Should we axe BBC Three and Four?

They seem desperate to launch BBC1+1, despite no real demand for it. I suspect CBBC might get extended to 8pm during the week and BBC1+1 air from 8pm. Or knowing the BBC they'll give it a full stream and cut the red button to evenings only.

As well as comedy, drama and factual both sport and especially music will be hit hard - can't see BBC2 giving over the schedule from 7pm to Glastonbury and the likes of T in the Park etc, while BBC3 has increasingly been used for sport which can't find a place in the BBC2 schedule but is a bit too big for the red button. They talk about cutting one thing rather than cutting budgets across genres, but in axing BBC3 they are axing content across genres.

I am totally against the closure of BBC Three and as many have said BBC Four could be merged with BBC Two.

I think the BBC should have three entertainment channels with the content from BBC Two, Three and Four divided up over two channels. Maybe a future BBC Two having a target audience of over 40's and BBC Three having the under 40's. Show's from Two like Sport Relief's Top Dog, Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience and An Hour to Save Your Life could move to Three with a majority of Four's shows going to Two.

Moving current BBC Three content to iPlayer is a sweetener. After 3 years or so the content will dry up and the service withdrawn.

Also scrap BBC Parliament if you want to save money.

I think the most tragic thing about this is that BBC Three actually has a decent reputation now, perhaps the best it's ever had. Look at the responses to it closing on Twitter, I'd say most of them are positive. No chance there would have been such outcry five years ago or so.

Granted the savings they would make would be small but I'd be surprised if BBC Parliament makes it out of these cuts unshaven. With the exception of a few discussion shows that could probably sit on BBC2 daytime the channel is providing an identical service to the Democracy Live site. In fact surely democracy live is more useful for people interested in specific debates because they don't have to make an appointment to view it. And there are large periods of the year when the channel just doesn't need to be on because parliament's in recess.

At least if it was axed they could sell the slot on Freeview or use it full time for BBC1+1.

They'd have a hard time justifying closure of BBC Parliament - a distinctive PSB service over BBC Three, the home of Snog, Marry, Avoid.

BBC Three style programming is replicated elsewhere, political coverage is not.

I don't think there would be a public outcry, just a political one.

BBC Parliament has virtually no public service value compared to BBC Three.

Half the time BBC news broadcast stuff, Couldntt it be moved over to the red button? and share its slot with sport etc?

But much of BBC3's content simply isn't available elsewhere. You couldn't find most of BBC3's docs on any commercial service.

And as I said BBC Parliament's coverage is replicated elsewhere on Democracy Live where a much better service is provided. Plus there tends to be some coverage of parliament on the news channel, plus the Daily Politics on BBC 2, and This Week and all the other current affairs shows shown throughout the week on the BBC.

They aren't. CBBC shares those streams. I don't see how they're saving a single penny here.

Coverage of Parliament has no public service value compared to BBC Three? You cannot be serious. They were lucky BBC Three even got a service licence.

The documentaries and comedies can live happily on BBC One & Two. But BBC Threes most popular programming is US imports, movies & soap repeats.

Eastenders repeats don't do anywhere near as well as they used to and much of BBC3's 9pm shows beat their imports in the ratings.


In fact looking at last night's ratings most of BBC3 shows were getting at least double, if not triple the amount of viewers watching shows on E4 and ITV2 at the same time. Only Hollyoaks got a higher rating than BBC3.

Not the best example. Those programmes would be Family Guy (import) and Hair - a reality show about cutting hair - that is not distinctive programming. This kind of programming is and will continue to be available elsewhere.