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News

BBC Three returning as linear channel

The BBC has confirmed the return of BBC Three to TV screens as a linear channel in January 2022 . In February 2016 , the service became the first TV channel in the world to make the switch from linear broadcast channel to online-first destination .

The BBC ’ s Annual Plan 2020 / 21 outlined research which confirmed there remains an available audience on broadcast television for BBC Three .
BBC Three has been a something of a hit machine for the BBC , delivering some of its biggest-performing shows , from Killing Eve to Fleabag pictured ) and Normal People . The BBC says it believes in backing success and , having committed to double the investment on BBC Three commissions over the next two years , it wants to showcase that content to a wider audience . Using both a broadcast channel and BBC iPlayer in tandem will help to grow its offer and deliver more value to younger audiences , it suggests .
BBC Three has been a something of a hit machine for the BBC
While the BBC does well with large parts of the younger audience - on average , young adults in the UK spend more media time per week ( seven and a half hours ) with BBC ’ s services than any other brand ; BBC research identified a significant group of younger viewers who maintain a strong linear TV habit but are currently light users of the BBC .
“ BBC Three is a BBC success story , backing creativity , new talent and
brave ideas has resulted in hit after hit , from Fleabag and Man Like Mobeen , Ru Paul ’ s Drag Race UK and Jesy Nelson ’ s Odd One Out , to Normal People and This Country ,” commented Charlotte Moore , chief content officer .
“ The BBC needs to back success and make sure its programmes reach as many young people as possible wherever they live in the UK . So regardless of the debates about the past , we want to give BBC Three its own broadcast channel again . It has exciting , ground-breaking content that deserves the widest possible audience and using BBC iPlayer alongside a broadcast channel will deliver the most value .”
“ BBC Three will provide us with a new shop window to reach a younger audience currently underserved by the BBC , bringing them the best BBC young programming and talent across all genres ,” says the corporation . The BBC proposes to launch in January 2022 and adapt CBBC ’ s operating hours to make the most value out of the increased content it commissions . Ofcom has charged the BBC with doing more to reach young people . The channel will be targeted at audiences aged 16-34 . The new channel will broadcast from 7pm to 4am each day , the same as the hours of the channel when it closed in 2016 .
As a result , CBBC ’ s broadcast hours will revert to closing at 7pm - as was the case before 2016 . Accordingly , the BBC intends to expand the remit of BBC Three with a pre-watershed content offer suitable for 13 +. It will not take any further traditional TV channel capacity for its services , but reallocate distribution capacity from existing services within the current space .
MPs criticise Government gigabit target response
Julian Knight , chair of the UK
parliament ’ s Digital , Culture ,
Media and Sport Committee ,
has criticised the Government
for its failure to answer
questions on how it intends
to deliver on its revised-down
broadband targets and the
roll-out of 5G .
In a Report , Broadband and the road to 5G , MPs warned that Ministers risked failing to meet their latest , less ambitious , gigabitcapable broadband target and that the 5G roll-out risked repeating the legacy of mobile ‘ not-spots ’.
MPs consider that the Department for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport has failed to adequately respond to a number of their recommendations and that key points have been left unanswered . One question not addressed asked for a full assessment of how likely the Department considered it that the revised-down target would be met .
Knight ( left ) has written to Oliver Dowden , secretary of state for Digital , Culture ,
Media and Sport , asking for a full Government Response by April 1st . “ We raised urgent questions in our Report to Government requesting that it set out detailed plans about how it would deliver on its revised-down target for gigabit-capable broadband and crucially , how likely it was to be met ,” stated Knight . “ Ministers have failed to answer that key question , among others , and provided inadequate responses elsewhere .”
“ I have written to secretary of state Oliver Dowden calling for a full response to our recommendations and to points that have gone unanswered . These are questions that cannot be avoided ,” he asserted .
Study : Brits watching TV 4.1hrs daily
LG Electronics UK has shared the
results of a study which explores
the British public ’ s spending and
saving habits during lockdown ,
revealing the cost-per-use of
everyday items .
When it comes to quality
content ,
people
have
more
choice
than ever before – and it shows .
The average UK adult now spends
4.1 hours watching TV each day .
This ‘ golden age of content ’ comes
with a monthly investment on
average of £ 71 (€ 83 ) spent on
entertainment subscriptions and
broadband .
4 EUROMEDIA