OM
From the BBC's Annual Plan document:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/annualplan/annual-plan-2020-21.pdf
Here is the supporting press release:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/annual-plan
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/annualplan/annual-plan-2020-21.pdf
Quote:
BBC Two will become the home of the BBC’s specialist programming with a renewed focus on premium and distinctive factual content from documentaries, science and history to the arts, music and religion – helping audiences to discover and understand the world in all its complexity. It will remain a mixed-genre channel that will provide a vital creative pipeline to BBC One for scripted and factual entertainment content in order to grow the hits of the future and continue that strong and successful tradition. BBC Two will be enriched by taking the best of BBC Four’s originations, giving these programmes a bigger shop window
BBC Three has demonstrated an extraordinary track record of originality. It has grown new talent, created huge global hits and has been named Channel Of The Year three times. We are now backing this success, more than doubling its budget and maximising its reach across broadcast and online. We will expand the range of content that it commissions, but retain its focus on new talent, compelling drama (like Normal People, Killing Eve, Thirteen and Killed by my Debt), life-changing current affairs and factual (like Stacey Dooley’s investigations and Love and Hate Crime), entertainment (like RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Glow Up) and comedy (like This Country, Fleabag and Famalam).
We are exploring how we can maximise the impact of this new young adult content. Our research evidence shows that there is a big available audience on linear television and the BBC could reach them if we move decisively. So there is potentially a strong case for restoring BBC Three as a linear channel as well as an online destination. But in the course of this year we will need to explore how viewing habits develop during the Covid-19 crisis
BBC Four will increase focus on bringing together collections of the most distinctive content from the BBC’s rich archive. Arts will continue to be a centrepiece of Four as we carry on showcasing Culture in Quarantine through this period. Outside the UK, we are exploring potential commercial opportunities for BBC Four to become a new global subscription service that takes our strengths in specialist factual to the world stage.
BBC Three has demonstrated an extraordinary track record of originality. It has grown new talent, created huge global hits and has been named Channel Of The Year three times. We are now backing this success, more than doubling its budget and maximising its reach across broadcast and online. We will expand the range of content that it commissions, but retain its focus on new talent, compelling drama (like Normal People, Killing Eve, Thirteen and Killed by my Debt), life-changing current affairs and factual (like Stacey Dooley’s investigations and Love and Hate Crime), entertainment (like RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Glow Up) and comedy (like This Country, Fleabag and Famalam).
We are exploring how we can maximise the impact of this new young adult content. Our research evidence shows that there is a big available audience on linear television and the BBC could reach them if we move decisively. So there is potentially a strong case for restoring BBC Three as a linear channel as well as an online destination. But in the course of this year we will need to explore how viewing habits develop during the Covid-19 crisis
BBC Four will increase focus on bringing together collections of the most distinctive content from the BBC’s rich archive. Arts will continue to be a centrepiece of Four as we carry on showcasing Culture in Quarantine through this period. Outside the UK, we are exploring potential commercial opportunities for BBC Four to become a new global subscription service that takes our strengths in specialist factual to the world stage.
Here is the supporting press release:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/annual-plan
AN
BBC4 won’t last more than a year on tv in this new form, this is a step towards closure. It wouldn’t even be a move online as it’d just be absorbed under the iPlayer branding.
RD
BBC Two has very little purpose nowadays. So there is certainly room for Arts programming to return to BBC Two.
Will this spell the end for BBC Four? It's likely. But the BBC needs its channels to appeal to a wider market than a niche adult market.
I wouldn't say the BBC made the wrong decision in shelving BBC Three four years ago, but I think a lot more thought was needed to be put into the closure plans other than, "young viewers were more likely to watch online".
I think the BBC are now panicking that doing this has potentially put a shelf life on the other BBC channels when the only option it had intended for its younger viewers is online only. The next generation will see little purpose in liner television unless it's set up to serve them in the first place. Therefore the BBC need to make this U-turn, especially given the ratings and critical acclaim that most of its recent BBC Three output has gotten.
Will this spell the end for BBC Four? It's likely. But the BBC needs its channels to appeal to a wider market than a niche adult market.
