BBC Four online only

rpb424

Active Member
After yesterday’s announcements, what are people’s opinions on this?

A few years ago they moved BBC Three online only, one of the justifications being that the younger demographic for it was already used to consuming content online anyway rather than in a linear fashion, only for that decision to be reversed recently when it was reinstated over-the-air. BBC Four however has a rather older demographic, where in some cases viewers (particularly the very elderly) are less likely to understand how to get the content online, or even have an internet connection at all in some cases. My own 89 year old father-in-law is a case that immediately springs to mind. He has internet for very basic email use, but also dementia means that he can’t really understand how to do much else anymore.

I get the point that BBC Four is pretty much an archive channel now rather than showing much original content, and as such most of that content is already available online as well, but the danger here is that not all of those most interested in it will be able to easily access it.

To me it just seems the wrong way round logically. BBC Three should have remained online only given a straight choice between the two.
 
To me it just seems the wrong way round logically. BBC Three should have remained online only given a straight choice between the two.
Of course it is. Putting 3 back was just a stupid, costly, vanity project. Management stupidity at its worst. But that's this country all over really.
No-one's got any decency or common sense, whether it be the BBC, the government , or P&O etc.
 
Putting BBC 3 back seems to imply the BBC didn’t get the expected viewing figures with an online only channel. And that was one aimed at the tech savvy yoof audience. Us old farts with limited resources are unlikely to do any better. But it’s all part of the shut all terrestrial tv down agenda. (So why restart BBC 3 ?) Mind you, BBC4 has suffered from death by a thousand cuts already. Here’s hoping the Saturday night foreign series will transfer to BBC 2 and not be online only.
As for removing Radio 4 extra - why? As far as I know R4x runs automatically from a computer somewhere. Set up the playlist and press go - just like many of the commercial radio stations overnight. Or R2 when the fire alarm goes off. The BBC say the content will be on BBC Sounds - so how much extra does it cost to enter a playlist into a computer and play it out? Maybe the BBC have to pay extra for bandwidth on DAB (??) but on Freeview isn’t MUX BBCA currently theirs to use at no extra cost?
Wrong decisions!
 
It's only sabre-rattling at the moment, any "action" is a long way down the line and IMO it's a threat rather than a promise.

BBC2 used to be the thinking persons service, but now FOUR occupies that slot. Of course, there's no harm in putting serious programming on the remaining services – I think it's a pity there are so many channels, because if people (say) watch Dave or Quest all the time, they are not being exposed to a variety of alternatives or even current affairs, and become entrenched in their own little worlds watching stuff which reinforces their own dogmas.

Fundamentally, what is the BBC for? As a PSB, I don't think it should be trying to compete with what people flock to the commercial services for, surely it should be producing the output which commercial services can't pay for, and not be chasing ratings.
 
on Freeview isn’t MUX BBCA currently theirs to use at no extra cost?
Given C4's spat with Freesat over HD costs I imagine those are not insubstantial for BBC Four.
They could dump Freesat and keep Freeview, but that would get them flak too ...
 
surely it should be producing the output which commercial services can't pay for, and not be chasing ratings.
Which is why, in my opinion, R1, 1X, and BBC3 should be ditched or sold off to BBC Studios (ie UKTV).

a516digital on twitter posted a picture - possibly from the Sunday Times - that indicates the real cause of the problem:
AC99106F-8199-49B3-99A2-A840F47CECCF.jpeg
I think Radio 4 has a programme, sadly now missing most of it’s best participants, that aptly describes her. I’m sorry I haven’t a clue!
 
The way I see it BBC 4 has become mainly a portal into the vast back catalogue of BBC arts and science programmes. A curated playlist if you like. What would be even better is if they opened that catalogue so people could curate their own playlist without worrying about the time limited availability that hobbles it at the moment.

