More bad news, the Beeb has announced the BBC Sounds app is to be discontinued for overseas listeners. When that was introduced they really made it harder for their steams to be used on internet radios, now the only stations officially available will be World Service and Radio 4.
I can presumably use a VPN (do so occasionally for live sport on 5 Live), but I find this news disappointing
Luckily for overseas AWers, you have UK-based friends, with access to get_iPlayer and WeTransfer, who can ‘help’.
Well yes thanks, but not live streams. I can use that function myself to download stuff using VPN at home Occasionally I like to have 6 Music on live in the car, that won’t be possible any more. Not really a Radio 4 listener, I do have BBC World Service via SiriusXM satellite radio
Could you not use a VPN on your phone for live streaming?
Maybe. Haven’t been too successful doing that though until now
If they had announced this 10 or 15 years ago, I would have been very disappointed. I used to listen to quite a few Radio 4 or Radio Scotland shows via the iPlayer or BBC website. Now, however, I’m not so bothered, and it’s because I listen to podcasts, so I don’t feel the need to go to the BBC site as much. I find it’s easier to assemble a portfolio of podcasts that match your interests and follow them.
That’s a thought – most BBC shows are now available as podcasts, shortly after broadcast. Is that just a UK thing? Will they (still) be available outside the UK?
IIRC, podcasts will still be available from a different BBC app, presumably from other podcast apps too.
I think the main issue is rights for playing music. Hence the availability of mainly speech driven stations like 4 and WS. So I don’t think podcasts will be affected, something like Desert Island Discs shortens the music considerably in the podcast for that reason I think
Welsh speakers in Patagonia upset, according to Feedback today.
We have a Welsh speaking society in Ottawa, they might miss Radio Cymru
I’ll miss it. I’ve used it a lot. Mostly for comedy.
I can’t understand why BBC don’t monetise a version of Sounds and iPlayer internationally with only their own content. It’s an obvious money-spinner in tight financial times.
Britbox was created as a joint TV streaming venture by BBC and ITV. It eventually split into two separate companies, domestic and international, each with their own content.
Britbox International, for outside of the UK, is now wholly-owned by the BBC, after they bought all of ITV’s shares in the company. Britbox UK, the domestic service, is now wholly-owned by ITV and is made available via ITV-X. It still uses some BBC content.
Seems pretty obvious to me that iPlayer and Sounds are being readied for becoming subscription services, once the UK TV licence is abolished.
No doubt, when that happens the BBC will move to block get_iplayer from accessing it’s content.
I have an old schoolfriend who now lives in the States and is very disappointed to be losing Sounds , especially all the programmes from Radio 4.
On a broader level, I think it has worked like the BBC World Service in exerting soft power for the UK around the world. I can understand the financial pressures that might be causing the BBC to look at making it a subscription service, but it’s a big loss for the country as a whole if it isn’t available overseas.
As stated, Radio 4 will remain available
https://www.bbc.com/audio