I wouldn't say the BBC made the wrong decision in shelving BBC Three four years ago, but I think a lot more thought was needed to be put into the closure plans other than, "young viewers were more likely to watch online".
I think the BBC are now panicking that doing this has potentially put a shelf life on the other BBC channels when the only option it had intended for its younger viewers is online only. The next generation will see little purpose in liner television unless it's set up to serve them in the first place. Therefore the BBC need to make this U-turn, especially given the ratings and critical acclaim that most of its recent BBC Three output has gotten.
CH
Agree with all of this. I don’t see a reason why on demand and linear can live side-by-side like radio and podcasts do. They do different things and whilst I can see the number of channels reducing, I don’t see it being the death knell some are predicting.
BBC Two has very little purpose nowadays. So there is certainly room for Arts programming to return to BBC Two.
Will this spell the end for BBC Four? It's likely. But the BBC needs its channels to appeal to a wider market than a niche adult market.
I wouldn't say the BBC made the wrong decision in shelving BBC Three four years ago, but I think a lot more thought was needed to be put into the closure plans other than, "young viewers were more likely to watch online".
I think the BBC are now panicking that doing this has potentially put a shelf life on the other BBC channels when the only option it had intended for its younger viewers is online only. The next generation will see little purpose in liner television unless it's set up to serve them in the first place. Therefore the BBC need to make this U-turn, especially given the ratings and critical acclaim that most of its recent BBC Three output has gotten.
Will this spell the end for BBC Four? It's likely. But the BBC needs its channels to appeal to a wider market than a niche adult market.
I wouldn't say the BBC made the wrong decision in shelving BBC Three four years ago, but I think a lot more thought was needed to be put into the closure plans other than, "young viewers were more likely to watch online".
I think the BBC are now panicking that doing this has potentially put a shelf life on the other BBC channels when the only option it had intended for its younger viewers is online only. The next generation will see little purpose in liner television unless it's set up to serve them in the first place. Therefore the BBC need to make this U-turn, especially given the ratings and critical acclaim that most of its recent BBC Three output has gotten.
Agree with all of this. I don’t see a reason why on demand and linear can live side-by-side like radio and podcasts do. They do different things and whilst I can see the number of channels reducing, I don’t see it being the death knell some are predicting.
DO
If they want to get the younger generation to pay the licence fee there does have to be some form of linear content aimed at them. The licence fee simply doesn't provide value for money compared to streaming services unless it also includes linear content that is attractive to the person paying for the licence. Reinstating BBC Three as a linear channel and moving BBC Four online only will almost certainly be beneficial in attracting a younger audience base which is one of the biggest issues facing the BBC at present.
Until you consider that the younger generation rarely even consider linear TV when looking for something to watch.
But is that because they're not interested or because there's nothing with new interesting content aimed at them being broadcast on a linear channel?
The BBC simply won't win any argument to keep the licence fee if it's compared with the streaming providers. For it to survive it needs to champion linear TV and provide that to the widest audience possible. There's stuff the linear world does better than the streaming sites, and there's stuff the streaming sites don't even bother with. But do you hear the BBC pointing this out? No, they just like to big up how successful iPlayer is.
If they want to get the younger generation to pay the licence fee there does have to be some form of linear content aimed at them. The licence fee simply doesn't provide value for money compared to streaming services unless it also includes linear content that is attractive to the person paying for the licence. Reinstating BBC Three as a linear channel and moving BBC Four online only will almost certainly be beneficial in attracting a younger audience base which is one of the biggest issues facing the BBC at present.
Until you consider that the younger generation rarely even consider linear TV when looking for something to watch.
But is that because they're not interested or because there's nothing with new interesting content aimed at them being broadcast on a linear channel?
The BBC simply won't win any argument to keep the licence fee if it's compared with the streaming providers. For it to survive it needs to champion linear TV and provide that to the widest audience possible. There's stuff the linear world does better than the streaming sites, and there's stuff the streaming sites don't even bother with. But do you hear the BBC pointing this out? No, they just like to big up how successful iPlayer is.
TR
This is absolutely
insane
. If you were to create the BBC today, from the ground up, the absolute
last
thing you be suggesting is "linear TV channel to appeal to the under-30s" and "archive channel to be sold internationally on satellite multichannel providers". I am astounded.