The Daily Mail is reporting a possible return of BBC Three as a linear channel, albeit based on flimsy evidence:
Quote:
BBC Three could now be reinstated by the corporation as part of ‘radical’ plans to shake up what it offers to youngsters.
But it is understood corporation bosses, looking at moving BBC Three back on to TV, have been buoyed by the creative success of comedies such as Fleabag and This Country.
However, something is clearly changing . . .
Quote:
Lord Hall added: ‘When we announce our annual plan... at the end of this month, I will have something to say about BBC Three and its future then.’
The Daily Mail is reporting a possible return of BBC Three as a linear channel, albeit based on flimsy evidence:
Quote:
BBC Three could now be reinstated by the corporation as part of ‘radical’ plans to shake up what it offers to youngsters.
But it is understood corporation bosses, looking at moving BBC Three back on to TV, have been buoyed by the creative success of comedies such as Fleabag and This Country.
However, something is clearly changing . . .
Quote:
Lord Hall added: ‘When we announce our annual plan... at the end of this month, I will have something to say about BBC Three and its future then.’
That last quote could equally translate to axing it completely due to the need for cost savings, though they'd probably wrap it with some PR spin about becoming 'iPlayer first screenings'.
I imagine trying to bring BBC Three back to a linear service might be particularly tricky on Freeview, given that since it was axed CBBC was extended to 9pm and BBC Scotland has been launched. That said it's not impossible, though I'd imagine other channels would be affected *if* that was to happen.
BBC Three does not need to return to a linear channel - the BBC took the decision to axe the channel and really they should have axed it totally and transferred all new productions to BBC Two.
There is also questions over the possible future of BBC Four which for many is just not needed anymore, and again a lot of their programming could be transferred to BBC Two and a lot placed online, as it still only operates from 7.00pm each night, with a good deal of material repeats.
I’ve always had this idea that they could run it as a UKTV Channel with commercials, showing stuff after it’s been aired online with branding as ‘Three on TV’ to avoid it being a BBC branded channel with commercials. Now that UKTV is wholly owned by BBC Studios that’s got to be more of a possibility.
The other option of course is to merge the BBC Four remit into BBC Two.
Unless the programming budget is reinstated too, which it won't be, it's just going to be a channel full of repeats. The problem wasn't getting rid of the linear channel it was slashing the programming budget. BBC Three went from several hours of new content a week to just a handful of shows a year. The audiance can find the content there just isn't enough of it. Bringing back the channel but not increasing the budget is just going to be wallpapering over the cracks.
I'm trying to figure out if it's possible for linear 3 and 4, to merge.
Having Four content from 7PM to 10PM, then Three through the night?
Why not just run BBC Three on BBC One from 01:00 to 06:00 instead of a simulcast with BBC World? No changes required to Freeview allocations then, or tinkering with BBC Four/Cbeebies/CBBC/BBC Scotland.
Unless the programming budget is reinstated too, which it won't be, it's just going to be a channel full of repeats. The problem wasn't getting rid of the linear channel it was slashing the programming budget. BBC Three went from several hours of new content a week to just a handful of shows a year. The audiance can find the content there just isn't enough of it. Bringing back the channel but not increasing the budget is just going to be wallpapering over the cracks.
Indeed and no rights to Family Guy etc which used to really boost them.
It will be very tough to relaunch, E4 and ITV2 (love Island aside obviously) are not doing well. New panel and entertainment shows for the last few years have not worked. E4 having to revive Celebrity Come dine with me typifies the desperation.
Presumably they'd just reuse their old timeshare with CBBC (and just not have it available in HD in Scotland on Freeview). Having it start up at 9pm would be beneficial for the channel I think as they always struggled to fill 7-9pm and it never really rated during that period anyway.
I fully support bring it back as a linear channel, there's a lot of decent stuff going completely unnoticed on iPlayer and it's an easy way of making the brand buzzier again and getting younger viewers back onboard. Don't forget the channel was rating pretty well when they first announced it was going to close.
I also agree that the channel would need a budget boost.