BBC Four & CBBC to close

[i.h]

I can't believe how reckless the BBC have been in their decision making here.  Taking away CBBC is a huge abandonment of their PSB remit, and unless there will be a linear shop window in the post-school slot (going full circle I know) it will, eventually, kill it off.

- First off you're now required to buy either a new television or expensive outboard equipment in order to access the iPlayer in order continue to recieve children's television from the BBC,.

- Secondly, you now also require a fast broadband connection.

These are two huge financial commitments for the those on the very lowest incomes and very poorest families who despite paying a TV license, will now need to make extra investment to watch children's television.

Atop this, what about all the old dears that have no Internet connection or smart TV?  The same old dears who are expected to babysit and entertain their grandkids during school holidays - something they now won't be able to do because they won't have broadband or suitable equipment.  I'm sure I'm not the only one with memories of being dispatched to Grandad's and plonked in front of Playdays of a school holiday.

We have to ask should the BBC be for the many or for the few?  Case in point - just 2m listen to R3 according to last week's RAJAR but Classic FM draws over 5m.  Yet R3 is always immune from cuts despite eating up a huge amount of scarce spectrum resource.  I'm not sure if it gets something back for the overnight show they produce for the EBU, but it's probably a drop in the ocean.

But instead the BBC attacks something used by the many.

The whole thing is just outrageous to be honest, and will alienate the very people who rely on the BBC the most.

While I’m not a fan of the decisions made yesterday, it’s important to avoid the histrionics.

Smart TVs have been the norm for years, and there’s no shortage of cheap streaming devices that can do iPlayer if that’s not already built into a device they already have. Even my techno-illiterate grandad had a big 4K TV that could support it, as did his Freesat box, though they did not have an internet connection (a problem that will disappear in time as landline phones move to VoIP)

The internet connection doesn’t need to be fast at all, and the standard broadband speeds available today are far more than what would be required.

And remember, this isn’t happening tomorrow, it’s in several years time (if it happens at all) - the number of people without internet will be even smaller than it is now.