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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think they are planning to axe the wrong BBC channels...

97 replies

jobhunter7 · 26/05/2022 21:56

Isn't BBC 4 what a public broadcaster should be doing? Not BBC 3 for example...

I suppose they could at least put the good stuff that would have gone on BBC 4 on BBC 2 as they would have fitted back in past...

OP posts:
Rosehugger · 27/05/2022 10:13

I'm really surprised at those live listening figures. Whenever I've tried to listen live it's some old pants I'm not interested in. However there is loads of good Radio 4Extra content on BBC Sounds.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/05/2022 10:53

CBBC is a ridiculous decision: it moves tv watching from being a shared, collective / family activity to pushing children onto individual screens.

It also means that, whilst it should all be suitable and appropriate for all children, conscientious parents are less able to keep an eye on the content. We've all seen concerns expressed when schools push or endorse certain controversial perspectives (some would say agendas) on various subjects, resulting in parents complaining and protesting. Much easier for kids to see something on their tablet or phone than on the big telly in the corner of the room they're sitting in with the rest of the family.

Both of those channels get very low viewers though - BBC4 gets on average 0.8% and CBBC gets 0.19% (CBeebies gets a lot more I believe).

I recall reading somewhere in the past that, when they're monitoring/calculating ratings of programmes, they don't actually include children in their figures. I presume the rules were originally set up before the days of widespread dedicated kids' TV, to ensure that figures weren't artificially boosted by, say, four kids doing their own thing in the living room whilst their mum is watching 'boring' Coronation Street, and thus counting it as five active viewers instead of just one; however, it turns the thinking completely on its head when it's TV for children.

I suppose most older kids might watch CBBC alone, and thus not be counted as viewers, whereas little ones watching CBeebies will have their parent(s) in the room looking after them, so then plenty of 'viewers' are recorded, albeit adults who aren't interested in watching the programme for themselves!

Radio 4 Extra is a great resource. It's meant to be a mixed bag, appealing to all kinds of people. On a typical day, there may be 23 hours of content that doesn't interest me at all, but one hour that I would actively choose as 'gold'. Of course, even if this is the case for everybody, each person's '23h boring/1h great' will be totally different.

I don't think it's designed for you to sit listening all day, but to check the listings in advance and listen again/catch up with a missed programme from Radio 4 in the week or to (re)discover a classic old gem or two.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/05/2022 11:02

Also, to add re BBC4: the whole point of it isn't that it gets huge ratings, but it's catering for people who maybe don't like the mass-interest programmes, but who also pay their licence fee just like everybody else.

It's literally the reason why we have a TV broadcasting service that's paid for en-masse and can therefore cater for minority interests, rather than led by advertising revenue for each programme and invariably stopping making the ones that reach far fewer eyeballs.

I also think ratings are quite a blunt tool to determine viewers' enjoyment. There's no differentiating between one person thinking "Ah, whatever, that'll do, I suppose" and putting a show on in the background, and another person who has been crazily looking forward to Eurovision any particular programme for the whole year and sits there with eyes glued to the screen, desperate not to miss a single second, and on a high all week afterwards for having experienced it!

maryberryslayers · 27/05/2022 11:09

I think lockdown demonstrated just how many children don't have access to the internet at home or personal devices/smart tv's etc.
It's a real shame that CBBC is being removed from the TV its not only entertaining but also educational (newsround etc) and given it's paid for by the TV license should be accessible to all children through a basic set up.

bridgetreilly · 27/05/2022 11:13

R4Extra is not a live broadcast. It’s all pre-recorded, so there’s no extra cost for presenters etc. But do listen to it ‘as live’ in the car, and when I’m sewing, so I’m annoyed that it’s going to be online only.

lettherebelists · 27/05/2022 11:22

We’ll miss CBBC. My DC only watch programmes on the TV, they don’t have tablets or phones. We record programmes onto the sky box to watch when it suits; the DC happily watch from the sky planner but never go onto iplayer (which is set up on the TV) to watch anything. They’ll always head straight to Netflix once they’ve watched any recorded programmes, and most of the stuff on there is not the same.

FreddyVoorhees · 27/05/2022 11:54

fyn · 27/05/2022 09:58

Both of those channels get very low viewers though - BBC4 gets on average 0.8% and CBBC gets 0.19% (CBeebies gets a lot more I believe).

BBC3 has historically produced a lot of very popular comedy shows - Gavin and Stacy, This Country, Fleabag etc…

The BBC4 viewing figures are abysmal. It's not exactly rocket science as to why they are considering it's future. It's not always the nasty Tories.

CBBC is ok but the content seems much weaker than Cbeebies which is pretty bloody marvellous. I was surprised at Cbeebies viewing figures but I'm guessing that the sheer volume of money the Beeb must get from overseas sales and merchandising (as well as the ability to repeat series due to the target audience refreshing every couple of years)

www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-viewing-summary-new/

PortiaFimbriata · 27/05/2022 12:22

bridgetreilly · 27/05/2022 11:13

R4Extra is not a live broadcast. It’s all pre-recorded, so there’s no extra cost for presenters etc. But do listen to it ‘as live’ in the car, and when I’m sewing, so I’m annoyed that it’s going to be online only.

There are still continuity announcers, jingles, links, trailers, someone on standby unless there's a breakdown in transmission.

Not expensive, but not free.

DinosaursEatMan · 27/05/2022 12:28

That’s my Friday night gone then.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/05/2022 12:41

There are still continuity announcers, jingles, links, trailers, someone on standby unless there's a breakdown in transmission.

Not expensive, but not free.

They could easily do without the continuity announcers if they needed to save money (although some of them are brilliant). Isn't that what the World Service does: one programme finishes and then the next one just starts?

