometimes up to 10 minutes!

[navychop]

So BBC World does not carry any of the serials?

Where am I going to get a chance to see "The Monastery?" :scratchin :shrug:

[PBowie]

Theres a couple of channels they could add to an "english language pack" if they worked with granada like UK gold, or Granada classics -(haven't seen corrie since i left the UK in 1990 !)

it seems to me an easy thing in this global world we live in....

on a side note i live in florida -and heard or read somewhere that its actually possible to get Canadian Satellite here ????
how ?

[billpa]

on a side note i live in florida -and heard or read somewhere that its actually possible to get Canadian Satellite here ????
how ?

I've PM'd you on that....

[UKintheUS]

So the full program is 1 hour long? BBC 2 plays ads before and after each program, huh? Sometimes I like those better though the commercial breaks are crazy-long, sometimes up to 10 minutes!
Yes the show in the UK is 1 hour long.

The BBC in the UK does not carry any commercials. During, Before or After. If you live in the UK a Colour TV Licence costs £126.50p and a Black and White licence costs £42.00p Per year. This is how the BBC's 9 Channels remain Commercial Free. (Note: If you dont have a TV Licence you are not allowed to watch TV and could be find upto £1000 plus prison time)

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Yes the show in the UK is 1 hour long.

The BBC in the UK does not carry any commercials. During, Before or After. If you live in the UK a Colour TV Licence costs £126.50p and a Black and White licence costs £42.00p Per year. This is how the BBC's 9 Channels remain Commercial Free. (Note: If you dont have a TV Licence you are not allowed to watch TV and could be find upto £1000 plus prison time)

Thanks for that culture lesson. I'm surprised that's the case! That's uh... hmm... I shouldn't judge whether that's a good system or not, but that's pretty weird to me. TV is a great medium for advertising so I wonder why they're not opening up the air waves for commercialization. Super Bowl in the US is a good example of how TV can be used for advertising. I don't mind commercials before and after, either. Some commercials are fun to watch. Anyway, enough of that. BBC World will be a culmination of all the BBC channels fit to an export market like the US, I take it?

[billpa]

Thanks for that culture lesson. I'm surprised that's the case! That's uh... hmm... I shouldn't judge whether that's a good system or not, but that's pretty weird to me. TV is a great medium for advertising so I wonder why they're not opening up the air waves for commercialization. Super Bowl in the US is a good example of how TV can be used for advertising. I don't mind commercials before and after, either. Some commercials are fun to watch. Anyway, enough of that. BBC World will be a culmination of all the BBC channels fit to an export market like the US, I take it?


Britain does have commercial TV stations (ITV, Channel 4, etc...) it's just the BBC that's non-commercial.
BBC world is a news channel, so most BBC programs will not air on BBC world.

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Cool beans. :)

[UKintheUS]

TV is a great medium for advertising so I wonder why they're not opening up the air waves for commercialization. Super Bowl in the US is a good example of how TV can be used for advertising. I don't mind commercials before and after, either. Some commercials are fun to watch. Anyway, enough of that. BBC World will be a culmination of all the BBC channels fit to an export market like the US, I take it?

No BBC World is a News Service

BBC America is the normal show's

The UK has roughly 3514 National and local Commercial TV Stations (FTA, PTV, & PPV)

The BBC's 1,2,3,4, BBC News 24, Cbeebies, CBBC, BBC Parliament, BBCi are paid by Licence Fee. But in Theory you cant watch the other if you dont buy a licence.

[obrienaj]

Alas, BBC World is no where near as good as BBC World Service radio. BBC World IS better than most USA news outlets for new content but the news staff are quite poor (with a few exceptions) and their production techniques and camera angles are quite amateurish at times.

I actually found CNN International to as good as BBC World.

[jcfordham]

The World Service should be added to the audio feeds too!

First they stoped shortwave broadcasts to North America, then they pulled the C-band audio sub-carrier feed. Now the only way to hear the World Service is to stream it or sub to Sirius and/or XM. I have one satellite radio subed in my home just for the World Service -- this could save me $7.00/mo.!

[leegart]

And for those who are not familiar with the way BBC World works, it's not like CNN, BBC-W shows a 30 minute newscast and then fills the second 30 minutes of each hour with (mostly) news programming...it's that second half hour that sometimes can make BBC World more than worth the price of admission for people like me. Especially in the early weekend hours, when other channels are showing hours of paid programming, BBC World actually has some intelligent CONTENT on!

Nah. The first half hour with BBC's stellar news reporting makes it for me. A reliable high quality half hour newscast available any hour is great. That's also what is good about CNN-International.The second half hour "filler" shows on BBC can sometimes be BORING.

