BBC Three is to be axed and will become a wholly online channel, as part of the BBC's cost-cutting plans.

 

It means shows such as Don't Tell The Bride and Pramface will only be available through the iPlayer, rather than Freeview, satellite or cable.

 

The BBC will make an official announcement on Thursday, media correspondent David Sillito said.

 

Celebrities are already rallying

behind the service. Matt Lucas said the move would be "really bad for new comedy".

 

The announcement follows a speech given by BBC director general Tony Hall last week, in which he said "tough choices" would have to be made if the corporation

was to meet its savings target.

 

"We are in the final stages of a budget process to find an extra £100m of savings," he said at the Oxford Media Convention. "I will announce the outcome

of those decisions in the next month."

 

Before moving BBC Three online, however, the director general must get approval from the BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body, which represents the

interests of licence fee payers.

 

'Sizeable step'

 

The futures of both BBC Three and BBC Four have been much discussed as the corporation continues to implement cost-cutting measures.

 

Continue reading the main story

 

BBC TV channel budgets 2013/14

list of 8 items

BBC One: £1,051m

BBC Two: £415m

BBC Three: £85m

BBC Four: £49m

CBBC: £79m

CBeebies: £29m

BBC News Channel: £53m

BBC Parliament: £2m

list end

 

According to industry newspaper Broadcast,

moving BBC Three online "would amount to a sizeable step" towards delivering Lord Hall's £100m savings target by 2016.

 

The channel's service budget

was £85m in 2013/14

- although moving the channel online would not eradicate those costs entirely.

 

The move follows the BBC's decision to broadcast select TV shows online ahead of their scheduled TV transmission, among them

the latest sitcom

from comedian Peter Kay.

 

Since its launch in 2003, BBC Three has been the birthplace of numerous ratings successes, including Little Britain, Torchwood, Being Human and Gavin and

Stacey.

 

These were among the shows singled out by Little Britain star Lucas in a tweet proclaiming the channel to be "the home of new comedy and drama".

 

His sentiments were

echoed by comedian Jack Whitehall:

"I really hope reports that the BBC may kill BBC3 are just rumours. Their support of new comedy in particular is vital."

 

The channel's own Twitter feed also

joined the protest,

posting on Tuesday night: Who knew people love BBC Three more than pancakes?! Feeling loved. #SaveBBC3".

 

The BBC has previously reversed decisions to close its 6 Music and Asian Network radio services after concerted campaigning by supporters.

 

However, it has closed several foreign language sections of the BBC World Service, with the loss of more than 650 jobs since 2011.

 

I think the BBC should have one kids channel with CBeebies from 9am-3pm, then CBBC for the rest of the day. Then, BBC Three shouldn't be axed but needs a massive overhaul.

 

BBC Four should be merged with BBC Two, I believe BBC Four programmes would benefit from the exposure, and BBC Two is getting quite tired and could do with the boost.

While there will be a lot of outrage, I think it makes logical sense. This idea must have been branded about for some time, I mean iirc they've had several BBC3 shows have their premieres on iPlayer a week or so earlier and it's not affected the ratings. The demographic of the channel must be roughly 16-35 so it makes more sense, because a great deal of these people (students especially) will already watch stuff online instead of on TV.

 

It states it in the article, but I'm not sure how much saving moving it from a broadcast to online would actually make because I've no idea how many staff they employ in the day to day running of the channel, and surely some of those staff will be kept on or moved to different departments.

Oh my god. NO!!!

 

Where will we watch Family Guy an American Dad especially just all in font room with tv just on? CRAP!

A shame. It was a wonderful source of new cult/drama shows, a bit like an 'alternative' side to BBC One, which was mainly a good thing. Although now that this is happening, surely BBC Four won't last much longer?

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Chez Wombat

BBC3 is its second most popular channel and its most popular with the young audience. Why on earth are they closing it?

BBC4 is much better and has the old TOTP episodes and some good documentaries.

I don't understand why BBC 3 should go if it's obviously still popular. Surely it would make more sense to axe BBC 4 - I for one have never watched a programme on that channel and never take any notice of it when looking through the channels. Unless that's just because I'm not included in its target audience.

 

If the current BBC 3 goes, will BBC 4 take its name? Actually scratch that if BBC 3 will still exist, just not on TV.

