BBC Prime and BBC Regional News

Hi Guys and Gals,

Here's a two parter for you to tackle:

1. Does anyone know if BBC Prime is available in the United Kingdom? (I know it isn't commercially available, but is there any method of receiving it?)

2. Does anyone know if and when all BBC National variations will be available on Digital Satelite? I.E. BBC South East, BBC West, etc.

With Kind Regards,

Dan

AFAIK BBC Prime is a subscription only channel and is not available in analogue from 13°E but is in digital. I don't think there would be an easy way of getting it, not without paying anyway.

As for the BBC regions. Who knows? The BBC has said that it would cost them a lot of money if they wanted to do it but there have been rumours of UK Today being axed and I think once ITV is on their they may have to bite the bullet and go on, else they could lose a lot of regional news viewers.

I hope that helps!

who better to answer part one of this question than yours truly (except isonstine beat me to it...grrr)

BBC Prime, like BBC World, can be 'acquired' in the UK with analogue satellite equipment via the Hotbird satellite, 13°E, though because it is a subscription channel it is encrypted, so you would have to purchase a subscription from BBC Worldwide. This costs in the region of 70 pounds per year (rip off, I know), but in return you will get your decoder card...however, as you live in the UK, they won't sell you the card anyway...there ARE of course, OTHER ways...involving a computer and a very good cracker...I'm sure you know what I mean, but I won't go into such details here...I suppose you could go into mainland Europe, claim you live there, get them to deliver the card to you and then return back to the UK but I don't think you're that desperate! Look at Lyngsat, they'll show you every satellite you can get BBC Prime on...hell, there might be some non-encrypted ones! It IS worth it, because it's a VERY good channel...though they DO have a strange obsession of showing holiday programmes straight after EastEnders daily...I don't know about the rest of the people here but I HATE watching other people's holidays...