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From: KPURCELL@liverpool.ac.uk (Kevin ^G Purcell)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime - Apology
Message-ID: <9008171815.AA03232@encore.encore.com>
Date: 17 Aug 90 15:33:56 GMT
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On 16 Aug 90 07:29:22 GMT Zev Sero
(zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!pta!yarra!melba.bby.oz.a
u!leo!zvs@edu.ohio-state.cis.tut) said:

>In article <9008131552.AA27315@world.std.com> bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
> writes:
>
>   As an analogy, imagine if some broadcast radio or tv station
>   programming could be "stolen" by anyone by merely tuning in that
>   channel?

[deleted]
>
>In Australia until the mid 70s you needed a license to own a radio or
>TV set.  The proceeds from license fees (annually renewable) went to
>fund the ABC.  I believe that in the UK this is still the case.  It is
>illegal to tune in to *any* station, not just the BBC, without paying
>a fee to the BBC.  Wierd, but not illegal, and I don't recall any
>major public outcry about its immorality.

Fortunatly no longer the case for the use of a radio but still required for
a TV. Something like 65 pounds per year ($120). All the money goes to support
the BBC. The Conservative govt wanted to withdraw the liscence to move towards
an advertising supported service or an encrypted subscription service, but they
backed down after a public outcry -- generated mostly by the media itself.

Since that time the BBC seems to have become very concious of its position as
an information provider (rather than just a broadcaster) and there have been
some interesting developments including expansion into publishing and high
technology areas (interactive TV). Still its run by a large beaurocracy who
wouldn't like change because they would have to fight in the real world.

The weirder thing here is that the radio frequnecy have been badly
mismanaged since radio started. Including the duplication of all services
on AM and FM (both commercial and BBC). This has started to change in the
last year, and the BBC will reorganise their use of the spectrum in the
autumn. This has lead to some good radio, in particular BBC Radio 3 (a national
classical/new music channel) and BBC Radio 4 (the station NPR seeks to copy
I think!). Despite this the lack of diversity in radio is appalling; most of
the local stations come in two flavours: AM = inane talk and phone-in and
FM = inane generic pop music. The incerdible diversity of the US (jazz, AOR,
new age(?), classical, country, student etc) is completley absent here.

In fact the most interesting radio staion in Liverpool is TCR (Toxteth
Community Radio -- mostly black run, a lot of reggee and soul with some
blues and jazz) -- a pirate station.

The hand of government rests heavily on the broadcast medium in the UK and
shows little sign of being raised.

And you though America was bad ....

Kevin Purcell             | kpurcell@liverpool.ac.uk
Surface Science Centre    |
Liverpool University      | Omit needless words.