Trustees greenlight decision

BBC Trustees have formally approved the plans to move BBC Three online from February.

The channel itself heralded the decision by tweeting: ‘Exciting news! We’re moving online and we can’t wait.’

However the move had been widely condemned by hundreds of stars such as Russell Kane, Russell Howard and Rob Brydon, and independent production houses, who thought the youth-orientated programmes, much of them comedies, would be marginalised.

In ratifying the money-saving decision, the BBC Trust has set conditions aimed to ensure that younger audiences continue to be served, including the commitment that all BBC Three long-form programmes must be broadcast in slots on BBC One and Two ‘at a variety of times across the schedule and throughout the UK’.

Trustees concluded that that there is ‘clear public value’ in moving BBC Three online, as independent evidence shows younger audiences are watching more online and watching less linear TV.

The trust has also added a requirement to the service licences for BBC One and Two to ensure continued creative risk-taking and experimenting with new talent and ideas.

As part of its decision today the trust has also approved plans to extend the hours of CBBC to 9pm, and to develop iPlayer beyond a catchup service, to include online-first and third party content.

But it formally rejected the BBC’s proposals for a BBC One +1 channel in the vacated BBC Three slot on the basis of limited public value.

BBC Trustee Suzanna Taverne said: ‘The decision to close a TV channel is a difficult one, and one we have not taken lightly.

‘The BBC must adapt with its audiences; the evidence is very clear that younger audiences are watching more online and less linear TV. The plans enable the BBC to deliver more distinctive content online, while bearing down on costs.’

Damian Kavanagh, controller of BBC Three, said: ‘Today is just the beginning for BBC Three and our plans to transform our offer for young people.

‘We have lots of new content coming in 2016 and exciting new ways of delivering it in development. We will now set about launching a digital-first BBC Three in early 2016.’

Published: 26 Nov 2015