During last week I saw on BBC South Today a number displayed and 
announced that was in the range 03700 nnnnnn.  The announcer made the 
point that BBC numbers were changing from 08700 to 03700 and that 
customers would pay the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers.

I've not seen or heard anything on TV or Radio since then and can't find 
anything on the BBC website.

It would be good if the BBC were to lead the way in this direction.

David

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
David Floyd   wrote:

> During last week I saw on BBC South Today a number displayed and
> announced that was in the range 03700 nnnnnn.  The announcer made the
> point that BBC numbers were changing from 08700 to 03700 and that
> customers would pay the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers.
>
> I've not seen or heard anything on TV or Radio since then and can't
> find anything on the BBC website.
>
> It would be good if the BBC were to lead the way in this direction.
>
> David

It certainly would be good - but I've not seen anything!

They're still giving out 0870 numbers for people to call for R4 Any Answers. 
etc.
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On Jun 15, 7:35 am, David Floyd  wrote:
> During last week I saw on BBC South Today a number displayed and
> announced that was in the range 03700 nnnnnn.  The announcer made the
> point that BBC numbers were changing from 08700 to 03700 and that
> customers would pay the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers.
>
> I've not seen or heard anything on TV or Radio since then and can't find
> anything on the BBC website.

-----
Will the BBC stop using 0870 numbers?

Yes. The BBC has decided to change from 0870 to a new 0370 number
range which was created last year by Ofcom, the telecoms regulator.
With the changing telecoms market and greater variety of charging
frameworks, it has become clear that 0870 charges are not clear and no
longer work well for audiences.

0370 calls cost no more than 01and 02 geographic landline numbers and
are included in discount packages for both fixed-line and mobile
phones. This enables viewers and listeners to call the BBC at the
lowest cost to callers. The BBC has taken time to plan for the
switchover of up to 80 different numbers to be as smooth as possible
and also at the lowest cost to the licence fee payer.

All the BBC’s 0870 numbers will be phased out during the summer of
2008 and replaced with an equivalent 0370 range of numbers. 0870
numbers replaced a previous system where there was no central number
to call the BBC on and therefore the cost of calling BBC centres
depended on where you live. They were introduced in 1998 so that
everyone could call the BBC for the same cost (equivalent roughly to a
postage stamp). Local radio 0845 numbers, which have a cheaper ‘local-
rate’ charge, and freephone numbers (eg 0800 and 0500) will not be
affected by this change..
-----

from http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/contactus/questions.shtml

Regards
Sunil

In news:9e5a7601-8649-44d9-90b8-05dc13cc57a0@j22g2000hsf.googlegroups.com,
Sunil Sood  typed, for some strange, 
unexplained reason:

[snip]

: All the BBC’s 0870 numbers will be phased out during the summer of
: 2008 and replaced with an equivalent 0370 range of numbers. 0870
: numbers replaced a previous system where there was no central number
: to call the BBC on and therefore the cost of calling BBC centres
: depended on where you live. They were introduced in 1998 so that
: everyone could call the BBC for the same cost (equivalent roughly to a
: postage stamp). Local radio 0845 numbers, which have a cheaper ‘local-
: rate’ charge, and freephone numbers (eg 0800 and 0500) will not be
: affected by this change..

Sigh.. when will "they" realise 0845 numbers are *not* "local" rate....?!

My local BBC station insists on using them, despite the fact that other 
stations around the area are using freephone numbers, for people to call 
in with travel info amongst other things. Humph.

Ivor

In message of Sun, 15 Jun 2008, Sunil Sood writes
>On Jun 15, 7:35 am, David Floyd  wrote:
>> During last week I saw on BBC South Today a number displayed and
>> announced that was in the range 03700 nnnnnn.  The announcer made the
>> point that BBC numbers were changing from 08700 to 03700 and that
>> customers would pay the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers.
>>
>> I've not seen or heard anything on TV or Radio since then and can't find
>> anything on the BBC website.
>
>-----
>Will the BBC stop using 0870 numbers?
>
>-----
>
>from http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/contactus/questions.shtml
>

Thanks Sunil. I used the BBC site search for 0870 and other phrases (see 
my original post above) and it didn't come up with the above.

David

"David Floyd"  wrote
> BBC numbers were changing from 0870 to 0370 and that 
> customers would pay the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers.
>
Cue for a reminder that Ofcom's consultation about their 
plans for 0870 closes on 16 June. It's not clear that Ofcom 
can in fact do anything effective about 0870, in view of the 
Competition Appeals Tribunal's comprehensive rubbishing of 
Ofcom's decisions over the dispute between BT and the mobile 
companies on termination charges.

