TV Home Forum

BBC 1 & BBC2 after the Analogue Switch-off...

(September 2005)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
ST
STEVE 03
I'm just thinking, what do you think the BBC will do with their schedules when the Analogue signal switches off in 4/5 years time. Will BBC1 still show News 24 overnight and will BBC2 still show CBBC/CBeebies and The Learning Zone. Thinking about it the BBC would have lots of hours to fill if they decided to scrap News 24 and CBBC from the schedules. What would they fill their schedules with?
Here's my own ideas what the new schedules should look like:

BBC1:
6.00am Breakfast
9.00-1.00pm Daily programming i.e City Hospital, Bargain Hunt etc.
1.00pm 1 o'clock News.
1.30pm Regional News.
1.40pm Neighbours.
2.10pm Doctors.
2.40pm FILM.
4.30pm Ready, Steady, Cook.
5.15pm The Weakest Link.
6.00pm 6 o'clock News.
6.30pm Regional News.
7.00-12.00am Usual daily programming i.e EastEnders, comedies etc
12.00am FILM
2.00am BBC1 Catchup.
2.05-6.00am Repeats of BBC1 programmes old and new.

BBC2:
6.00am Pages from Ceefax.
7.00am FILM
9.00am Daytime on TWO: School programming.
12.00pm The Daily Politics.
12.30pm Working Lunch.
1.00pm FILM
3.00pm FILM
5.00pm Repeat of an old sitcom/comedy.
5.35pm Neighbours: Repeat from 1.40pm showing on BBC1
6.00pm Daily BBC2 programming.
9.00pm Comedy or drama series.
10.30pm Newsnight.
11.30pm FILM
1.30am FILM
3.30am Pages from Ceefax.

The schedules don't look much different from today's schedules really, but new programmes would have to fill the gaps if the likes of CBBC/News 24 and The Learning Zone were to be taken from the daily schedules. Anyone else have any ideas/possible schedules?
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
Isn't it highly likely that come analogue switch off that news bulletins on mainstream channels will disappear from the schedules ?
ST
STEVE 03
Yes I think the same applies to ITV, Channel 4 and Five. The news bullitins may disapear altogether from all the 5 channels. I think the BBC will keep their regular news bullitins in tact and may just reduce the time of each bullitin.
TW
Time Warp
I think it's hard to speculate on something that will take place in seven years time, as so much would have changed.
MS
MrStrawsonsSheep
Square Eyes posted:
Isn't it highly likely that come analogue switch off that news bulletins on mainstream channels will disappear from the schedules ?


No, presumably the BBC-1 news will not only remain but continue to be regarded as the principal output for television news in the BBC? Will there will be a re-allignments of the sort mentioned, ie why have CBBC on ONE etc?.......

But then a lot depends on where the BBC sees BBC-1 as being placed. My guess would be that it would remain as the main (BBC) entertainment chalnnel, capable of capturing a large audience. With all the other channels being (not themed) "more closely defined in genre" the presumption is that the channel to face the most re-definition will be BBC-2, losing content to both BBC-3 and BBC-4.
BR
Brekkie
Well, I expect Ceefax will have gone so "Pages from Ceefax" is a non-starter.

I don't see any reason though why News 24 wouldn't continue overnight purely as a schedule filler.


In theory we'd see an end to programmes being broadcast on BBC3/4 then on BBC1/2 - but I expect we'd still see programmes promoted to BBC1/2 in the same way traditionally programmes have moved from BBC2 to BBC1.

I would expect CBBC and CBeebies to go during the day, though I imagine the Saturday morning programmes would continue on BBC1.

Perhaps programmes like The Daily Politics and Working Lunch would move to BBC News 24.


On the other hand though the BBC charter may still require BBC1 and BBC2 to offer a mixed range of programming, including childrens and poliitical programming!

Personally, if I was doing it I'd axe one channel so we see BBC2 and BBC4 effectively merged, with all the comedy output from BBC2 moving to BBC3.

