BBC3 should cover the teen demographic in a similar way E4 do - but of course they can't win because if they don't it's a bad thing, and if they do it's seen as a bad thing.
Comes back to the issues with BBC2 really - teens were very well served in the late 90's with the 6.00-7.30pm slot, but once The Simpsons went to C4 that was quickly dropped and became an extension of daytime instead.
I think BBC3 is more important then BBC4. it get's bashed constantly from pompous idiots like John Humphreys but what they seem to forget (or ignore) is the people who BBC3 is aimed at are the next generation of disillusioned license fee payers. Withdistractions elsewhere I don't think a couple of hours of youth orientated programming on BBC2 in the early evening is enough anymore. Losing BBC4 wouldn't be as big a loss as losing 6music - and it would benefit BBC2, so yeah if anything has to go it should be BBC4.
I agree that BBC3 & 4 has caused BBC2 to become a channel in the middle with no clear remit.
Therefore I would have the following
BBC1 - As currently
BBC2 - Current Serious/Older BBC2 stuff and BBC4 programming, less repeats, later closedowns
BBC3 - Broadcasting 24 hours per day with Current Younger/Comedy BBC2 stuff and the better BBC3 programming, along with CBBC slots at times during the day when CBBC isn't on air on BBC1 and children are at home, such as weekends, school holidays and early evenings.
CBeebies - As currently
BBC3's dross programming would be axed and the CBeebies evening downtime would be used for increased BBC Sport screens or a BBC iPlayer style red button catch up service.
All this would start at DSO when everyone has access to BBC3.
Loosing a tv channel in my mind makes perfect sense. I always think they try to hard to fill the schedules on BBC Three & BBC Four. Some great programming has been on these channels but they do seem some what a bit of a dull service just with a few gems every now and then. Personally I would close BBC Four and rebrand BBC Three into a third channel rather than one aimed at purely a pre 40's audience. Also an idea would be to close CBeebies an hour earlier everyday at just before 6pm to allow BBC Three to start at 6pm and with BBC Four gone, CBBC could extend to 8/9pm (which I think has been talked about before). Certain BBC Four only programmes don't have to be lost either. BBC World News Today could move to the BBC News Channel (or even BBC Two) and would fit in well at 7pm I think, after the BBC News at 5 & 6 which is effectively a two hour block of heavily UK concentrated News. This would also reduce the amount of endless repeats on both channels as they have more content for one channel rather than trying to what feels like 'stretch it out'. Just my opinion....
I'd be inclined to say BBC Three should be chopped if we're comparing it with BBC Four. Serious programming should have it's place but crap programming shouldn't even exist. However, in retrospect, I agree that maybe it would be better to axe BBC Four and give BBC Two a bit more prominence - it's floating about in the wilderness at the moment really. Hopefully that way BBC Three would be sorted out once and for all and BBC Two could become more prestigious and more important than at present.
My own concern is with BBC Two and it's content. In the past comedies tended to appear first on BBC Two before moving to BBC One if successful, however particularly now more regions are switching to digital BBC Three & BBC Four are available to a wider audience BBC Two doesn't tend to be the channel for testing new comedies as it used to be. As for scrapping BBC Three and/or Four I feel that both these channels have a more clearer purpose. I'm hoping with the proposed revised remit for BBC Four that programmes such as Newswipe and We Need Answers are either kept or shifted to BBC Two.
Speaking as someone who fits into the BBC3 target audience, it does its job quite well. A lot of people outside of the demographic do look down on it but its a good British alternative to E4 and ITV2, and for many younger people I think its the only BBC channel that is watched on a regular basis. There is hardly anything across other BBC channels for the same audience. My only criticism is the amount of repeats they show, but I think for what its worth they should axe the BBC Switch strand and move the shows to BBC3. BBC3 could also probably do with starting at 6pm.
BBC4 appears to be what BBC2 used to be, and as a result BBC2 no longer has a clear direction. I think that has been made worse with many shows now starting off on BBC3 before making the jump to BBC1, whereas previously it would be on BBC2. I think they should merge BBC2 and 4, giving the channel a real 'factual' direction.
BBC2 has also lost any identity it had during the day. The mornings are just CBBC and CBeebies, whilst after the Daily Politics and Working Lunch (which could probably both be incorporated into the news channel if it came down to it) it's basically just daytime TV from 1pm-7pm, with only an hour or so of that being anything specific to BBC2. The only thing it's really useful for is keeping sport off BBC1, but the BBC Trust even want to cut back on that - when in reality BBC2 could screen more of it and then have more money to put into programmes the rest of the year.
I feel like BBC4 has robbed BBC2 of an identity. I'd happily merge the two.
I'm not a big BBC3 fan but it does have a much clearer remit and every once in a while it produces some great stuff. It's a good breeding ground for new talent and it has more positives than negatives.
However the one BBC service that seems to get an awful lot of money, but few listeners is BBC Radio 3. In my opinion its budget should be cut heavily or scrapped all together, as there is Classic FM which can provide the same service.
Well you obviously never listen to Radio 3.
Comparing Classic FM to Radio 3 is like comparing TalkSport with Radio 4.
However the one BBC service that seems to get an awful lot of money, but few listeners is BBC Radio 3. In my opinion its budget should be cut heavily or scrapped all together, as there is Classic FM which can provide the same service.
Well you obviously never listen to Radio 3.
Comparing Classic FM to Radio 3 is like comparing TalkSport with Radio 4.
I think even the opening of this Wikipedia article shows why Radio 3 should be kept