I really think this is a mistake, although it was going to eventually happen, it should have been put off for another couple of years while broadband could make enough advances to become a reliable supporter of youth programming. While I do do a lot of my TV watching online I can't always get on there, especially at home where my internet speeds grind to a halt. In rural areas like that this is surely going to be a problem.

 

There's also the sentimental aspect, most of what's on there is good solid programming, and if they're going to get rid of 3, 2 and 4 must be looking vulnerable too. At least they aren't cutting off making new material but are they really saving that much on just transmission costs?

 

 

 

I don't think I've ever watched anything on BBC3 but watch BBC4 quite a lot, more than BBC1 in fact. I don't know why people are panicking as most people are online these days and more and more going on Fibre.

 

If it gets more viewers than BBC4 you'd think they'd close the one with less viewers though.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Common Sense

Probably not, though I imagine its newsreaders and voice over artists would go :(

 

Such a shame, the channel was perfect for me and my brother and all my friends, it's all we watched, along with E4.

 

BBc4, never watched it once. It's very niche and as such it should be cancelled.

It's not too bad a move, in all honesty. All I ever see when I turn over to it is repeats of Doctor Who that we get on channels like Watch, Dave, etc. anyway. It is a bit of a shame for brand new programmes though becuase with an online audience they'll struggle.

Sorry I lied. I watch Sun, Sea, Sex And Suspicious Parents and that's on there.

 

What's more important is BBC1+1 coming soon. Maybe where BBC3 is now?

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Common Sense

Sorry I lied. I watch Sun, Sea, Sex And Suspicious Parents and that's on there.

 

 

Replayin your holiday memories? ;)

 

Silence, you fool, Calum Sande! It would not be a good move. What about families or brothers, sisters, friends etc who use it to watch Family Guy, coedies, EE repeats? Should we all use laptops and become even more depersonalised?

I think the BBC should have one kids channel with CBeebies from 9am-3pm, then CBBC for the rest of the day. Then, BBC Three shouldn't be axed but needs a massive overhaul.

 

 

Agreed. It doesn't need the two they have at present.

BBC3 & BBC4 at least serve their own niches relatively well ('youth' programming for 3 and 'intelligent' programming). You could quite succesfully argue that BBC2 is the most redundant as a channel given its remit just seems to be 'stuff that's not quite mainstream enough for BBC1.

Some interesting figures from a post on Digital Spy.

 

BBC TV Channel budgets 2013/14

 

BBC One: £1,051 million

BBC Two: £415 million

BBC Three: £85 million

BBC Four: £49 million

CBBC: £79 million

CBeebies: £29 million

BBC News Channel: £53 million

BBC Parliament: £2 million

 

 

Any comments? BBC2 costs nearly 5 times what BBC3 costs but they'd never close that.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Common Sense

BBC3 & BBC4 at least serve their own niches relatively well ('youth' programming for 3 and 'intelligent' programming). You could quite succesfully argue that BBC2 is the most redundant as a channel given its remit just seems to be 'stuff that's not quite mainstream enough for BBC1.

 

You're right but imagine the press outrage? ;)

 

Don't like change like that, it'd be like 'BBc2 shok as BBC Bosses DESTROY Channel That's Been on the Air since ...'

 

'British TV legacy SCUPPERED'

I don't think I've ever watched anything on BBC3 but watch BBC4 quite a lot, more than BBC1 in fact. I don't know why people are panicking as most people are online these days and more and more going on Fibre.

 

If it gets more viewers than BBC4 you'd think they'd close the one with less viewers though.

You are well outside the target audience for BBC3 (as I am) so it's hardly surprising that you don't watch much of it. There are plenty of programmes on BBC3 that don't interest me at all but it has also given us the excellent Being Human.

 

They threatened to axe BBC4 but, while its audiences are generally low, they do tend to be largely the articulate middle classes who were able to launch an effective campaign. A lot of BBC4's programmes must be pretty cheap as they are compilations of old material (some of the brilliant music shows) or imported (e.g. the high quality Scandinavian dramas).

 

Of course the plans for BBC3 may go the same way as the ludicrous plan to close 6Music.

But they're not closing it! Purely moving it from a digital TV channel to an online TV channel.

 

Most smartphones, and TVs have the iPlayer app, so I dare say you'll even be able to stream the channel through the app.

 

BBC2 is a niche channel, but the ratings are fairly decent. You've also got to take in to account that it shares programming with BBC1 too e.g. Wimbledon, Olympics. I dare say Top Gear takes up a large sum of the budget and it's probably the most profitable show on the BBC!