In fact, they seem to make a particular meal out of having lengthy links between programmes, to the extent that it makes some of them run several minutes late (especially in the very early morning).

Some of my friends used to live in a shared house at uni with seven of them sharing one bathroom. They had a system of signing up the night before for 15-minute slots in the morning and one woman would always forget/not bother to sign up; she claimed that she would 'just dash in for two minutes between two of the others and nobody would notice her there at all'. She was just like some of the verbose link people between the programmes on R4E!

Antarcticant · 27/05/2022 12:42

I also think ratings are quite a blunt tool to determine viewers' enjoyment.

As I understand it, the ratings are drawn from a sample of people who have some kind of special box that tracks their viewing. I have no doubt it fulfils all the requirements for a valid sample in the scientific sense but I have often wondered if, in this context, any sample can be truly representative when it comes to more niche programming.

Badbadbunny · 27/05/2022 12:45

@FreddyVoorhees

CBBC is ok but the content seems much weaker than Cbeebies which is pretty bloody marvellous.

I agree. Our DS was glued to Cbeebies when he was very young, but barely ever watched anything on CBBC, not even Blue Peter.

FreddyVoorhees · 27/05/2022 12:49

Badbadbunny · 27/05/2022 12:45

@FreddyVoorhees

CBBC is ok but the content seems much weaker than Cbeebies which is pretty bloody marvellous.

I agree. Our DS was glued to Cbeebies when he was very young, but barely ever watched anything on CBBC, not even Blue Peter.

Don't get me wrong, the content is decent and the lack of advertising is wonderful (looking at you Milkshake/Channel 5 especially) but Cbeebies is an absolute treasure of a channel which really is one I'd fight for even though my kids no longer watch it. Operation Ouch is pretty good though (that's CBBC isn't it?)

Urge to go AWOOOOOF rising. There, I feel better now.

Boood · 27/05/2022 12:49

They can’t win, though, can they. If they do worthy, quality stuff that pulls in low audiences but gets great reviews, they’re called elitist and out of touch and criticised for wasting public money on things only their own cronies care and. If they do populist stuff they get accused of trying to compete with commercial channels instead of filling their public service mandate.

oldwhyno · 27/05/2022 12:54

I'd probably support merging CBBC & CBEEBIES, BBC3 & 4, and BBC News & Parliament, retaining the "best" of each at the most appropriate time.

At the same time, they have to address the overspending on certain presenters. There's absolutely no way the BBC couldn't produce an equally good Match of the Day without Gary Linekar. In fact it would probably force it to be more innovative, and probably better.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/05/2022 12:57

I agree with you, Boood, but I think there's a vast middle ground between Eastenders (or 'Market Shouting', as it was renamed on RO's House of Games!) and anything presented by Melvyn Bragg or Alan Yentob.

One of the enduring favourites on BBC4 is 'vintage' editions of TOTP, which has never been something you'd call 'elitist', but which only really has an appeal to those of us over a certain age. Whilst elite stuff does have a place (although that tends to end up on late-night BBC2), much of BBC4's output is no higher-brow than on BBC1 or BBC2, just more niche interest - to a wide spectrum of people across society.

Antarcticant · 27/05/2022 12:58

I'd probably support merging CBBC & CBEEBIES, BBC3 & 4, and BBC News & Parliament, retaining the "best" of each at the most appropriate time

That's a good idea.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/05/2022 13:03

I'd probably support merging CBBC & CBEEBIES, BBC3 & 4, and BBC News & Parliament, retaining the "best" of each at the most appropriate time.

They'd still cancel the lot in favour of (yet another) major football game. There was talk some time ago of the BBC considering a separate dedicated sports channel, but they decided against it on the grounds that it wouldn't be fair on non-sports fans, who wouldn't get any benefit from it.

That was the whole point!! We wanted it so that the regular schedules wouldn't keep being changed and cancelled, and then the sports fans would be able to fill their boots too, so everybody would be happy!

JaneJeffer · 27/05/2022 13:26

Oh no! I love BBC4 Sad I usually watch it when everyone has gone to bed.

Lds1 · 27/05/2022 13:51

I think I'm the only one here who is glad that BBC3 is back on TV.

Before it went to online only it was the BBC channel I watched the most.

I think BBC3 and CBBC could share the channel. CBBC all day, family shows 7 til 9 and then post watershed programming.

iCouldSleepForAYear · 27/05/2022 14:33

Can't believe the CBBC decision.

Yes, my kids are likely to binge watch on demand. But CBBC live was something I could put on in the mornings. Something they could watch while getting ready for school. The transition between each programme is good for them at that time of day because they're less likely to get hyper-focused on one show and lose focus on getting ready for school.

The change in programme through the day also exposes my girls to good quality shows they wouldn't bother with otherwise, because they latch on to their favorites and watch ad infinitum.

My daughter's school also tunes in to Newsround daily. Wonder how that'll change.

autienotnaughty · 27/05/2022 15:22

Nooooo I love 2 and 4!!!!!

Justkeeppedaling · 27/05/2022 15:24

jobhunter7 · 26/05/2022 22:15

CBBC also for the chop - I suppose they could just make BBC 1 or 2 CBBC between 3.30-6pm like they used to..

What? And lose Pointless?!

Actually I'd quite like that.

Gizacluethen · 27/05/2022 15:41

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll
It's not that there's nothing I'd ever want to watch. I actually quite fancy rewatching Dr Who from the beginning atm. But I'm not paying just for that. Otherwise we live perfectly well without it. I'd rather pay for Netflix.

Doggyfish · 27/05/2022 16:01

I have a 5 and a 1 year old. I will fight anyone who tries to take cbeebies Blush