BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra Channels to Close
The BBC is to close its BBC Three and BBC Scotland television channels in the spring, as part of its £500 million savings plan over two years. Both services will become online-only, with content available on iPlayer and other platforms.
The BBC has also announced the closure of Radio 4 Extra, which primarily broadcasts archive speech programs including documentaries, comedy, and drama.
BBC director-general Matt Brittin stated:
"We need to make every pound work harder for audiences as we respond to the immediate cost pressures and reinvent the BBC for a changing world. We all know that means tough choices."
He further explained that much of the content currently on these linear broadcast services will still be accessible on iPlayer and Sounds.
The corporation detailed its plans:
- BBC Scotland: Will remain available on iPlayer, with some content also broadcast on BBC One and BBC Two in Scotland.
- BBC Three: Commissions, supported by increased investment in content for younger audiences, will be accessible on BBC iPlayer and other platforms like YouTube.
- Radio 4 Extra: Programs will be available on BBC Sounds, along with its religious program The Daily Service.
BBC Three, known for hits like Fleabag and Gavin & Stacey, previously moved online in 2016 but was reinstated as a TV channel in 2022. BBC Scotland, launched in 2019, offered a variety of Scottish programming.
Some shows on these networks, such as Two Doors Down and Sort Your Life Out, are repeats from other BBC channels. The nightly program Reporting Scotland: News at Seven will not move to iPlayer and will end when the linear channel closes.
The BBC aims to cut between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs, affecting nearly one in ten staff, to achieve its financial goals. The corporation also announced further job cuts in its news division on Tuesday.