It leaves a problem with CBeebies - it could then take over the BBC2 schedule from 6am-6pm on weekdays and 6am-12noon on weekends, merge with CBBC or continue to have it's own stream, but with no BBC4 in the evening.
DE
denton
A pilot scheme is about to get underway at the BBC which will provide a macro regional news service in the Midlands. This will take the form of a more localised news service for several areas in the Midlands and will be available on-demand via the red button. If successful the service could be rolled out across the country.

Now the question is; could a similar scheme replace the current regional news programme at 6:30?

Personally I think BBC ONE will retain a full National and Regional news service for many years to come.

This being the case, having News 24 as a buffer at the end of the night is a handy way of being able to get back on track for the next day's programming at 6am. It's not just news that can overrun of course. Proms, Eurovision, any live event you can think of.

If News 24 was replaced by pre-recorded programming the task of getting back to 6am each day would be much more tricky.

And then you have to take in to account the Nations and their opts and time-shifting of network programmes. The task of getting them back on track for a specific rejoin each night would be even more tricky than it already is.
MO
Moz
Square Eyes posted:
Isn't it highly likely that come analogue switch off that news bulletins on mainstream channels will disappear from the schedules ?

No.

One of the requirements of BBC Three's license was that it provided news, and if you can get BBC Three, you can get News 24. Therefore, universal access to 24 news does not exempt channels from showing news.

Rightly so, too, in my opinion. People are more likely to watch a news programme if it is on a channel they are already watching, than if they have to change channels to watch it. If people were left to choose for themselves, loads would choose not to watch any news, and this would be detrimental to society.

There's far too many ignorant people around who get their sole 'news' input from the Daily Star!
SP
Spencer
I wonder if BBC Two will have to redifine its remit once analogue is switched off... or maybe even before.

Its identity is already being eroded; BBC Four is now the home of high-brow documentaries and the arts, whilst BBC Three is the home of youth programming and comedy. These areas were until recently firmly under the umbrella of BBC Two's programming. So the question is, what is the role of BBC Two once everyone has Three and Four?
ST
STEVE 03
I think BBC2 should stick to doing what it does best; offer a range of alternative programming, documentaries, comedies and old films. If I were controller of BBC2 I would definatley consider reducing the amount of CBBC programming. It's good to see actually that from next week CBBC begins at 7am and not 6am and ends at 10am instead of 11am, so perhaps the downsizing of CBBC on BBC2 is already starting.
All we need now is for Breakfast and Weekend 24 on Saturday morning's to be eliminated from BBC2's schedules. In fact, Breakfast should be on BBC1 on Saturday mornings and any CBBC shows should be switched to BBC2 as a matter of continuity in the daily schedules.
You can't beat a run of good old black and white films in the mornings though, far better than Saturday Kitchen and Rachel's Favourite Food Smile
MO
Moz
Perhaps, when we've all got access to everything...

BBC One - Light entertainment and comedy
BBC Two - Drama, lifestyle and nature
BBC Three - As now plus popular music (TOTP & Later)
BBC Four - Arts, docs and current affairs

Sport could be spread across all four channels, perhaps racing on One, Snooker on Two, footy on Three, cricket on Four etc

CBBC, CBeebies, News 24, Parliament - as now

I agree that BBC One and Two can't really continue to be 'everything to everyone' channels, and think that BBC One has to lose it's 'THE ONE' status (if it hasn't already).

BBC One used to be the place to turn to in the event of major national moments. As these are usually news events, perhaps News 24 will become the channel to turn to at times like these?
JC
Jack Carkdale
Digital Satellite only alows for a ""BBC Two England" as opposed to any BBC Two English Regions.

So, currently The Super League Show (only shown in the four northern England BBC regions) is not available to northern Sky viewers.

Post analogue-switch-off, the only way to ensure that northerners who happen to have "gone digital" via Sky - rather than cable of Freeview - would be to, say, permenantly swap channels with Countryfile.

Newer posts