TV Home Forum

Should we axe BBC Three and Four?

Latest: BBC Three to be axed from on air (Page 13) (November 2013)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
:-(
A former member
But why should the foreign office be paying for broadcasting to many parts of the relm?
GO
gottago
623058 posted:
But why should the foreign office be paying for broadcasting to many parts of the relm?

Because the Foreign Office pays for many projects that are designed to improve life for others around the world.
CH
chris
gottago posted:
623058 posted:
But why should the foreign office be paying for broadcasting to many parts of the relm?

Because the Foreign Office pays for many projects that are designed to improve life for others around the world.


And does wonders for our foreign relations.
MA
Markymark
chris posted:
gottago posted:
623058 posted:
But why should the foreign office be paying for broadcasting to many parts of the relm?

Because the Foreign Office pays for many projects that are designed to improve life for others around the world.


And does wonders for our foreign relations.


Does it though ? What evidence is there for that (BBC WS) ?
DT
DTV
chris posted:
DTV posted:
Also in terms of which'll go first if the BBC starts looking for things to cut - it will be the World Service as lets not forget thanks to THIS government from April will now be funded by the License Fee. They could then probably close BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 1 Extra and BBC Radio 4 Extra without many people complaining, before moving onto Radio 6 or BBC Three/Four.


The World Service is one of - if not the - most important thing to come out of the UK internationally. Damaging that would damage the BBC as a world-wide brand. I do understand your point though - the foreign office should be funding it.


I know it is dreadful one of the key aims of the WS at current is that it broadcasts impartial and accurate news to parts of the world controlled by state run media which don't give the whole picture which is why BBC Arabic and Persian have got TV Channels now and the World Service was one that many people in the Arab Spring turned to as it was giving out probably the most accurate line of events.

It will damage the BBC and the UK's international reputation if they have to keep cutting back the World Service like they have done in the past 10 years, most of the redundancies have been World Service employees. The World Service is a key British Export and plays a huge part in the World's free media - we even know Mikhael Gorbachev listened to the World Service to find out what was going on in Russian while he was leader as he didn't trust the state run media. The BBC World Service to many represents freedom and it would be a tragedy to see it continually cut back especially at a time when it needs more funding to go into other areas such as Television, Online etc.
London Lite and Steve Williams gave kudos
MI
midnightvignette
It's interesting to see BBC Hindi, which was previously under threat of closure, continue with support from a domestic Indian TV broadcaster, ETV. I don't know what the arrangement is there, but the BBC had said it was looking for commercial support for the service.

01
01tomki
Whataday posted:
01tomki posted:
And from a business point of view, I can't see the BBC closing any channel in the near future.


But the BBC is not a business. It's a publicly funded corporation which is facing possibly the most uncertainty it has ever had, with huge cuts and questions about whether its funding is spent wisely. Something has to give.


Maybe not a business in normal terms, but it has in-goings and out-goings like any other business (public or private). Yes it has to make cuts (DQF) but shutting down a channel I don't think is the answer. You have to look for signs that a channel could be shut down, lack of programming, little or no investment ect. I personally haven't seen any of this. New programs, new look and a HD channel shows that BBC bosses are not planning to shut BBC 3 down anytime soon. BBC 4 hasn't had a new look and I can understand why some people would say this channel may be shut down, but like BBC 3 it does have new programming and a HD channel.

I think also it is matter or reputation for the BBC that they don't close a channel. Could you imagine the papers? In my opinion if I hadn't heard of DQF I wouldn't of noticed any cuts at all if I'm honest.

On a final note look at what happened when they tried to close 6 Music.

David
CH
chris
01tomki posted:
On a final note look at what happened when they tried to close 6 Music.


Best example of why I also can't see the channels being closed.
VM
VMPhil
DTV posted:
chris posted:
DTV posted:
Also in terms of which'll go first if the BBC starts looking for things to cut - it will be the World Service as lets not forget thanks to THIS government from April will now be funded by the License Fee. They could then probably close BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 1 Extra and BBC Radio 4 Extra without many people complaining, before moving onto Radio 6 or BBC Three/Four.


The World Service is one of - if not the - most important thing to come out of the UK internationally. Damaging that would damage the BBC as a world-wide brand. I do understand your point though - the foreign office should be funding it.


I know it is dreadful one of the key aims of the WS at current is that it broadcasts impartial and accurate news to parts of the world controlled by state run media which don't give the whole picture


The missing comma in this sentence made me read your opinion as something completely different! Wink
DT
DTV
VMPhil posted:
DTV posted:
chris posted:
DTV posted:
Also in terms of which'll go first if the BBC starts looking for things to cut - it will be the World Service as lets not forget thanks to THIS government from April will now be funded by the License Fee. They could then probably close BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 1 Extra and BBC Radio 4 Extra without many people complaining, before moving onto Radio 6 or BBC Three/Four.


The World Service is one of - if not the - most important thing to come out of the UK internationally. Damaging that would damage the BBC as a world-wide brand. I do understand your point though - the foreign office should be funding it.


I know it is dreadful one of the key aims of the WS at current is that it broadcasts impartial and accurate news to parts of the world controlled by state run media which don't give the whole picture


The missing comma in this sentence made me read your opinion as something completely different! Wink


Sorry, it should read like this: I know it is dreadful. One of the key aims of the WS at current is that it broadcasts impartial and accurate news to parts of the world which are controlled by state run media which don't give the whole picture

15 days later

WH
Whataday Founding member
From the other thread which has annoyingly been closed in favour of this one despite being in mid-debate.

UKnews posted:
Could you point me towards the BAFTA winning documentaries on E4 or ITV2? Or the original drama? Or comedy shows? Or US imports that have an audience appeal but have been dropped elsewhere?
Saying that gives the impression you've never looked at what's on the channel, let alone watched it.


Sure, much of it is on Channel 4 (which you seem to have missed from your list of alternatives to BBC Three) some of it is on BBC Two (also absent from your list) and then the filler programming such as Snog, Marry, Avoid and Don't Tell The Bride are more your Channel 5 or ITV2 fare.

Which leaves 60 Seconds and the EastEnders repeat.
SU
sunray
Seems we're now at the stage of making BBC Three wholly online through the iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26447089

Seems vague whether it will just be the content online on demand on iPlayer, or whether they'll still try to provide channel and schedule of some sorts. Anyway, the campaign to save BBC3 has started in earnest on through Twitter - http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/26445852

Newer posts