BBC Three

Broadcast are running an article which suggests an alternative approach to providing BBC Three with an outlet. It suggests using the BBC Radio 1 Dance model of a curated service delivered online rather than going for a return to OTA broadcast.

I'd suggest that this would be a very effective 'solution' which also would not be restrained by timesharing of broadcast resources yet providing a full service offering.

It'd also fit well with the alleged iPlayer first commissioning policy that could be introduced soon.

"We could end up in the weird scenario where the channel makes a bold return to TV, but future trends force it to move online again in a decade or so anyway. It would be extremely W1A" - New Broadcast columnist @scottygb on the future of BBC3 https://t.co/fm0sXhiGdv pic.twitter.com/f11veCCi9O

— Broadcast (@Broadcastnow) November 1, 2020

Feels like that would be the worst of both worlds. It is a very different product to Radio 1 Dance.

Please can someone explain this in Luddite-friendly terms, as I don't understand?

If it's going to ultimately still be anything other than a traditional linear channel, then whatever the difference is between its current "online only" status and whatever non-linear option is now being proposed is lost on me.

Cheers in advance.

The proposed idea is to put together a 'service' of content already on the iPlayer, but run it as a 'channel' so if you wanted to see a BBC Three service with a schedule it would be available on the iPlayer. So a linear channel of content delivered via the iPlayer instead of traditional broadcast.

This would be in addition to individual programmes being available via the iPlayer.

You could think of it as how BTTV deliver their extra channels - over the internet rather than via transmitter or satellite.

They're linear channels but not transmitted as such.

You see, this is probably how they should've done it in the first place. PlutoTV and Plex have proven linear can be done and this is a step in the right direction, since viewers are more inclined to stick BBC Three on since it's online and in a place that targets them. Granted, I know a friend who would've preferred it going to TV but it's a small price to pay I suppose.

At least it can broadcast content without having to worry about CBBC's transponder space or affecting BBC Four. Which makes me wonder what's stopping them from doing the same with BBC Four? Have the 24/7 stream be constantly running, plug it to terrestrial viewers and then they don't have to wait till 7pm?

Here is my point of view on this I have to say this is a very interesting idea, but the thing is there IS already free transponder place, I am all up for it but at the same time I want the online linear BBC Three to be simulcast on TV on CBBC's channel from 7pm-7am like it once was, you see many people do not have fast internet connection, that is why I also want a proper TV return, 4 years ago there were many people who complained that their internet speed is too slow. that is my biggest pet peeve on BBC Three being linear on iplayer only, Plus the BBC does not have the rights to show films live on the iplayer there is always a message telling you to switch to TV, and BBC Three also aired many movies, a 24/7 BBC Three without also movies to show....becomes a bit repetitive, but then again I am open to this

Am I misunderstanding this, or is this suggestion, like, a proper TV channel with a schedule, but online only?

See, I do like that idea, but, as Roger said above me, there will be people who can't stream as easily as others, and the rights thing- at one point, I lived in a place so remote I could only watch TV online if I wanted to watch something different to the only telly in the house, and 1) it hammered the internet so much, and my mum refused to go unlimited internet, even though I offered to pay the extra, and 2) watching a live stream on a less than perfect broadband connection is painful.

I'm lucky now, in that I have unlimited fibre internet at a good speed, and I've creatively budgeted for it when I went from a two-income family to a one-income family, but not everyone is as lucky as me, either in internet speeds or in finances. But that's a whole other story involving my criticism of universal credit, and having a part time job, yet still being seen as a scrounger even though I also have to look after my kids.

Huh. Sorry, I went off on one a bit there.

In theory, it's an excellent idea. In practice, it's a bit more complicated.

Interesting to consider this proposal with Netflix's new plans for France, a linear experiment is on the cards:-

https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2020/11/06/netflix-launches-first-linear-channel/

I heard about that, this will surely put a lot more pressure on the BBC to reopen BBC3's TV channel

If the plan is to bring back BBC Three as it was near the end and run it 24/7 then what's the point? It was mostly old shows with hardly any new ones being made so would be worse than before.

The only comparison that can be made between it and the new Netflix channel is the technology. Direct will be aimed at a general audience and will have a vast catalogue to choose from.

More info: https://global.techradar.com/en-za/news/netflix-is-testing-a-more-traditional-tv-channel-approach-in-france

Maybe if the BBC upped the budget and/or bought in shows from elsewhere they could manage something decent but would it be popular? The thing about Direct is that there is far less risk involved with the schedule consisting of only the most popular Netflix shows in France.

What the BBC are doing right now by showcasing BBC Three programmes on BBC One seems to be the most sensible idea as they will get more of a chance there and are less likely to sink without trace.

Well. This is becoming more complex that I could have ever thought when talking about BBC Three coming back like a linear channel.

I suppose there could be benefits for those who have TV boxes or smart TV's that can receive iPlayer in the UK that they can get BBC Three back on their TV's once it's becomes official. But a lot of people who would have initially thought that by reading these rumours over the past few weeks that now BBC Three could be coming back with a traditional schedule but online-only sounds a bit crap tbh.

The UK broadband infrastructure is really poor position these days especially with fibre take-up being at a shockingly low total for the overall UK population even in 2020. I don't think this news will create a lot of positivity among the UK public especially for young people who are currently stuck with poor broadband connectivity in their homes. This is probably a huge chunk of it's original target market already wiped out that is still left out of this current era of BBC Three since it went online-only since 2015 or 2016. It does sounds like that the BBC is making a backtrack on their commitments to broadcasting to every part of the UK's audience because of the problems stemming from the over 70's licence fee plan from the current tory government. I could also imply that the BBC putting BBC Three back on linear TV for the entire would probably be too much of a financial risk to be asking for from them at this point.

I could say that the pressure that is coming from the government of having to comply with the new over 70's licence fee agreements in the UK is placing the BBC on a pedestal that has become very difficult to jump off. The BBC could say that because that they are facing right now; they could fail to see any realistic avenue ahead to ever afford placing BBC Three back on linear TV in the short to medium term. When these rumours about BBC Three began circulating over the past while; it was probably inevitable that not much could be done by BBC management to change things in about how the channel was going to be run so it can have a steady future.