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'Linear TV' (broadcast TV) is dead and the BBC probably have known this for some time. The idea of a TV schedule feels antiquated today amid unprecedented on-de

'Linear TV' (broadcast TV) is dead and the BBC probably have known this for some time. The idea of a TV schedule feels antiquated today amid unprecedented on-demand content. On commercial streaming services, only prestige series (seasons) are released weekly, everything else gets a whole series released in one go. (The BBC already does this on iPlayer for some series.) It's worth remembering that the BBC is a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) and does vastly more than YouTube or Netflix. - News: the world's largest news organisation - TV: everything from drama to documentaries to kids programmes - Radio: national radio stations (covering every music genre + speech), 40+ local radio stations, and the World Service. - Kids TV: ad-free TV kids programmes with strict guidelines on commercial influences and product placement. - Education: massive educational content for schools (Bitesize) that has no commercial equivalent. (Who else other than BBC would launch the micro:bit project in schools with all the related educational resources to support it?) - Music: promotes new music artists, funds 5 orchestras, runs the world's largest classical music festival (the Proms). Provides live music festival coverage (Glastonbury, Leeds, Reading etc) - Accessibility: 100% of recorded programmes subtitled, + a proportion of audio-signed and signed programmes The list goes on. Even simply browsing the BBC news website is one of the few news websites in the UK that is ad-free (if you are outside the UK browsing the BBC website, you're probably seeing ads). Not all the above will disappear with a different funding model, but it's likely that the BBC will be slimmed down. (And that is something BBC critics will want to see happen.) Aside: Nadine Dorries is minister for 'Digital, Culture, Media and Sport' - the BBC falls under the remit of this department. Dorries didn't even know that Channel 4 (another PSB in the UK) does not receive any public funds (it is funded by advertising). When this was pointed out to her when facing other politicians, she babbled incoherently unable to admit her error. Make up you own mind about the calibre of this politician: https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/nadine-dorries-channel-4-public-service-broadcaster-302429/ https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/nadine-dorries-channe...

ur-whale 5y ago
If, as you say, they're so indispensable and useful, they should have zero worries making their money like everyone else instead of plundering the public by force, including those would don't want to consume what they produce.
dbbk 5y ago
This "linear TV is dead" mantra is just not true, and not supported by data. Linear TV is still extraordinarily popular in the UK across all age demographics. The most viewed shows last year got over 10m viewers. Young people watch Love Island live at huge numbers. You're not going to get an 80 year old binge watching Countryfile on Netflix. Not everyone wants to switch to that viewing model.
- open-source-ux 5y ago
  Good points. However, on-demand streaming has changed people expectations around content availability. A weekly show on linear TV makes sense when it's topical (e.g. Countryfile or news-related), if it's a reality contest with a finale (e.g. Love Island, The Apprentice) or a prestigious drama with cliff-hanger ending. Even the idea of TV channels makes little sense today unless those channels reflect a genre or theme (e.g. The Arts Channel or the Horror channel). I suspect most people in the UK would struggle to describe the purpose or differences between BBC channels. Streaming services (including iPlayer) reflect what probably makes sense to most people - the genre or theme of the programme. BBC linear channels are increasingly irrelevant.

ur-whale 5y ago

If, as you say, they're so indispensable and useful, they should have zero worries making their money like everyone else instead of plundering the public by force, including those would don't want to consume what they produce.

dbbk 5y ago

This "linear TV is dead" mantra is just not true, and not supported by data. Linear TV is still extraordinarily popular in the UK across all age demographics. The most viewed shows last year got over 10m viewers. Young people watch Love Island live at huge numbers. You're not going to get an 80 year old binge watching Countryfile on Netflix. Not everyone wants to switch to that viewing model.

open-source-ux 5y ago
Good points. However, on-demand streaming has changed people expectations around content availability. A weekly show on linear TV makes sense when it's topical (e.g. Countryfile or news-related), if it's a reality contest with a finale (e.g. Love Island, The Apprentice) or a prestigious drama with cliff-hanger ending. Even the idea of TV channels makes little sense today unless those channels reflect a genre or theme (e.g. The Arts Channel or the Horror channel). I suspect most people in the UK would struggle to describe the purpose or differences between BBC channels. Streaming services (including iPlayer) reflect what probably makes sense to most people - the genre or theme of the programme. BBC linear channels are increasingly irrelevant.