[navychop]

Hmmmm-

quote: "This is how the BBC's 9 Channels remain Commercial Free. (Note: If you dont have a TV Licence you are not allowed to watch TV and could be fined up to £1000 plus prison time)"

I'm getting picky here, and must clarify. When I last visited London a few months ago, the BBC had "announcements" like our PBS, where they'd talk about upcoming programming and such. But no, they had no one hawking appliances. I mention this because I get hot when I hear "NPR has no commercials." Bull. They used to just have "announcements" like above. Then they added longer thanks to our sponsors. Now, they go on and on about the sponsors services and products offered. It's commercials they are airing- maybe not as abrasive, but they are COMMERCIALS. I rant because this is a slippery slope and I fear BBC may go the same way. Yes, I know about the TV license fees, and their proposed increase. I also read in the papers there that the fees held back the economy more than they brought in, due to fewer TV sales and the ripple effect. So maybe one day they'll just abolish the tax and fund it in some other way- general funds, perhaps.

And you are certainly allowed to watch TV if you don't have a license. You just can't possess one. No license, no TV in your home. Special rates apply to certain businesses like B&Bs, hotels, etc, some elderly, etc etc etc.

[obrienaj]

The World Service should be added to the audio feeds too!

First they stoped shortwave broadcasts to North America, then they pulled the C-band audio sub-carrier feed. Now the only way to hear the World Service is to stream it or sub to Sirius and/or XM. I have one satellite radio subed in my home just for the World Service -- this could save me $7.00/mo.!


Don't get tricked like me.. BBCWS on Sirius is not the REAL BBCWS, just the news programs with many repeats.

[obrienaj]

Nah. The first half hour with BBC's stellar news reporting makes it for me. A reliable high quality half hour newscast available any hour is great. That's also what is good about CNN-International.The second half hour "filler" shows on BBC can sometimes be BORING.


The early mornings hours, AND most weekend hours, are amazingly BAD for news content in the USA. I often point out to people that talk of "24 hour cable news" that it is nowhere near 24 hours. MSNBC, for example, has less than two hours of live news on some weekend days and holidays! It can be very frustating if one is up at 4.00 AM and hears of a breaking news story of international significance. It can take CNN, FNC, MSNBC, a couple of hours to get on top of things. Occasionally CNN will switch to CNNi, and FNC to Sky, MSNBC is totally caught out in the cold. BBC World is usually in full stream and on top of the story. I just wish the beeb would have slightly closer close-ups of their anchors.


Now if we could only get BBC News 24 ! :lol:

[MrDucky]

When I last visited London a few months ago, the BBC had "announcements" like our PBS, where they'd talk about upcoming programming and such. But no, they had no one hawking appliances. I mention this because I get hot when I hear "NPR has no commercials." Bull. They used to just have "announcements" like above. Then they added longer thanks to our sponsors. Now, they go on and on about the sponsors services and products offered. It's commercials they are airing- maybe not as abrasive, but they are COMMERCIALS. I rant because this is a slippery slope and I fear BBC may go the same way.

At least there are only promotions for other services\programmes on the BBC TV, Radio and Online. They cannot promote a product that is not part of their remit under their Royal Charter. If they did they would be in big trouble with Ofcom.

They are only used to fill the gaps between programmes and at most will last a couple of minutes.

Watching a promotion for the "six extra BBC Channels on Freeview, Satellite and Cable..." is much better than watching an extended version of their dancers idents, which are dire!

[UKintheUS]

Anyone heard any News about this at all in the last couple of weeks?

[Stalky14]

Has anyone tried the Real Superpass version? I did their 14-day trial back when
it was supposedly Europe-only (You could still subscribe from the US with a Visa
card), and the video was too choppy, even on my 1.5gb cable connection. It
was probably lag from Europe. I'm wondering if it's any better now with a US
source. I despise RealPlayer, but if it turns out to be the only way I can get this
channel without dropping serious coin on a 8' C-band dish (which I really don't have
room for), or a StarChoice system (BEV is out because I'm in Florida), I'll consider
it.

[obrienaj]

Has anyone tried the Real Superpass version? I did their 14-day trial back when
it was supposedly Europe-only (You could still subscribe from the US with a Visa
card), and the video was too choppy, even on my 1.5gb cable connection. It
was probably lag from Europe. I'm wondering if it's any better now with a US
source. I despise RealPlayer, but if it turns out to be the only way I can get this
channel without dropping serious coin on a 8' C-band dish (which I really don't have
room for), or a StarChoice system (BEV is out because I'm in Florida), I'll consider
it.

I tried last year too, too poor to spend $$$$.

[shanks909]

I think the Real Superpass version may be going away soon, since BBC just signed a deal with ABC News to distribute BBC News clips on the internet and to mobile phones.

No exact details about when or how this is going to happen are available yet.