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do you think topup tv is a rip off (merged)
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Hermitage
03-11-2004
I have tried to read through all the comments raised on this subject so far. The one thing that seems to have been overlooked is this:-

The TV licence fee that we all have to pay is used to fund the BBC, both television and radio channels. With the analogue system we also have ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 operating. These commercial stations are funded exclusively by advertising revenues.

So why is it that TUTV requires the consumer to pay a fee to watch channels that use advertising to fund them? It is this aspect of of the system I do not agree with. Sky TV also do the same. Surely the TV channels are creating enough revenue through advertising without resorting to squeezing another few pennies from the customer.

On another note, how is it that UKTV can broadcast it's History channel on freeview but has to put it's Gold channel on TUTV? And what about all it's other channels? Am I to believe that the History channel can fund itself through it's advertisments, but the other channels cannot?

It is my belief that while the consumer continues to dig into their pockets and continue to pay for something that has already been funded through other means, that there will always be companies like TUTV quick to make a profit without any effort on their behalf.

As it looks like there is no way to receive TUTV for free, I will keep my money in my own pocket rather than lining TUTV directors pockets!
Last edited by Hermitage : 03-11-2004 at 22:26
speculator
03-11-2004
I too would like free television but from reading the press releases from Ofcom, I have learnt that digital channels depend on subscription.
They say that ITV earns 50% of the television advertising, Channel 4 20%, Sky 11% & five 8%. That leaves only 11% for the likes of UKTV, Flextech (ftn), Viacom (TMF), Emap (The Hits), etc. Ofcom also report that digital channels generate only 20% of their income from advertising. So without subscription, these channels couldn't afford to broadcast.
We have the luxury of able to watch free-to-air channels like UKTV History/Bright Ideas, TMF, The Hits, ftn, etc as they are getting that missing 80% via the subscription that Sky viewers pay so they can watch these channels! If the channels had to be self-funding on DTT then they wouldn't be available free-to-air. In the last 2 years, apart from the recent additions of abc1 & ITV3, the only channels that have joined DTT (can fund themselves free-to-air) have been the likes of bid-up/price-drop & Ideal World that sell products to its viewers.
SimonBlackham
04-11-2004
Originally Posted by speculator:
“ ... Emap (The Hits), etc.
We have the luxury of able to watch free-to-air channels like ...The Hits... as they are getting that missing 80% via the subscription that Sky viewers pay so they can watch these channels!....have been the likes of bid-up/price-drop & Ideal World that sell products to its viewers.”

If you look at the top left of Bid-UP and Pice-Drop you will see that every call to bid costs the purchaser £1/minute - you are paying to join the 'game' - the 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' trick! EMAP does this by selling ringtones (from the radio stations too) and votes for videos.
Does Ofcom list the percentage of their earnings that come from premium rate 'phone calls?
I don't resent the above - I just think that it is not taken into account. When 'Feeview' started I thought to myself that TMF had lost out badly to The Hits in commercial acumen!
Last edited by SimonBlackham : 04-11-2004 at 00:05
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