Meanwhile 0845 is becoming more and more ridiculous. 
Everyone can call 01 and 02 cheaper than 0845 (either as 
part of an "all calls" package, or by 18185 etc). And BT is 
charging only 2ppm for calls to 0845, which appears to leave 
nothing for terminating providers to cream off, let alone 
pass on to 0845 users. Are 0845 providers demanding that 
Ofcom tell BT to increase its prices for calling 0845, and 
would Ofcom have grounds for telling them to get lost?

The only obvious solution that would work, is phase out 0870 
and 0845 completely.

Nicholas Lawrence

On 2008-06-15, Ivor Jones <ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote:
> In news:9e5a7601-8649-44d9-90b8-05dc13cc57a0@j22g2000hsf.googlegroups.com,
> Sunil Sood  typed, for some strange, 
> unexplained reason:
>
> [snip]
>
>: All the BBC’s 0870 numbers will be phased out during the summer of
>: 2008 and replaced with an equivalent 0370 range of numbers. 0870
>: numbers replaced a previous system where there was no central number
>: to call the BBC on and therefore the cost of calling BBC centres
>: depended on where you live. They were introduced in 1998 so that
>: everyone could call the BBC for the same cost (equivalent roughly to a
>: postage stamp). Local radio 0845 numbers, which have a cheaper ‘local-
>: rate’ charge, and freephone numbers (eg 0800 and 0500) will not be
>: affected by this change..
>
> Sigh.. when will "they" realise 0845 numbers are *not* "local" rate....?!

For many people (those who are on BT Option 1 or 2, or whatever they're 
calling them this week) and don't use alternative call carriers, 0845 
can be cheaper than local rate. 01/02/03 daytime is 4p/min, 0845 2p/min. 
01/02/03 evening rate 1.5p/min, 0845 0.5p/min.

Of course some people will find 0845 more expensive - e.g. Cable users 
who get hammered 6p/min for these.

-- 
-- Michael "Soruk" McConnell         Eridani Star System
   MailStripper - http://www.MailStripper.eu/ - SMTP spam filter
   Second Number - http://secondnumber.matrixnetwork.co.uk/

In article <48557605$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>,
   Nicholas Lawrence  wrote:

> The only obvious solution that would work, is phase out
> 0870 and 0845 completely.

So people would switch (as many others already have done) to
0844, where it is almost completely impossible to know what
you will be charged.

-- 
Russell
http://www.russell-hafter-holidays.co.uk
Russell Hafter Holidays         E-mail to enquiries at our domain
Holiday specialists for Germany, Alsace, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic

On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:34:55 +0100, Russell Hafter News
<see.sig@walkingingermany.invalid> wrote:

>In article <48557605$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>,
>   Nicholas Lawrence  wrote:
>
>> The only obvious solution that would work, is phase out
>> 0870 and 0845 completely.
>
>So people would switch (as many others already have done) to
>0844, where it is almost completely impossible to know what
>you will be charged.
Some time ago I remember someone on the BBC making the surprising
statement that the BBC received no revenue from their 0870 numbers. If
that is truly the case the licence payer has been losing out on a lot
of money due to management incompetence in gaining a proper deal, and
some commercial organisation has been doing very well indeed out of
the BBC. I think the BBC saw 0870s as diversifying  call routing.
It could be, of course, that the person who made the statement was
wrong - I can't remember who said it.

---
Remove 'no_spam_' from email address.
---

In article ,
   Brian A  wrote:

> Some time ago I remember someone on the BBC making the
> surprising statement that the BBC received no revenue
> from their 0870 numbers.

I remember some discussion on 'Feedback' on the 0870 numbers
- an assurance was given that all income received from them
would go back into financing of programmes.

-- 
Russell
http://www.russell-hafter-holidays.co.uk
Russell Hafter Holidays         E-mail to enquiries at our domain
Holiday specialists for Germany, Alsace, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic

In news:slrng5bmqs.aal.soruk@Zeskia.int.eridani.co.uk,
Soruk  typed, for some strange, unexplained 
reason:

[snip]

: For many people (those who are on BT Option 1 or 2, or whatever
: they're calling them this week) and don't use alternative call
: carriers, 0845 can be cheaper than local rate. 01/02/03 daytime is
: 4p/min, 0845 2p/min. 01/02/03 evening rate 1.5p/min, 0845 0.5p/min.
:
: Of course some people will find 0845 more expensive - e.g. Cable users
: who get hammered 6p/min for these.

