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Written by Pete on 2025-01-14 at 10:16

I'm not sure I really care, but am kinda curious: Across their network, BBC Radio seem obsessed with asking listeners to "just ask your smart speaker to 'Play 6 Music/Newscast/whatever'". Is this because they (and so in turn we) pay in an SEO keyword fashion for these phrases to activate said content and need to prove its value? #BBC #Radio #BBCRadio4 #BBC6Music

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Written by Fishd on 2025-01-14 at 11:24

@pete This frustrates me for a different reason.

Due to a disagreement between Apple and the BBC over the sharing of usage data, I cannot ask my smart speaker to play ANY BBC content.

Apparently the BBC state a requirement of them sharing content with any service, that service must supply certain anonymised data back to the BBC about the users... Apple refuse to do this, so the BBC will not allow Apple HomeKit based speakers to directly play BBC radio stations.

I could play BBC radio on my phone via the Sounds app (which the BBC use so they can gather their own data) and then AirPlay that to my HomePod... but it's adding way more friction into the process than is necessary.

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Written by Pete on 2025-01-14 at 12:28

@Fishd I'm not a smart speaker user, and quite happy to remain that way, but does that mean when they're suggesting people do it, it's only actually of pertinence to AMZ/Google device users anyway? If I turned Siri on on my Apple devices could I not do a 'Siri, play the shipping forecast' even if I wanted to?

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Written by Fishd on 2025-01-14 at 13:04

@pete That's my experience, yeah.

Just tried again on my iPad and promisingly it prompted me to select which app I wanted to process the request... but when I selected BBC Sounds it failed, telling me I needed to open BBC Sounds to continue.

When trying the request a second time, it just started playing some theme tunes that are obviously in the Apple Music library.

This all used to work, until the BBC took issue with Apple's privacy stance, so they then disabled it all.

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Written by adamrice on 2025-01-14 at 13:37

@pete For whatever its worth, my public-broadcasting radio station here in the USA does essentially the same thing.

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