• News
    • Broadcasting
    • Cable
    • Digital Life
    • HD switchover
    • Online
    • Satellite
    • Terrestrial
  • Channels
    • through a TV aerial (Freeview/Saorview)
    • through a satellite dish
      • Freesat channel list UK
      • Sky channel list (UK EPG)
    • through cable (Virgin Media UK)
    • with YouView
      • BT TV Channel List
      • TalkTalk TV Channel List
  • TV Platforms
    • Freeview and Freeview Play
    • Freesat
    • Sky
    • Virgin Media
    • YouView
  • Logs and data
    • BBC local radio via Freeview
    • Freeview Updates
    • Freeview regional retune days
    • UHF channels and centre frequencies
  • Guides
    • How to manually retune your Sky box
    • What is HbbTV?
Twitter
RXTV infoRXTV info
  • News
    • Broadcasting
    • Cable
    • Digital Life
    • HD switchover
    • Online
    • Satellite
    • Terrestrial
  • Channels
    • through a TV aerial (Freeview/Saorview)
    • through a satellite dish
      • Freesat channel list UK
      • Sky channel list (UK EPG)
    • through cable (Virgin Media UK)
    • with YouView
      • BT TV Channel List
      • TalkTalk TV Channel List
  • TV Platforms
    • Freeview and Freeview Play
    • Freesat
    • Sky
    • Virgin Media
    • YouView
  • Logs and data
    • BBC local radio via Freeview
    • Freeview Updates
    • Freeview regional retune days
    • UHF channels and centre frequencies
  • Guides
    • How to manually retune your Sky box
    • What is HbbTV?
Twitter
RXTV infoRXTV info
Home»BBC»Multiple BBC channels to close in online shift
BBC

Multiple BBC channels to close in online shift

26 May 2022

BBC Four, CBBC, Radio 4 Extra and medium/long wave broadcasts will close in the coming years as the BBC tightens its belt and focuses on digital/online broadcasting.

CBBC, BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra won’t close immediately, but are due to be scrapped before the current BBC Charter and licence fee deal ends in 2027, but no earlier than 2025. Content will then move online.

Similarly, the BBC plans to stop broadcasting a separate schedule for BBC Radio 4 Longwave ahead of a full withdrawal from 198kHz in the coming years. Radio 4 content will continue on its other frequencies and digital/online outlets.

With the changes, the BBC wants to drive more users to the iPlayer and BBC Sounds. It currently reaches less than 50% of its viewers through the iPlayer, but wants to hit 75%.


Closure or move online?

Echoing BBC Three’s 2016 closure, which at the time was marketed as a move online, affected channels will live on within the iPlayer (audio services on BBC Sounds). They’ll use the alternative definition of a “channel”, being a place where viewers can find a collection of content grouped together by genre or target demographic, rather than operating as a live or linear service.

And – regardless of the BBC spin – just like 2016, the removal of the services from traditional TV platforms will be seen by many BBC users as a closure.


CBBC closure

The move to close the CBBC TV channel in the coming years comes as little surprise, as the age group is increasingly streaming online. The linear channel continues to see a decline in its audience.

Nothing will change until at least 2025, so viewers on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media will see no changes yet.

But CBBC’s TV reach among its target audience (6-12 year olds) has reduced from 27% in 2015 to just 14% in 2021. The sharpest decline has been among working class families, where CBBC reaches only one in ten children.

Already, providers of children’s content are moving to online-only distribution. Disney has already closed its linear channels in favour of Disney+.

As it stands, the BBC iPlayer will become the home of the CBBC brand, with scope for individual shows for family viewing to be shown on one of its main network channels.

BBC Four closure

BBC Four is currently being repurposed as an archive channel. This means the number of new programmes made for BBC Four is already being cut.

In the future, BBC Four’s archive legacy will live on a ‘channel’ within the BBC iPlayer.

BBC Radio 4 Extra closure

Despite being one of the most popular digital stations, it too faces the axe. it was launched twenty years ago as ‘BBC 7’ as part of a drive to create digital stations for new digital radio platforms, such as DAB.

But its schedule of archive dramas, comedies and other shows has been overtaken by the flexibility of on-demand services, including the BBC’s own Sounds app. This allows users to access the BBC’s library of archive material on-demand, without waiting for a timeslot on 4 Extra.

Radio 4 LW closure

The UK is one of the last places in the world to still have a long wave radio service, with the waveband becoming quieter as foreign services cease to broadcast.

Modern ships are kitted out with digital technology meaning they don’t need to rely on a long wave signal to reach them at sea with a weather forecast. On land, the use of long wave to receive services continues to decline. The BBC’s contact with Arqiva to maintain its long wave service is also due to end in the coming years.

BBC Radio 5 Live Medium Wave closure

BBC Radio 5 Live’s frequencies on 693 and 909 kHz will fall silent by December 2027, in line with a proposed industry wide exit from medium wave broadcasting.

Other developments

The BBC is also planning to merge its UK and international TV news channels, and move some of its World Service language services on to online platforms only.

BBC regional news services in Oxford and Cambridge will be axed.

But the BBC’s flagship news bulletins will be revamped, with a focus on how well they perform among streamers.


Updated 19:12

Iain Hatton, Features Writer, RXTV

Share:
featured news
Previous ArticleBBC to cut regional news bulletins in South & East
Next Article New look BBC News and Breakfast studio coming soon

Related articles

How the BBC News channel changes from 3rd April

24 March 2023

Sky shuffles shopping channels

24 March 2023

Robot Wars in HD as MECH+ launches on Samsung TV Plus

23 March 2023
Latest
  • How the BBC News channel changes from 3rd April
  • Sky shuffles shopping channels
  • Robot Wars in HD as MECH+ launches on Samsung TV Plus
  • Premier League on Apple TV+ ?
  • That’s 70s goes live on Sky channel 366

RXTV info: Covering the reception and distribution of UK terrestrial TV (Freeview), cable, satellite and connected TV services for users and installers.

Freeview changes

22nd March 2023

  • Channel 101 | BBC One HD is regionalised in Channel Islands, East Midlands, East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire, London, West Midlands and Yorkshire TV regions. A retune may be required, depending on device.
  • Channel 285 | Al Jazeera English launches as a streaming channel.
  • Channel 286 | Al Jazeera Arabic launches as a streaming channel.

Other Freeview channel updates…

Saorview: Irish DTT  | How to manually tune your Sky box | Sky Glass channel list |  UHF channels and centre frequencies

 

Satellite
  • Astra 2E (28.5°E): DAZN PPV HD test transmissions. Frequency: 11385, H (SR 29500, FEC 8/9, DVB-S2 8PSK) SID: 53730. Encrypted.
  • Astra 2E (28.5°E): BBC Two NI HD New frequency: 10773 H (SR 23000, FEC 3/4, DVB-S2 8PSK) SID: 6312 (UK) 6332 (ROI).
  • Sky: That’s TV UK moves to channel 171

 

Other platforms

Virgin Media Ireland: AMC added to channel 123

Virgin Media UK: Sky Sports F1 UHD now on 533

Apple TV: ITVX live streams now available on Apple TV version of the app.

 

Twitter
  • About
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Statement
© 2023 RXTV Info AIS

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.