BBC Worldwide Channels

No, but is the best home grown thing they can scrape up for an international audience ?

It's the sort of thing I'd expect from the BBC, but I get the thrust of your argument.

BBC First is to launch in the Netherlands on May 16, it was announced today.
The channel will air British series, subtitled in Dutch. The programming will not be entirely the same as the Australian version of BBC First, the Dutch equivalent will focus more on crime series.

It will be a premium service, but it will be free for KPN clients (tv over DSL). The company, which is similar to British Telecom, is challenging the cable companies, which were dominant on the Dutch tv market. It is very likely this is a way to attract new customers.

Will BBC first be in HD in Holland?

What's the point when BBC 1 and 2 are virtually universally available there ?

But they also have BBC Entertainment (which I presume BBC First will be replacing) as well as BBC World and as pay extra channels they have BBC3, BBC4, CBeebies and CBBC

What's the point of Dave/Watch when the entire range of domestic BBC channels are universally available?

I guess the scheduling will be different - and it offers "another chance to view" like Dave, Gold, Watch etc. do here. It may actually be "BBC Second" in Benelux countries...

One thing it will have is Dutch subtitles, which I assume isn't offered on BBC One and Two at the moment. Even though most people understand English, many may not be proficient enough to sit through an entire episode without aid. Press coverage also states that BBC Entertainment will remain alongside BBC First.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/worldwide/2015/bbc-worldwide-announce-first-in-netherlands

I don't know the exact situation in the Netherlands, but in many places the spillover channels have lost much of their significance to the general public over the last decades. I assume that when a BBC or ITV programme is carried by NPO in the Netherlands the bulk of its viewing will come with the NPO showing, with only hardcore fans making an effort to watch the original UK premiere. So channels repackaging BBC shows specifically for a Dutch audience can make some sense.

The NPO indicated over the weekend the cooperation might become 'less intensive'. The BBC would rather have its series aired on BBC First than on NPO1, I'd guess.

My tv company, KPN (the one offering BBC First first), announced BBC Entertainment would be lost as of July 1st. BBC Three and BBC Four will also be lost by then for viewers having a premium package. Side note: KPN is to place BBC First on channel number 23, followed by BBC One on channel number 24.

Ah i didnt read it properly on terrestrial, so no satellite carriage, never mind, as a sidenote the bitrate on these BBC Worldwide channels are very high and has the wow factor about it, BBC World News HD looks fantastic but ruined by the sound being mono, its a shame the bbc hd offering in the UK is not very good in comparison.

BBC First has started broadcasting in The Netherlands, until Saturday only trailers (with a crappy voice-over btw). Official programming starts Saturday at 16:30 local time (15:30 UK). We can receive the channel in both SD and HD.