BBC Annual Plan for 2024/25 outlines where the BBC is planning to make further changes to the way viewers and listeners access BBC content.
- Ongoing work with other broadcasters to transition viewers to online TV platforms
- New linear channels for the BBC iPlayer
- BBC will go ahead with new audio services on BBC Sounds.
The BBC has set out how it wants to transform its offer in the coming years. Buried deep inside the corporation’s Annual Plan are plans to launch new channels and adjust its output on some services. Additionally, the BBC sets out its plans for a transition to an online-only (IP-streaming) future.
The BBC says it will continue to work with other public service broadcasters and supply chain partners to work on transitioning all current broadcast services to internet distribution and ensuring everyone is connected.
The transition to IP-streaming starts in earnest in just a few weeks, when Freely will launch as a long-term replacement for both Freeview and Freesat. Freely will allow broadcasters to offer a range of existing broadcast channels plus new streaming-only channels combined on a single channel list.
New channels on the BBC iPlayer
The BBC iPlayer will become the home of more linear channels in the year ahead. The plans are part of a wider mission to improve the way audiences discover and watch its archive content.
It follows experiments during the past year, when the BBC launched a number of iPlayer Channels dedicated to a topic or genre.
The BBC doesn’t need full regulatory approval from Ofcom to launch new streaming channels on the iPlayer. This follows changes to the way the BBC is regulated last year, which also required the BBC be more open about planned changes. However, depending on the extent of the changes, the BBC says a materiality assessment may become necessary.
The new streaming-only channels are similar in concept to those offered by ITVX. Later this year, Channel 5’s streaming service My5 will merge with Pluto TV, already a provider of a large number of streaming-only linear channels. Channel 4 has also recently trailed its first streaming-only channel.
Live content at the forefront
The BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds will focus on promoting more live content. That’s part of a wider plan by the BBC to offer moments that bring audiences together, for example through coverage of major news, cultural and sporting events. As a result, live streams of events will become more prominent on the BBC’s two online platforms.
No channel closures (yet)
In 2022, the BBC announced plans to axe BBC Four and CBBC’s current broadcast channels. Their content would go online-only. The BBC Annual Plan for 2024/25 makes no further mention of this. Last year, some media outlets reported that the BBC was U-turning on the plans. Arguably, all BBC services will eventually become online-only.
Changes to BBC News
The BBC has promised to review its news output to “ensure it is delivering value for money” and will look at where it wants to reduce broadcast hours. Any such changes will be subject to scrutiny by regulator Ofcom. The BBC has already put forward plans to reduce its news obligations on the BBC Scotland channel.
During the coming twelve months, the BBC News at 1 will move to Salford (pictured above), as part of a wider redeployment of BBC staff out of London.
The BBC Annual Plan hints at further changes to come to news and other genres, with “a number of announcements” anticipated through this coming year.
Audio services
The BBC plans to launch new DAB+ radio stations. While the launch on DAB+ is still subject to regulatory scrutiny, the BBC says it will go ahead and launch the stations on BBC Sounds in the meantime. The BBC isn’t required to obtain the same level of regulatory clearance to audio streams on BBC Sounds.
Marc Thornham
[Image: Media City UK, Salford; BBC]