eclipse525 said:
Actually that's not true. You can stream and view all other content for the exception of the World Cup.
~e
Well, it's kinda true. International users can only access narrowband video, whereas UK users can see broadband versions of pretty much all the A/V content on bbc.co.uk. Streaming the World Cup to a worldwide audience would cost them an enormous amount of money, and the BBC is in a tricky position politically, as there's not much rationale for providing *any* content to the rest of the world given that the British taxpayer funds it all and receives no revenue from advertising in return. (The BBC also doesn't show any snooker video content to the rest of the world, which I'm sure everyone's terribly upset about...)
The only part of the site that has some kind of a reason for being free to a worldwide audience is the news site, because it's partially funded by the Foreign Office. I also think it would compromise its apparent impartiality to introduce advertising, like an advert for Pringles next to a business story about Procter & Gamble. And it can lead to weird juxtapositions like a story about people dying in a fire next to an advert for Burger King's flame grilled Whoppers ...
Trust me, I used to produce a site on bbc.co.uk and it's such a politically hot topic that it makes people incredibly neurotic. They've been talking about an advertising-funded international version for at least five years...
Oh, er, the thread topic? Ahem. All together now - En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land.... En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land..
