BBC One +1 Stopped by the BBC Trust

So the mighty and wise BBC Trust has once again made a decision with infallible logic that sees them rule provisionally against the launch of BBC One +1 not because the public don't want it, but because the commercial broadcasters think it might hurt them. I'm glad the BBC is putting commercial organisations first in its thinking, a bit like selling Television Centre for pennies so a nice lovely developer can make some money for themselves..

Radio Times Link: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-06-30/bbc11-proposal-rejected
Full BBC Trust Report: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/review_report_research/service_changes/pva/provisional_conclusions.pdf

Provisional conclusions

The full set of conclusions is published below. A summary of the provisional conclusions is as follows:

- The Trust provisionally approves the proposal to move BBC Three online, however the Trust has sought a series of assurances from the BBC ahead of our final decision. Any approval would therefore be subject to certain conditions.

- The Trust believes that the potential benefits of the BBC One +1 service do not outweigh the likely market impact. The Trust has therefore provisionally rejected this proposal.

- The proposal for iPlayer to become more than a catch-up service, by hosting live content as well as carefully selected third-party content, is provisionally accepted.

- The Trust provisionally accepts the proposed extension of CBBC hours.

The decision on bbc+1 seems sensible to me. The bbc has a guaranteed income, it's commercial rivals don't and they have to factor in the commercial and programming operations of it's rivals in their own business plans.

If the opposition goal posts kept being moved how could any commercial operator devise and operate a long term business plan?

Quite rightly you look at it from a personal perspective and how it will affect you, but the bbc trust has to look at the wider commercial impact for the wider broadcasting industry in which the bbc is a very big player.

I have to agree with the BBC +1 rejection, I don't think it would work because of iPlayer.
I also agree that CBBC should have more hours, since their audience is slightly older than CBeebies and therefore stay up longer, which means they would require more programmes before bedtime.

I believe it's now too late to save BBC Three, since I think it has everything in place, and those reassurances would be found somehow. Now we need to discuss what's the best place for it's big programmes to go to.

Apart from BBC Three, the Trust has done well here, but due to earlier problems (Saville etc.) it's days are numbered.

BBC1+1 is no surprise.
CBBC extending hours is overdue really, considering most of the other channels in the market are broadcasting 24/7 now.
With regards to BBC Three, the writing is probably on the wall for it, but never say never.

What big programmes? Of the ones it did have almost all been moved or cancelled.

Could that be because the potential benefits are actually "zero" when compared to the likely market impact which is probably "next to nothing".


Something will always be more than nothing.

Yeah. I think they should show programmes for the kids from 6am to 9pm, and then show retro/nostalgic programming in the remaining nine hours (since kids under 12 shouldn't be up that late, but they need to fill the airtime with something). Since that late night programming would all be repeats, it would still be cheaper to run than BBC Three.

Rejecting BBC One +1 makes sense. Establishing it flies in the face of the argument for moving BBC Three online. Speaking of which, it's no real surprise given how they've run the channel down recently.

BBC Three and CBBC are physically the same 'channel', in a Thames/LWT sort of a way; even if they appear separately on a typical EPG. With BBC Three gone, extending CBBC a little past its currently time is probably an obvious win in such a negative situation.

As for +1, it could be handy to have but far from vital. As has been said, most people have access to iPlayer anyway.

It's the one sensible decision they made today, but goes nowhere near enough to compensate for one of the most ludicrous decisions in the corporations history.

Ah you're right. Except what happens to Family Guy for the remaining seasons it has, and for archive episodes? And what channel does the Eurovision semi-finals go to? Does 60 Seconds stay or go also?

Family Guy has gone to BBC2 already for the new episodes.