Get the BBC wherever you are!
One of the things I missed most about the United Kingdom, was the ability to watch BBC television and listen to BBC Radio 4. Imagine my delight when first BBC podcasts, then live Radio programs, became available via the internet.
For quite a while I would download podcasts with my computer and upload them to my Sat-Nav unit so I could listen in my car. Now I have an application on my Android Nexus phone which enables me to listen to BBC Radio 4 live, anywhere!
BBC television programs are also available over the internet. However, currently because the British Broadcasting Association is funded by the purchase of a Television License, BBC TV programs are available on the internet, only within the United Kingdom. For UK expats is seems bizarre that the great television we have enjoyed all our lives is not available outside the UK. Not only is the license fee an obstacle, but often copyright restrictions prohibit the programs to be made available in other parts of the world.
If one uses the BBC iPlayer to download a program to a computer the program is available to be watched on that computer of laptop for a limited time, even if the computer is taken out of the UK. The restriction on these programs only applies to downloads where the computer’s IP address is not within the United Kingdom.
You could regard this as Big Brother watching your web surfing habits. While I abhor the practice of using special software to mask one’s identity and location for illegal purposes, to think that the BB stands for Big Brother is chilling. Surely if the BBC are not prepared to provide legitimate access to these television programs, people will look for ways to achieve this.
I would be quite prepared to pay for a UK Television License if it meant I could connect the output of a computer to my television (an easy thing to do with modern TVs) and watch the best TV in the world here in the United States.
