BBC suddenly fixed for Alexa/Sonos then stops again

  • 5 December 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 329 views
R

This is one for Sonos: ever since BBC launched Sounds, we’ve not been able to start BBC Radio 4 on our Sonos speakers, either as the preferred speaker or just by asking “Alexa, play BBC Radio 4 on kitchen”. Instead Sonos plays a different station, most recently BBC Cymru 😅

About four days ago it suddenly started working seamlessly. I was so pleased. However, this morning they're back to their old tricks (Alex and ‘kitchen’), and it doesn't work.

I read somewhere you were having problems agreeing a licence or something like that with the BBC; it might have been something to do with their introduction of the Sounds app. We're you testing a fix? Can you get it working again?

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3 replies

Ken_Griffiths

Perhaps see this older community thread on the BBC radio issue:

 

J

This has nothing to do with licenses, and everything to do with the BBC pulling the plug on TuneIn, which is used by Alexa.  There was a partial concession to third party systems like Sonos, when using the app.  Nothing Sonos can do.

The acceptable (to me) compromise is to have installed the BBC Sounds skill on Alexa.  Then use Alexa Groups to put an Echo Dot and a Sonos speaker in an Alexa group, with Sonos as the preferred speaker.

Then say: ‘Alexa, play radio 4 from the BBC’ NOT ‘Play BBC Radio 4’.

My best guess as to why this happens is that one formulation triggers a (doomed) attempt to use the Sonos skill, while the other uses the BBC Sounds skill.  However, that means you cannot specify a room, it just has to default to the preferred speaker.

I hope that helps.

R

Thank you so much, both of you. You're very kind to help.
 

What baffled me was how it worked for about three or four days and then stopped.

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