Hmm.
- Cancel BBC2 daytime programming and rebroadcast the BBC News channel during those hours.
- Essentially close down BBC Local Radio in England with just local breakfast and drivetime shows.
- Stop broadcasting Wimbledon and F1.
What do they all have in common? They’re surely not ideas that are being “flown” to see what the reaction is? I’ve no doubt that some executives have been told to think the unthinkable to save substantial cash.
What other ideas can we look forward to hearing floated in coming days? Close down Radio 3? Shutdown the iPlayer? Suspend the move to Salford? Close BBC3 and BBC4? Turn Radio 4 into a news only station? Cancel Eastenders? Abandon nature documentaries and lay-off Sir David?
Given that all of these have emerged within a week, there is obviously an ongoing process. I’m not convinced that any or all of these may happen. But that’s not to say that elements of some or all of them might not take place. Fewer daytime antiques shows, more networking within regions of BBC Local Radio, and even Wimbledon rights being shared with Sky (frankly I’m not bothered about F1 since it’s overarching ethos feels flawed to me).
But in meantime, what else is going to emerge.
Incidentally, I’m certainly not hoping for that above list to come true. Radio 3 is an indellible part of UK culture, and the iPlayer has bcome one. BBC 4 is perhaps my favourite TV channel, although BBC 3 could be closed down without much pain. Radio 4 as an all news channel would be unconscienable, and Eastenders is viewed by too many people to be cancelled. And those nature documentaries? Well unless the BBC is doing something horribly wrong, they should be profit centres and not costs with international sales, DVDs and books.