The Newsroom

BBC Three & Four 'poor value'

says govt backed report (October 2004)

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NS
NickyS Founding member
Some interesting points in this new report out today. Full details from BBC News Online
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3738584.stm
But it recommends axing the 7 o'clock news on BBC Three and a major re-vamp for The World on BBC Four.
And here's the BBC official response
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/10_october/13/barwise2.shtml
MO
Moz
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

It's disappointing that the audiences are so low. There are some gems of programmes on Three & Four, but also a lot of dross. Funny that they mention Three Non Blondes which I think is absolutely awful! I also hate all the X's Millions type programmes.

One thing which I think they should do is swap the channels round so that CBeebies shares with Three and CBBC shares with Four. Then I'd change it so that Three starts/CBeebies closes down at 6pm and Four starts/CBBC closes down at 8pm.

This would give Three more time to build an audience up to the news at 7. It would also give CBBC time to do more teenage stuff from 7-8pm. Four's more of a later evening channel so would be OK starting at 8, and CBeebies kids shouldn't need TV after 6pm. Read them a story!

Also, most of the parents of CBeebies aged kids are the right target age for Three, so after CBeebies closes down they could trail Three programmes - like Little Angels!
LO
Londoner
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.
MO
Moz
James Hatts posted:
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.


It's audience is hardly the same as that of Channel 4 News and isn't five news at 7.30pm?
AP
AdamP
James Hatts posted:
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.


What would be a good time then? 11pm?
IN
intheknow
James Hatts posted:
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.


I think they should move the programme over to News 24, and at a time where it does not clash with a terrestial news programme.

It will probably get a simular, if not greater audience, than it does on BBC3.
MO
Moz
intheknow posted:
James Hatts posted:
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.


I think they should move the programme over to News 24, and at a time where it does not clash with a terrestial news programme.

It will probably get a simular, if not greater audience, than it does on BBC3.


What's the point of having a news round-up programme on a rolling news channel?
IN
intheknow
Moz posted:
intheknow posted:
James Hatts posted:
Moz posted:
I think the 7 O'Clock News - mainly because of Eddie Mair - is excellent. Can't understand the comments made about it.

Yes, it's an excellent programme, but 7pm is a dreadful time for the media-savvy audience they are going for since the relaunch - up against C4 News and Five News.


I think they should move the programme over to News 24, and at a time where it does not clash with a terrestial news programme.

It will probably get a simular, if not greater audience, than it does on BBC3.


What's the point of having a news round-up programme on a rolling news channel?


Why not? There are programmes like Business Today, Hardtalk, and the various weekend programmes etc. With a bit of tweaking to the programme format, to make it a blend of a news bulletin and a Newsnight type programme, it could do well, rather than hour after hour of rolling news.

It would also help against the expected Sky News revamp next year, with which it is probably going to have rethink of its prime time programming, perhaps even going in a FOX News direction.
MA
marksi
Moz said:
Quote:
One thing which I think they should do is swap the channels round so that CBeebies shares with Three and CBBC shares with Four. Then I'd change it so that Three starts/CBeebies closes down at 6pm and Four starts/CBBC closes down at 8pm.

This would give Three more time to build an audience up to the news at 7. It would also give CBBC time to do more teenage stuff from 7-8pm. Four's more of a later evening channel so would be OK starting at 8, and CBeebies kids shouldn't need TV after 6pm. Read them a story!


Except that the CBeebies Bedtime Hour (1800-1900) is one of the most popular features of the channel.

A wonderful paragraph in the document suggests that viewers may appreciate THREE more if it gave them a chance to catch up on things they'd missed on BBC ONE or TWO. Well there's a novel idea.

Cough, BBC CHOICE, cough.
MO
Moz
marksi posted:
Moz said:
Quote:
One thing which I think they should do is swap the channels round so that CBeebies shares with Three and CBBC shares with Four. Then I'd change it so that Three starts/CBeebies closes down at 6pm and Four starts/CBBC closes down at 8pm.

This would give Three more time to build an audience up to the news at 7. It would also give CBBC time to do more teenage stuff from 7-8pm. Four's more of a later evening channel so would be OK starting at 8, and CBeebies kids shouldn't need TV after 6pm. Read them a story!


Except that the CBeebies Bedtime Hour (1800-1900) is one of the most popular features of the channel.

A wonderful paragraph in the document suggests that viewers may appreciate THREE more if it gave them a chance to catch up on things they'd missed on BBC ONE or TWO. Well there's a novel idea.

Cough, BBC CHOICE, cough.


Well make the bedtime hour from 5-6pm!
SP
Spencer
marksi posted:
Moz said:
Quote:
One thing which I think they should do is swap the channels round so that CBeebies shares with Three and CBBC shares with Four. Then I'd change it so that Three starts/CBeebies closes down at 6pm and Four starts/CBBC closes down at 8pm.

This would give Three more time to build an audience up to the news at 7. It would also give CBBC time to do more teenage stuff from 7-8pm. Four's more of a later evening channel so would be OK starting at 8, and CBeebies kids shouldn't need TV after 6pm. Read them a story!


Except that the CBeebies Bedtime Hour (1800-1900) is one of the most popular features of the channel.

A wonderful paragraph in the document suggests that viewers may appreciate THREE more if it gave them a chance to catch up on things they'd missed on BBC ONE or TWO. Well there's a novel idea.

Cough, BBC CHOICE, cough.


I'm sure they'd love to do that more, but didn't Tessa Jowell put a strict limit on time-shifted programmes when setting out the remit for BBC Three? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
LO
Londoner
AdamP posted:
What would be a good time then? 11pm?

8.30 maybe? Like Five News when it first launched.

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