My recent bloggings

Describing the cost of calling 03 numbers - some progress at the BBC

Use of 03 numbers offers a perfectly acceptable solution for public bodies (and others) who do not wish to impose a "Service Charge" on callers to a non-geographic number.

For this to be recognised however, it is imperative that where a call cost statement is made it is both accurate and not potentially misleading. A user of a number can never give a total call cost in absolute terms because some element is always set by the caller's chosen provider.

There has been, and there remains, a problem with the BBC using potentially misleading statements. I am however pleased to report that some of these errors are being corrected.

This blogging celebrated the adoption of a 03 number by BBC Question Time in 2010, but noted the misleading call cost statement used initially, on which I comment.

I am delighted to provide an illustration of the new, and perfectly proper, statement which is now being used. It was introduced for the broadcast on 6 October 2011 (part way through the current series).

I have also created a scruffy little animated gif to show the developments on Question Time:

Let us hope that, in time, a more standardised form of calls cost announcement, as well as rules for when these are necessary, will emerge into general use.



Yahoo Media Player Instructions

Listening to sound clips

(For a full catalogue of radio and other sound items, visit Radio / Sound Player)

Links to sound clips in blog postings will appear with a play/pause button alongside them in the text.
Click on the button to hear the item.

The player controls will appear at the bottom left corner of the screen.
Explore the options and features.

  • To minimise; click on right hand button.
  • To close after use; click on "x".
  • For details about the item hover the mouse over the title.
  • Help with entering comments

    • All comments are subject to moderation

    • Anonymous comments are unlikely to be published

    • If no "id", use the Name/URL option - the URL is optional

    • A contact email address (entered with the name) will enable private dialogue

    Proceed