BBC1+1 to replace BBC Four?

I'm adding 1 and 1 together here and taking away 4, but just joining the dots of a few things reported over recent days and months, and notably comments today from Tony Hall suggesting that spreading cuts around an already slimmed down BBC wouldn't be in it's best interests,

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/feb/26/bbc-channel-extra-cuts-tony-hall

Then there is the seemingly increased chatter about BBC2 and BBC4 and whether they'd benefit from being one merged channel. Content would have to be sacrificed there as otherwise no money would be saved, but it should at least allow BBC2 to have primetime begin at 7pm again rather than 8pm, though pushing shows back to 11.20pm would be a major step back. If it were to happen I'd actually push Newsnight back to 11pm instead to give BBC2 more flexibility in primetime.

Obviously axing BBC4 leaves them with spare capacity in the evening, so the cheapest way to fill that is with the muted BBC1+1. I can't see how a cost cutting BBC could justify a new stream for that, and an evening only service would be sufficient in this case. They could also swap CBBC and CBeebies around and then allow CBBC to air until 8pm in the week, with BBC1+1 kicking off with The One Show and avoiding the main regional issue. I'd have it start up an hour earlier at the weekends as the BBC1 evening schedule generally kicks in before 7pm.


Again this is just speculation and making some quite substantial assumptions, but it is a move which wouldn't surprise me - maybe not now but certainly in the wake of the next charter renewal if that doesn't go favourably.

I'm filing this away under 'TV Forum's Greatest Quips'

Tony Hall announced BBC One+1 as 'more of what you already pay for'. Nothing in that hinted about a reduction in channels.

I don't need/want BBC One+1, so I would strongly object it replacing an existing channel such as BBC Four.

Will they not be broadcasting sound on the channel?

I can't understand the need for a +1 channel at all to be honest - especially when space is increasingly becoming a premium. We've got iPlayer, and a lot of people now have a DVR of some kind.

Do we really need it? I wouldn't say so.

And certainly not at the expense of Four

Give the man an award

Which would result in BBC Minus Two. All the programmes two hours ahead of schedule. Would be great to know the lottery results at 6pm.

I'm not sure it would be at the expense of Four - that suggests that they would be shutting for in order to create a supposedly crucial +1 channel. Rather, any move like this would, I think, be an attempt to project an image of improving the offering rather than shrinking it.

Not that I'd want it to happen, nor do I think it will.

I don't think anyone really wants BBC1+1. If they did want to move more content from BBC4 to shore up BBC2 I'd rather see BBC4 retained and used more cleverly for repeats. Most BBC1 dramas just get one outing (other than perhaps Sign Zone) and that's it - unless it's New Tricks. Obviously not all BBC1 content would fit even into a broader remitted BBC4 but enough would just to flesh out the schedule should the budget be slashed dramatically and it become even more reliant on second run content.

One thing I noticed is that since October 2013 the position of controller of BBC4 has been axed and replaced with a watered down 'Channel Editor' post which reports directly to the controller of BBC2. Ultimately, BBC2's controller is now in charge of BBC4.


This does seem to indicate a pathway towards axing BBC4 and moving it's remit on to BBC2, particularly when they've axed the BBC4 controller job yet have still retained separate controller posts for CBBC, Cbeebies and even the News Channel - if it was just cost cutting on BBC4 then surely one controller could run CBBC and Cbeebies and the News Channel could also get by with a 'Channel Editor' position rather than needing a controller? I would say it's been done to ease the transition towards a potential merger.

I still merging BBC2 with 4 is the wrong merger to make and that they would do better merging BBC2 with 3 in order to try and create some cross-demographic interest to get as much output watched by as many people as possible rather than trying to closet everything off into tight demographic channels.

I wouldn't read too much into the controller stuff. BBC Three and BBC Four were both twinned as sister channels to BBC One and Two - with the BBC One and Two controllers having overall responsibility for Three and Four, with day-to-day responsibility bumped down to a Channel Editor post. This was DQF kind of thing, particularly as the commissioning requirements of BBC Three and Four are significantly lower than One and Two.

You can't compare the BBC News Controller with a BBC One/Two channel controller - they are apples and oranges. CBBC and CBeebies again are different, because you they are specialist channels - they don't naturally twin in the same way that Three and Four do.

The same thing has happened in Radio with 1 & 1XTtra, 2 & 6 Music and 4 & 4Extra (was BBC 7).