Staff fears grow that BBC will shut its Three and Scotland channels next week
Redundancy process suggests home of Gavin and Stacey and Fleabag could go online-only again in £500m cuts push The BBC has started a redundancy process in its TV and streaming division, heightening staff fears that Matt Brittin will announce the closure of the poorly performing BBC Three and BBC Scotland channels next week. The corporation’s director general, who has repeatedly said that linear…
The BBC is facing growing concerns over the potential closure of its struggling TV channels, BBC Three and BBC Scotland, according to redundancy efforts within the company. Matt Brittin, the corporation's director general, is anticipated to announce the latest stage of a £500m plan to save money and cut up to 2,000 jobs. This announcement is expected to be made to staff on Wednesday.
Dan McGolpin, director of the BBC iPlayer and Channels division, has called on employees to volunteer for redundancy measures, including job-sharing, reduced hours, and relocating to other BBC bases across the UK. This move has led to speculation that the two channels may be shut down online-only, as the BBC focuses on cutting back on TV and radio services and content with low value for money.
BBC Three, a youth-focused channel launched in 2003, has faced financial pressures since its return to linear TV in 2022. It has struggled to attract audiences, with its cost per user hour being significantly higher than other BBC channels like BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC Four. The channel's highest-rated show recently averaged only 74,000 viewers, compared to the typical 4% of the UK population watching the channel live.
BBC Scotland, launched in 2019, has also been underperforming, with only 12% of people in Scotland watching the channel live, and an even lower percentage across all platforms. The channel's budget has been doubled to about £80m when it returned to linear TV, but it has been cut to £66m in the current financial year. Its cost per user hour is also considerably higher than other BBC channels.
The BBC has already announced plans to cut 60 jobs in Scotland to save £10m, and it is considering axing radio services as well. The corporation has made several cost-saving announcements, including permanently reducing the presenter roster on Radio 4’s Today and axing the evening news programme The World Tonight. Despite these measures, the BBC has faced criticism for shutting down channels like the Asian Network and 6 Music in the past, which were later relocated or reduced in scope.
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