London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

BBC to move CBBC and BBC Four online

BBC to move CBBC and BBC Four online

The BBC has announced that it plans to stop airing CBBC and BBC Four as traditional broadcast channels.

Director-general Tim Davie announced the content of these networks will continue to be produced and made available for online platforms.

This means they would only be available on BBC iPlayer, with Radio 4 Extra moving to BBC Sounds, rather than via their traditional broadcast outlets.

He added that the corporation's two news channels will be merged into one.

Tim Davie said: "We are moving decisively to a largely on-demand world"


The corporation currently has two different news networks for UK and World audiences, and the changes are part of cost-saving measures, which the BBC said are part of a plan to create a "modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation".

The changes announced on Thursday would mean cuts of £200m a year and the reorganisation of services which prioritise digital platforms. But CBBC, BBC Four will stay on linear TV and Radio 4 Extra will stay on the radio airwaves for at least three years.

Mr Davie also announced changes to local radio and regional news, which will see TV news programmes in Oxford and Cambridge merged with the BBC's Southampton and Norwich operations.

BBC One regional programme We Are England will also end after its second series later this year.

In January, the latest licence fee settlement was announced which will keep it at £159 a year for two years and then rise in line with inflation.

Overall, the plans could mean up to 1,000 job losses in the publicly-funded part of the corporation over the next few years.

Mr Davie said the BBC would consult with trade unions on the proposals.


'Constantly innovating'


In a statement, he said the BBC must "evolve faster and embrace the huge shifts in the market around us".

"This is our moment to build a digital-first BBC," he said. "Something genuinely new, a Reithian organisation for the digital age, a positive force for the UK and the world.

"Independent, impartial, constantly innovating and serving all. A fresh, new, global digital media organisation which has never been seen before."

The director-general told staff that too many BBC resources are currently focused on broadcast output rather than online, adding: "We are moving decisively to a largely on-demand world."

The newly merged news channel will mean a single, 24-hour broadcast, simply called BBC News, serving UK and international audiences and offering greater amounts of shared content.


The changes include:


*  Plans to stop scheduling separate content for Radio 4 Long Wave

*  Additional online news services for Sunderland, Bradford, Wolverhampton and Peterborough, creating 100 new job posts

*  Alternative funding for some performance groups such as the BBC's orchestras

*  The end of bespoke television operations in Oxford and Cambridge, which will merge with the wider regional 18:30 news programmes

*  Requesting Ofcom to remove regulatory restrictions on iPlayer to expand boxsets and archive content - with an ambition to reach 75% of BBC viewers through iPlayer each week

*  Shifting a number of World Service languages to being digital only

*  Reviewing commercial options for audio production, which could mean some podcasts are produced by the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Studios


This announcement amounts to an ambitious, even radical, acceleration of the BBC's pivot to digital services. It is an attempt to ward off two threats: the first, financial; the second, technological.

Financially, the two-year freeze in the licence fee - amid a cost-of-living crisis - forces the BBC to find further savings.

Technologically, future licence fee payers are primarily digital creatures. Yet the BBC is still mostly consumed through TVs and radios, and spends most of its money on services that reach people through those traditional means.

There will be a big impact on what shows people watch and listen to. Some of that is positive: new dramas, TV formats and podcasts that are widely enjoyed.

But some is negative: shows treasured by people who have paid their licence fee for years will go.

Which shows remains unclear, though the recent licence fee freeze does give the BBC some cover for those hard choices.

Earlier on Thursday, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries issued the BBC with a legal direction ordering it to "promote equality of opportunity" for people from working-class backgrounds.

The stipulation came as part of the mid-term review into the corporation's royal charter and includes a target for 25% of staff to be from low socio-economic backgrounds. The BBC said this direction affirms targets the corporation has already set itself.

The BBC has also been asked to ensure 50% of radio and 60% of TV production spend is outside London by the end of 2027.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said the BBC's funding model is "completely outdated"


The corporation must also deliver 1,000 apprenticeships per year by 2025 and ensure that 30% of those are from low socio-economic groups.

In a statement, the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, said: "The mid-term review is built into our Charter. We welcome it and we will engage fully and constructively. We look forward to working with government and Ofcom."

Ms Dorries has previously said she wants to find a new funding model for the BBC before the current licence fee deal expires in 2027, as she says it is "completely outdated".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman said on Thursday: "The prime minister is firmly of the view that the BBC is a world-class broadcaster, but like other broadcasters one that needs to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×