The same applies to Radio 4 Extra although there are alternative ways of getting full access to some of their programmes. I have a full set of some of the classic comedies that feature from time to time including The Navy Lark. :)
 
The way I see it BBC 4 has become mainly a portal into the vast back catalogue of BBC arts and science programmes.
Educational content well worth repeating periodically, at very little cost.

I don't particularly like having to decide what I'm going to watch from a large catalogue, and if I do want to save something for later there's the recorder. Linear services mean I see and am educated (and sometimes even entertained) by things I might not have deliberately chosen. If I require "company" from the TV (or radio) when I'm doing other things, the last thing I want is to have to keep picking the next item for a playlist... and definitely not while driving!

Then what about the underprivileged or technologically incompetent? We'll all be that one day.
 
Educational content well worth repeating periodically, at very little cost.
Once upon a time the BBC did language courses ( French, German, Spanish and Italian being the ones I remember). Now very old but worth a repeat.
picking the next item for a playlist... and definitely not while driving!
Quite! Penalty points and a fine at best, unless you’re testing your eyesight at the time. ;)
 
Educational content well worth repeating periodically, at very little cost.

I don't particularly like having to decide what I'm going to watch from a large catalogue,
There will still be a place for curated playlists of programmes of the day. You can have a few for each day depending on if your want to go arts heavy, science heavy, history heavy or eclectic.
 
that indicates the real cause of the problem
Yep, we've had 9 different ones in the last 10 years. Some barely last 6 months. What does that tell you?
Witless Whittingdale and Nasty Nadine/Dopey Dorries seem to have been the worst, and before even these lot it was Jeremy -unt.
 
What does that tell you?
  • The government has a lack of talented and/or knowledgeable MPs
  • Those in post have pre-conceived ideas and no matter what the evidence continue with the same BS
  • Any broadcaster who questions the government is perceived as full of left-wing Trots and must be punished
Of course, the opposition parties also lack talented and knowledgeable MPs (although the SNP has a former broadcast journalist). They would also complain of bias if they were in office. Rock and hard place comes to mind.
The last few BBC DGs haven’t been too clever either.
 
Heads up everyone. If you didn’t know already it looks as though COM7 vanishes at the end of June. See the Freeview coverage checker link on this site’s home page.
So that’s part of the demise of BBC Four, the HD channel will go soon.
 
Heads up everyone. If you didn’t know already it looks as though COM7 vanishes at the end of June. See the Freeview coverage checker link on this site’s home page.
So that’s part of the demise of BBC Four, the HD channel will go soon.
BBC Four HD in our region (Caldbeck) disappeared a couple of years ago taking Quest HD with it. Now Quest Std Def always confuses our FoxT2 with poor reception problems.
 
Oops! Senior moment! I’d even replied to the post. The aforementioned a516digital (on twitface) posted the update to the Freeview checker and I’d forgotten about the other post. :oops:
I’m more bothered by the possible loss of Forces TV rather than loss of HD/SD duplication.
 
As far as I'm concerned the BBC has no business being on the internet in the first place.

When freeview shuts I'll stop watching TV entirely - I'm sure as hell not wasting my life trawling
through online spyware and spam and programs that have other crap in the middle of them
They can whistle for their licence and the courts can whistle for their fines - I'm
not being ripped off by these gangsters anymore.

If it aint on Bluray I just wont bother.

What they should be doing is a range of HD TV broadcasts to make use of all that
expensive (in our case because of rubbish reception for years) equipment we were all
conned into buying only to get 3 channels with little on them and 50 channels of low
quality SD crap that's usually broadcast way below VHS tape quality in the first place.
Some of it today can't even be rewound correctly
As for the content... jeez it couldn't be worse if they went out of their way to make it bad.
The incessant rubbish and shocking level of repeats are highly offensive and arrogant.
As for the propaganda - seriously it's appaling.

The fantasy fetish that only 16 year olds want TV demonstrates incompetence on a scale
thats laughable.

Digital fraud and ineptitude is all I see.
 
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