Keith wrote on Jun 12^th, 2008 at 3:09pm:


I will be interested to see what impact my email has as I circulated it very widely across senior members of staff at the BBC including Trustees and Members of the Executive Board and also the Controllers of all the main national BBC tv and radio stations as well as heads of departments and other special high level employees.

I would have thought that BBC Local Radio stations will be up in arms about this when it becomes clear that the rest of the BBC is moving to normally priced 03 numbers while they are to be stuck with up to 40p per minute from mobile phone covert premium rate 0845 numbers.  And on what possible basis can such a decision possibly have been taken.  Were they even consulted about this proposal by Mr Stock or the BBC Executive Board?

As to technicalities the 0345 number range awaits the BBC if they simply wish to exactly mirror their current range of 0845 numbers.  Or they could simply have gone for 0300 numbers throughout to replace all of their current 084 and 087 prefixed phone numbers.

I suppose I could really do with an email circulation list for the CEOs of all BBC Local Radio Stations.

BBC are now actually using 0370numbers

On You and yours today they announced their new number 0370.....

Indeed, this is a victory for Say no to 0870!

Radio 1's contact page now shows the 0370 number with a note "0370 numbers are called 'UK Wide' and cost no more than calls to 01/02 geographic numbers".

Let's hope other organisations follow suit.

Dave wrote on Jul 1^st, 2008 at 12:03pm:



They are still using 5 digit text contact which I assume will be premium rate texts!

VERY GOOD NEWS!!!

BBC TV "Breakfast" has shown "NEWSWATCH" this morning in which there is discussion about their move to 0370 numbers.   See the link below to watch this online.  I also believe that this item may be repesated at around 08.45 this morning and again on Breakfast tomorrow.   The item is after half way through the Newswatch item.

During the piece Michael Scott of the BBC is interviewed and interestingly he says that the BBC wanted to make the switch from 0870 without "running up a bigger phone bill for the BBC".   He implies that there has been no cost, or additional cost to the BBC in this move and this has great implications for our campaign!!!    It indicates, for example, that NHS Direct are wrong to suggest that moving from their 0845 number to an 03 number would cost them extra.   Of course they might lose their revenue share but they have always categorically denied getting any revenue share and even went to great length to get BT Global Services to provide a written statement confirming that NHSD get no revenue share (hoist by their own petard?).    

This means that all the other Quangos and government departments cannot argue that they cannot afford to move to 03 because of the cost.   This entirely counters statements by the Contact Council that moves to 03 would cost them and provides us with a solid argument and evidence when we are disputing this matter with other abusers of 084/7 numbers.

Interestingly, GPs always claim that they are making no money from their use of 0844/5 numbers so .... they could all switch easily to 03 numbers



http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7510000/newsid_7514800/7514804.stm?bw=bb...

of course they have to pay for 03 - it's about 1/2 a penny less than 0800 to them... but, they're only using 03 for some of their enquiry lines which receive very little traffic... and they still have to print geo alternatives for all the calls they receive from outside the uk

this is purely a publicity stunt - the vast majority of their inbound calls comes from TV licencing area and they are using revenue bearing 0844 800 (BT) numbers @ 5 pence per minute (at all times) - great victory in that now it costs a little less to call 'em in the day, but much more at evenings and weekends... well done

loddon wrote on Jul 19^th, 2008 at 7:38am:

There is much confusion around these issues. If we wish to exploit it, we must be very careful not to simply add to it.

The BBC statement about the costs involved in moving off 0870 may have been with reference to what it was told the costs to it would have been if the Ofcom changes proposed for 1 February 2008 had come into effect. Many decisions go back to the time when it may have been believed that this would happen.

The term "revenue share" is commonly used to describe the situation where a user of a revenue sharing number takes the benefit in the form of cash income from their teleco. Those who decline this in favour of a reduced fee for their telecommunications services feel able to say that they are not receiving a "revenue share". I would suggest reference to "benefiting from", rather than "receiving".

I would urge members to consider the possibility that many organisations involved in this matter simply do not fully understand what is going on and then convey their genuine and unrecognised misunderstanding to others.

derrick wrote on Dec 20^th, 2008 at 11:34am:


Derrick,

As I think I have tried to mention before the body in question is actually called The Information Tribunal and not the Appeals Tribunal.

See www.informationtribunal.gov.uk

Also there would be no point in appealing over this as most of the 0870 numbers in question are no longer in use and have been replaced by 03 numbers.

There would be more point in submitting a request for the geographic alternate numbers for the 0844 and 0845 numbers still in use by the BBC and by tv licensing and then appealing on those if the BBC won't supply any GN alternatives.