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BBC Cuts: BBC2 daytime, Local Radio, Wimbledon/F1 "at risk"

Originally BBC2 "to axe daytime programming" (March 2011)

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BB
BBC LDN
I don't really want to wade too far into this debate, as I agree that a lot of the more outlandish suggestions made so far are little more than scaremongering and positing of extremes to make the ultimate decisions appear like more reasonable compromises.

However, it does surprise me how eagerly some people are eating up some of the wilder ideas mooted in some of these recent reports, and how little consideration has been given to the BBC's responsibilities as a public service broadcaster. If things were really so dire for the BBC to be seriously considering simulcasting the News Channel on BBC Two during the daytime, and for the abandonment of any serious commitment to local radio services, I find it very hard to believe that any reasoned measure of public service commitment could justify 'protecting Graham Norton and football' while services with a strong PSB element like local radio, which are not satisfactorily duplicated in the commercial sector, could be so savagely undermined.

I think a lot of folks are allowing themselves to get their titties in a tangle over this a bit too easily, without taking a breath and looking at this from a more rational viewpoint. If the BBC suddenly decided that its interests were best served - in the interests of cost-saving - by abandoning or reducing key parts of its public service remit, such as political programming, making arts accessible, and providing local services and other output that the commercial sector doesn't find sufficiently appealing, it wouldn't be much of a public service broadcaster any more, and the idea of the licence fee itself, never mind a licence fee increase, would become increasingly difficult to justify.

Of course, I can't rule out every single one of the ideas that have been discussed so far, and the existence of simulcasting trials on local radio, as well as the schizophrenic nature of the BBC Two schedule, do of course lend some credibility to changes being made. But I do think that some people could do with taking a step back and looking at the landscape as a whole, rather than believing that so many wild and fanciful changes are just a stone's throw away.
EX
excel99
I've personally no problem with the national element of The Politics Show going, but I don't think the regional element should be axed. 30 minutes a month at 11.35pm on ITV1 really isn't good enough for regional political programming IMO. And as ITV no longer do it, all the more reason for the BBC to do it

Would Imagine fit in well at 9pm on BBC2? Considering its PSB value would be a shame to axe it, though I agree post BBC News at 10 programming is a luxury in the current environment
:-(
A former member
I doubt the Scottish version will get the axe, there already extended the slot by extra 30mins! which replaced the "Holyrood" programme from Friday evenings.

This could start to extend the amount of opt outs many of the other nations have to take,
JO
Jon
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet. But could the BBC get rid of the separate EPG slots for CBBC and Cbeebies and just revert back to being CBBC on BBC Three and Cbeebeis on BBC Four. Then make BBC Parliament red button only and get rid of all the extra regions at the back end of the Sky EPG.

Would this cut significant costs or does the bulk buying of slots means it would be a very small saving.
MI
Michael
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet. But could the BBC get rid of the separate EPG slots for CBBC and Cbeebies and just revert back to being CBBC on BBC Three and Cbeebeis on BBC Four. Then make BBC Parliament red button only and get rid of all the extra regions at the back end of the Sky EPG.

Would this cut significant costs or does the bulk buying of slots means it would be a very small saving.


The latter. Besides, it would f*** up Sky's EPG organisation. You'd either have a general entertainment channel in the Kids section, or vice versa.
JO
Joe
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet. But could the BBC get rid of the separate EPG slots for CBBC and Cbeebies and just revert back to being CBBC on BBC Three and Cbeebeis on BBC Four. Then make BBC Parliament red button only and get rid of all the extra regions at the back end of the Sky EPG.


That would be barely a saving, and there are sound, non-financial reasons not to do so.
BN
Breakfast News
Quite an interesting article from this weekends FT

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/090f007e-49f2-11e0-acf0-00144feab49a.html#axzz1GVE5LQ1O
BR
Brekkie
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet. But could the BBC get rid of the separate EPG slots for CBBC and Cbeebies and just revert back to being CBBC on BBC Three and Cbeebeis on BBC Four. Then make BBC Parliament red button only and get rid of all the extra regions at the back end of the Sky EPG.

Would this cut significant costs or does the bulk buying of slots means it would be a very small saving.

That is an interesting question - we know BBC1/2 have their slots gifted, but don't know the costs or conditions of the other channels. I know Sky now encourage trading amongst themselves, and I suspect the only slots of any real value are those for BBC3 and BBC4.

I've said before BBC Parliament would be better off replaced with a red button version of Democracy Live, which can then out of parliamentary hours be used for other purposes, especially on Freeview. Shows like The Record can then move to the News Channel - or even post Newsnight on BBC2 if they can't afford to show anything else!
JO
Jon
What are they paying for the all the extra regions to be on the Sky EPG, and if it's that good value why aren't ITV doing it?

Surely you'd start to make a saving if you got rid of all the EPG slots for the variants as well as the slots for Parliament, CBBC and Cbeebies.

Besides, it would f*** up Sky's EPG organisation. You'd either have a general entertainment channel in the Kids section, or vice versa.

That's hardly a good enough reason not to do it, if it were to say save a few BBC local radio stations or coverage of the Six Nations and Formula 1.

Three and Four would in effect become one big general entertainment channel.

As I said I have no idea if this would make a saving.
Last edited by Jon on 14 March 2011 12:47pm
DV
DVB Cornwall
On the subject of cuts, and not cuts, Seems according to a flash from Media Guardian that BBC Asian Network has joined 6 Music in the reprieved services category.

More is promised soon (from MG)
MA
Markymark
What are they paying for the all the extra regions to be on the Sky EPG, and if it's that good value why aren't ITV doing it? .


ITV are not doing it, because they need to assure their advertisers, that any viewer in a particular region, is watching the appropriate local ads. There's also the complication that STV, UTV, and CTV are not the same company, and therefore not financially linked to ITV Ltd.

The only exception is ITV London's UK wide availability on the Sky and Freesat EPGs, that's because it's the only ITV region to carry an audio description track.

The Beeb's motives for having all their regions available UK wide are quite different, and stem from allowing licence payers being able to access as many BBC services as technically possible.
DV
DVB Cornwall
BBC Asian Network reprieve

from ….

WWW.GUARDIAN.CO.UK
14-Mar-2011 @ 15:36

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