Why do BBC factual programmes use kilometres instead of miles?

[TTG]

In the recent tv programmes 'The Human Planet' and 'Stargazing Live', the presenters/narrators use kilometres as a measure of distance.

I've noticed this in a lot of recent factual programmes. Why are kilometres used as I am sure using miles would make more sense to it's target audience i.e. the UK?

"The river is 527 kilometres long". He might as well have said "The lake is long".

[uncle al]

I'm an ageing luddite
I still think in miles and it does rile me that it is felt necessary to make programmes with a "metric commentary"
If the programme is to be shown abroad, surely it would be dubbed anyway?
My car speedo still shows me mph and if I get stopped for speeding its for an mph infringement
I hazard a guess that 99% of British road signs are in miles, and I seem to recall anything different is illegal anyway.
Rant over.

[gingejbee]

Thank you sqarebear: it's nice to know I'm not alone in my annoyance at the way people are so lazy and resistant to change.

[squarebear]

Well it's only been used for 40+ years. Give them at least another 100!

[Whickerman]

just on a point above - all Irish road signs are now in Km. (trust me, I live here and do 50,000km a year)

I was in a company in the Uk recently and the product we buy from them is measured in length, in metres. I honestly was suprised as I thought the UK still used mostly imperial - the salesmanager called two of the girls there and asked them to measure out 3ft - neither had any idea how long thatis.

[Prudie]

Some of you are being unfairly mean. The UK has had the metric sytem since the 70s yes but Kilometres are NOT used. All distances, roads, speeds etc are still in miles.

[factor-fiction]

Despite the metric system being in place for around 40 years most school children still use imperial measures for distance and weight and struggle to visualise litres, kilograms and centimetres. Ask anyone their weight and they answer in stones; ask their height and they answer in feet and inches. Maths teachers are still expected to teach conversion between metric and imperial units. The confusion will persist for at least another generation I fear unless we aim to abolish references to miles, yards (18 yards box in football etc), etc.

[cricket44]

invictas dont be so selfish, we are a metric country as well, do you still use gallons to fill your car or do you use litres?. I prefer metric and i never use feet and inches or pounds or ounces. Like people are saying they have been teaching metric since the 70's teaching pupils including I take it your children and maybe even Grand children. Are you that selfish that you would rather sabotage their education? If you do have offspring dont you think its a little selfish not to embrace what they are learning? we are NOT a non metric country the sooner we go fuller metric the better!!! some of us like our metres.

[mr_goose]

Metric system was actually legalised in the UK way back in 1893 in the Weights and Measures Act - over 100 years ago. Today, most of the planet has already metricated, including most of the British Commonwealth, all of continental Europe, and most of the far east including China and Japan.

Sadly the UK has made a complete mess of metrication and it will probably be another 100 years before we finally catch up with the rest of the world. Only consolation I suppose is that the Americans are even slower than we are.

[mr_goose]

Correction regarding my last post, "1893" should have read "1897"

[PhilipII]

Nobody in Britain has been educated in non-metric units plus it facilitates the purchase of BBC programmes to other English-speaking countries without the necessity for converting into metric units.