BBC Four & CBBC to close

[thomalex]

Seems to make sense to me and I'm not that fussed about BBC Four given it's just an archive channel now. I'm sure some CBBC shows will find a home either on BBC Two or Three during the daytime/early evening with the rest being on iPlayer. Things can't stay the same forever and it's good to see the BBC actually focusing on what they need and reducing bloat.

[Mr Q]

In the grand scheme of things, the BBC is proposing a pretty modest range of changes. Consolidating the news channel and BBC World News (though preserving the ability for the UK to opt out) is hardly a surprise in light of the increased number of simulcasts over recent years. Dropping BBC Four as a TV channel is also common sense. But it all feels like tinkering at the margins.

The big weakness is local coverage, which is far less commercially attractive - and therefore an area where a public service broadcaster usefully could focus its efforts. A more local BBC would also help to thwart some of usual political arguments about the BBC, especially re: centralisation and a metropolitan-elite view of the world. The press release talks about shifting the balance of local investment towards digital, but explicitly commits to keep local spending levels "flat". I think that's a strategic mistake for the BBC.

[L1]

Has the BBC One North idea been quietly scrapped? Not heard any further mention of that since it was announced.

[Jack]

The BBC has announced that it plans to stop airing CBBC and BBC Four as traditional broadcast channels.

More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61591674

[CantGetIn]

To be absolutely honest, the BBC was at its most highly regarded when it had 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations.

Perhaps they should be focusing on doing less, better.

I do think that is the issue with a lot of publicly funded organisations today. They have tried to do too many things. They must be return to the core routes of their foundation.

[telebox2001]

To be absolutely honest, the BBC was at its most highly regarded when it had 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations.

Perhaps they should be focusing on doing less, better.

I do think that is the issue with a lot of publicly funded organisations today. They have tried to do too many things. They must be return to the core routes of their foundation.

I agree, but they've cut at the wrong stuff.  News is collapsed into World. Archive programmes gone. Children's gone. Yet they can still justify a generally-unwanted and certainly not needed channel in Scotland.

Just beggars belief.

[Steve]

The children's channel changes, if a bit sad, make perfect sense in the environment the BBC is facing.

When my boys were born, being able to stick on CBeebies as a linear channel was a godsend, it definitely only really works as a linear channel.

But now they're a bit bigger, we very rarely watch CBBC as a linear channel. We watch lots of CBBC programmes - from Horrible Histories to Deadly 60 - but back-to-back on demand rather than on a curated channel. It's just the way the world works now and how media is consumed.

The 'bit sad' part is simply that you wonder if, in time, you end up with fewer new content or fewer innovations being taken in commissioning because you don't have the schedules to fill with content, or whether shows like Horrible Histories only get the cult status they've gained by being shown on what us adults regard as traditional tv. But I grew up in a time of the broom cupboard, and my boys are growing up in a time of choose what you want, when you want.

[Inspector Sands]

How can the Scotland channel continue to be justified?

Indeed.....and BBC Radio Cymru 2 as well!

Cymru 2 is only one programme a day still isn't it? 

As for BBC Scotland, its political - no-one was calling for an archive comedy channel, but there was political demand for a Scottish news bulletin. The rest of the channel existed anyway just on BBC1 and 2 Scotland

[Roger Darthwell]

Now that I think of it though......reading the press release has made me think
So as things stand roght now CBBC, BBC Four and BBC Radio 4 Extra will be closed in 2025, now could this be some sort of a way to delay the closure of the channels until after the next General Election, hoping that the Conservative Party loses and that Labour (or whoever else will be in Government) give a bit more funds to the BBC so that these closures could be avoided? Because remember when BBC Three's closure was first proposed, it was in 2014 and then it was approved in 2015, but bear in mind that the plan was approved by the BBC Trust after the 2015 GE (provisional approval in June 2015, full approval in November).......I don't know maybe I just wrote complete b******t, but still.......

---

How can the Scotland channel continue to be justified?

