The space for BBC4 could either be sold off, or show programming from BBC Worldwide (Dancing with the Stars, Shameless USA etc). Would there be any legalities in place to stop the BBC
launching a commercial channel, providing it isn't funded by the license fee?
That would be UKTV.
I mean one solely owned by the BBC, although nail on head there, they could stick one of their UKTV channels in a freed up slot.
I'd say leave the four main channels as they are, and I don't think this plan for BBC Two will go ahead. If anything may change in the future, there is the possibility of turning BBC Three into an online streaming channel only, removing it from television; as a channel for younger people such as myself (although I have an extreme dislike for the channel, aside from a few factual, drama, comedy and other documetary programmes on BBC Three), BBC Three may perhaps reach more viewers if online only.
BBCWW need to sort out UKTV. I was about to post a long post stating how I would change UKTV, but the general consensus would be to revert the branding back to UK Gold, Horizons, Style, History and to keep Dave. Too many channels = spreading the content too thinly = too many repeats/marathons on weekends.
I'd say leave the four main channels as they are, and I don't think this plan for BBC Two will go ahead. If anything may change in the future, there is the possibility of turning BBC Three into an online streaming channel only, removing it from television; as a channel for younger people such as myself (although I have an extreme dislike for the channel, aside from a few factual, drama, comedy and other documetary programmes on BBC Three), BBC Three may perhaps reach more viewers if online only.
I'm not to keen on BBC Three either but there is no chance of it being axed in favour of a web stream. It's one of the biggest digital channels, and the BBCs best performing digital channel, with an audience share of 1.5%. Thats only behind ITV2 (2.4% audience share) and ITV3 (2.5%, as well as E4 (if you lump E4 and E4+1 together, totalling at 1.8%).
BBCWW need to sort out UKTV. I was about to post a long post stating how I would change UKTV, but the general consensus would be to revert the branding back to UK Gold, Horizons, Style, History and to keep Dave. Too many channels = spreading the content too thinly = too many repeats/marathons on weekends.
Agreed, the current has left them with decent content being wasted on channels which are pretty much invisible (Really and Watch in particular). The cynic in me thinks BBC Worldwide might be quite happy to degrade the services a little bit in order to get VM's half of UKTV at a better price.
I bet this story, if it hasn''t been blown up out of all proportion by the Sunday Times, is an example of Sunday news management. Deliberately leaking a nuclear option or worst case scenario to test the water or to make the real bad news seem less bad.
It simply would not be realistic to show the News Channel until 1900 for all kinds of reasons.
But there are important questions for BBC Daytime to address.
*How distinctive it is - both scheduling and commissioning.
*The role of CBBC and CBeebies after digital switchover has been completed.
I could imagine significant schedule changes, fewer hours of programmes MADE for daytime (with none specifically made for BBC2), more peak repeats during the day and CBBC in the afternoons moving channel... and possibly a simulcast of the News Channel for part of the day on 2. But the idea of BBC2 effectively ecoming an evening only service again is too ludicrous for words.
Funnily enough, just before logging in to TV Forum, I was browsing the TV listings for daytime BBC1 and BBC2 and realised that whenever the property/antiques/gameshow rubbish is not being shown on BBC1, it's being shown on BBC2 and vice versa. Between 9:00am and 6:00pm there's always at least one of these 'filler' programmes to choose from. I agree that something needs to be done, but not quite as radical (and pointless) as simulcasting BBC News 24. Personally, I agree with the argument for BBC4 being axed and its content being incorporated into BBC2. That would make much more sense than axing BBC3. BBCs 2 and 4 are already fairly similar so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to combine them. Let's be honest, if BBC4 didn't exist right now, most of its programmes would be being shown on BBC2 anyway.
It seems that finally TV executives are starting to realise that there are just too many channels with not enough content to adequately fill them. I'm all for choice, but was it really that bad when we had just 4 channels? Granted, I was only a kid at the time, but it seemed to cater for everyone.
I think this is very unlikely to happen, and is no doubt just one of many options being considered. I read on another forum that it is felt that the BBC are spending a disproportionate amount of money on daytime and late evening programming, and one option is to replace it with narrative repeats of peak time programmes. I think this is a far more viable and sensible idea, however I would also go along with the idea of putting out archive factual programming in daytime, and indeed why not bring back schools programmes in the morning!
There is no point in closing down BBC3 or BBC4, I think they need to exist to help the BBC shore up viewing share in a multi-channel environment, and it makes more sense to concentrate expenditure on programming in the evenings when there are many more people available to view.
I don't think BBC2 and BBC4 are that similar. BBC4 is haven away from the endless cookery, gardening and lifestyle programmes that plague BBC2, and I would miss the more esoteric and archive-related programming if BBC4 were to go.
I agree that simulcasting is a bit pointless in the digital age. But this thread made me realise that I didn't actually have a clue what BBC 2's daytime programming consists of - so I had a look through the listings. The Daily Politics (and I suppose the GMT simulcast) seem to be the only original programming - everything else just seems to be the same kind of Cash in the Attic/Diagnosis Murder type stuff that's interchangeable with what's on BBC1.
In terms of original programming there is quite a bit later in the afternoon/early evening. And currently new episodes of To Buy or Not to Buy are being 'burned off at 1.45pm. Interchangeable with BBC1 is most cases yes, but still 'original'
The demise of the afternoon film across all channels both during the week and at the weekend is quite sad really, especially as Free to air wise for many people the only channel screening films is Film4.
Channel 5?
:-(
A former member
Ch5 Films at 3pm nasty awful USA made for tv films
Ever since BBC Three and Four have appeared, BBC Two has just seemed a bit out place to me. BBC Two always seemed to have the minority programming and the 'edgy', more youth orientated programming. The latter is now on BBC Three, and the former on BBC Four. Both channels do very well with their remits too I think. But BBC Two is now left without a real purpose. Its only real trump card is Top Gear I think.
Up until Digital Switchover, you could fairly say that BBC Two was the network/terrestrial version of BBC Three and Four, showing the best of those niche digital channels and creating more content like it for its own sake.
But Digital Switchover has left BBC Two feel even more out of place, as BBC Three and Four now share the same platform as it. They can't really be seen as alternative digital channels anymore.
So what is one to do..... Scrap it? Seems an easy thing to do, but then those who care about channel numbers being consecutive would throw themselves off buildings!