Or mobile users. You're missing the point slightly, although I may not 
have worded it well. My point was this - BBC WM uses 0845 for its *travel* 
hotline (as well as its normal contact number). People who call that are 
most likely to be mobile, in which case they will be worse off than 
calling a a normal geographic number (on most tariffs, anyway).

Ivor

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:36:03 +0100, "Ivor Jones"
<ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote:

>In news:9e5a7601-8649-44d9-90b8-05dc13cc57a0@j22g2000hsf.googlegroups.com,
>Sunil Sood  typed, for some strange, 
>unexplained reason:
>
>[snip]
>
>: All the BBC’s 0870 numbers will be phased out during the summer of
>: 2008 and replaced with an equivalent 0370 range of numbers. 0870
>: numbers replaced a previous system where there was no central number
>: to call the BBC on and therefore the cost of calling BBC centres
>: depended on where you live. They were introduced in 1998 so that
>: everyone could call the BBC for the same cost (equivalent roughly to a
>: postage stamp). Local radio 0845 numbers, which have a cheaper ‘local-
>: rate’ charge, and freephone numbers (eg 0800 and 0500) will not be
>: affected by this change..
>
>Sigh.. when will "they" realise 0845 numbers are *not* "local" rate....?!

i think they were when that changeover occurred in 1998 (which is the
context that Sunil posted).

i live in the GMR footprint for local radio - at the bottom of their
page they give a normal geographic 0161 contact number.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local_radio/
>
>My local BBC station insists on using them, despite the fact that other 
>stations around the area are using freephone numbers, for people to call 
>in with travel info amongst other things. Humph.
>
>Ivor
-- 
Regards

stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl

On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:55:58 +0100, "Ivor Jones"
<ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote:

>In news:slrng5bmqs.aal.soruk@Zeskia.int.eridani.co.uk,
>Soruk  typed, for some strange, unexplained 
>reason:
>
>[snip]
>
>: For many people (those who are on BT Option 1 or 2, or whatever
>: they're calling them this week) and don't use alternative call
>: carriers, 0845 can be cheaper than local rate. 01/02/03 daytime is
>: 4p/min, 0845 2p/min. 01/02/03 evening rate 1.5p/min, 0845 0.5p/min.
>:
>: Of course some people will find 0845 more expensive - e.g. Cable users
>: who get hammered 6p/min for these.
>
>Or mobile users. You're missing the point slightly, although I may not 
>have worded it well. My point was this - BBC WM uses 0845 for its *travel* 
>hotline (as well as its normal contact number). People who call that are 
>most likely to be mobile, in which case they will be worse off than 
>calling a a normal geographic number (on most tariffs, anyway).

the page shows an 0121 number, so you could always ring that one....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/travel/

>
>Ivor
-- 
Regards

stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:28:21 GMT, Stephen 
wrote:


>i live in the GMR footprint for local radio - at the bottom of their
>page they give a normal geographic 0161 contact number.
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local_radio/
Same here with Radio Lancashire .

In news:c0tp54953gdratdh6l13hdrj5knscruqp4@4ax.com,
Stephen  typed, for some strange, unexplained 
reason:
: On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:55:58 +0100, "Ivor Jones"
: <ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote:

[snip]

: >Or mobile users. You're missing the point slightly, although I may
: >not have worded it well. My point was this - BBC WM uses 0845 for
: >its *travel* hotline (as well as its normal contact number). People
: >who call that are most likely to be mobile, in which case they will
: >be worse off than calling a a normal geographic number (on most
: >tariffs, anyway).
:
: the page shows an 0121 number, so you could always ring that one....
: http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/travel/

That's the main switchboard. Not tried, but I suspect that if you called 
it you'd be told to ring the 0845 number.

Hoping to be proved wrong though.

Ivor

In article ,
Ivor Jones <ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote:
>My local BBC station insists on using them, despite the fact that other 
>stations around the area are using freephone numbers, for people to call 
>in with travel info amongst other things. Humph.

But "only if it's safe and illegal to do so", according to at least
a couple of the travel bods. The BBC inciting crimes. Whatever next :)

-- 
--------------------------------------+------------------------------------
Mike Brown: mjb[at]pootle.demon.co.uk | http://www.pootle.demon.co.uk/