Indeed.....and BBC Radio Cymru 2 as well!

Cymru 2 is only one programme a day still isn't it? 

As for BBC Scotland, its political - no-one was calling for an archive comedy channel, but there was political demand for a Scottish news bulletin. The rest of the channel existed anyway just on BBC1 and 2 Scotland

As far as I know it is. Again for BBC Scotland even though it is political after these cuts it will even be more obvious that it exists for political reasons though, so again not a good look for the Beeb

[Mr Q]

Now that I think of it though......reading the press release has made me think
So as things stand roght now CBBC, BBC Four and BBC Radio 4 Extra will be closed in 2025, now could this be some sort of a way to delay the closure of the channels until after the next General Election, hoping that the Conservative Party loses and that Labour (or whoever else will be in Government) give a bit more funds to the BBC so that these closures could be avoided? Because remember when BBC Three's closure was first proposed, it was in 2014 and then it was approved in 2015, but bear in mind that the plan was approved by the BBC Trust after the 2015 GE (provisional approval in June 2015, full approval in November).......I don't know maybe I just wrote complete b******t, but still.......

I'm sure the BBC would hope for a favourable change of circumstances -- whether a change of government, or a change of policy from the current government. But that would require a massive public backlash against the BBC switching a small number of TV/radio services to online only. Given everything else in British politics, I doubt that's the sort of thing that's going to swing many votes.

[Rex]

I really want to explain more here, but seeing the news of BBC Four being closed isn't surprising - the channel has been salami sliced to the neck for years, and its finally at a point where the Beeb cant sustain running it now. In a sense, BBC Two has effectively taken its remit with iPlayer now fulfilling all the Four programming.

Having grown up with a CBBC Channel, that closing too is devastating but with kids watching the iPlayer more often now, its a tough but necessary decision - also it rates far lower than CBeebies.

For anyone really thinking BBC Three could have its hours extended, there's just no way that will happen as the Beeb effectively getting rid of Four and CBBC saves them an entire broadcast stream, I'd imagine CBeebies will timeshare with Three.

[DTV]

To be absolutely honest, the BBC was at its most highly regarded when it had 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations.

Perhaps they should be focusing on doing less, better.

I do think that is the issue with a lot of publicly funded organisations today. They have tried to do too many things. They must be return to the core routes of their foundation.

Really this is the typical catch-22 for organisations like the BBC - offer new services, you're accused of doing too much; don't offer them, you're accused of ignoring certain audiences or failing to give people what they want.

[Transmission]

Not happy with a lot of this, not that it's the BBC's fault of course.

In the case of BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra, I hope that archive content continues to appear online (I'm looking forward to TOTP getting to my heyday of the mid-90s, for a start!). A lot of classic radio comedy on Sounds is only there because of a recent 4 Extra TX so I hope they can get more stuff on there long-term.

Pleased that at least CBeebies isn't being touched, as that is incredibly valuable as a linear channel. I won't hold out much hope but it would be nice if CBBC could at least get a weekday after-school slot again on BBC One or Two, that "shop window" is important. And of course Saturday mornings as well. Otherwise, it does give the feeling that the BBC is potentially abandoning a whole demographic (yes, I know stuff will continue on iPlayer) which it then becomes desperate to win back once it reaches the right age for BBC Three.

World and News merging, again not too surprising, sometimes in the simulcast hours that were added due to Covid you can really feel the domestic and international sides butting against each other so it'll be interesting to see how they resolve that. I wonder if this means continuing to run the domestic channel the way it is done now but just with simulcast hours all the time, or it being fully absorbed into what is currently World News with the UK being another of its many regional versions.

[AxiosBrit67]

Doesn't Tim Davie speech include any mention of Bitesize ambition cut? Because there's already a speculation regarding the fate of Bitesize

[Whataday]

My immediate thoughts on this...

They really need to put BBC Four out of its misery and roll its remit back into BBC Two.
If they remove CBBC as a linear channel then it should once again have a strand on BBC One/Two, as a shop window for the online content.