BBC4 to be cut by end of the year

[alywin]

So, coming up over the next few days: TOTP highlights on BBC2, and BBC4 reduced to showing a film (Educating Rita) which was shown only a few days ago on I think BBC1.

But never fear, because as of this Sunday there's a whole dance season coming up on BBC4. So that's all right, then ...

[LMcD]

Last year I made some work with a group of youngsters which was featured on a Radio 4 documentary and on Late Junction
when I said this was happening one of the questions was
"what's Radio 4"

BUT they loved LJ and the R4 programme

I'm a little surprised that they didn't say 'What's a radio?'. A few months ago, a BBC reporter asked teenagers to tune a radio to their favourite station. The results were - well let's say 'interesting'. Some of the interviewees actually had to be shown how to turn the radio on.

[Sir Velo]

So, coming up over the next few days: TOTP highlights on BBC2, and BBC4 reduced to showing a film (Educating Rita) which was shown only a few days ago on I think BBC1.

But never fear, because as of this Sunday there's a whole dance season coming up on BBC4. So that's all right, then ...

Absolutely. Either the top brass are deliberately running BBC 4 into the ground by churning out garbage or the station has completely lost its way. I think a number of contributors to this thread are seeing the channel through rose tinted specs as there has been little new programme making of merit on BBC4 for many a year.

It really is time that the licence fee was scrapped entirely and we had the choice of subscribing to those stations of our own preference. I totally resent paying £150 for a service I rarely use these days. As has been pointed out elsewhere, BBC management are obsessed with youth as one only has to glance at the shameful celeb and trivia biased output on the BBC news website and app to glean. I should advise that there is a reasonable back catalogue of "quality" BBC programmes available on youtube and indeed other programme makers are eschewing conventional TV for youtube as a platform for their work. The day of public service broadcasting has had its day and this is another final nail. Needless to say I won't be signing any petition!

[tim2017]

BBC Annual plan for 2020/21

https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/annualplan

Some snippets:

BBC Four will increase focus on bringing together collections of the most distinctive content
from the BBC’s rich archive. Arts will continue to be a centrepiece of Four as we carry on
showcasing Culture in Quarantine through this period. Outside the UK, we are exploring
potential commercial opportunities for BBC Four to become a new global subscription service
that takes our strengths in specialist factual to the world stage.

BBC Four intends to broadcast at least 60 hours of factual originated
programmes (subject to the impact of Covid-19 on production delivery)

[Dave2002]

It really is time that the licence fee was scrapped entirely and we had the choice of subscribing to those stations of our own preference. I totally resent paying £150 for a service I rarely use these days. !

I totally resent having to pay for the following services which we hardly ever use:

The whole of the education system: primary and secondary schools, universities. These only exist to give very many other people something to do. Not us.
The fire service, we don’t have cats to run up trees, and we haven’t burnt a house down in several years.
The ambulance service, I’ve not been in an ambulance for years.
Hospitals. We only get ill occasionally.
The police force. We don’t commit crimes, and the police seem unable to catch others who do.
The prison service - as we have never used it, though we have seen a show inside a prison, and also eaten inside a restaurant in a prison.
The courts services. See previous sentence.
Much of the road network. There are many roads we’re never going to drive along.
Social services. We’re antisocial.

I only want to pay for the services we actually use, so next time I assault a policemen I’ll pay to have myself incarcerated. Similarly for any other service I don’t currently use.

[MrGongGong]

I totally resent having to pay for the following services which we hardly ever use:

The whole of the education system: primary and secondary schools, universities. These only exist to give very many other people something to do. Not us.
The fire service, we don’t have cats to run up trees, and we haven’t burnt a house down in several years.
The ambulance service, I’ve not been in an ambulance for years.
Hospitals. We only get ill occasionally.
The police force. We don’t commit crimes, and the police seem unable to catch others who do.
The prison service - as we have never used it, though we have seen a show inside a prison, and also eaten inside a restaurant in a prison.
The courts services. See previous sentence.
Much of the road network. There are many roads we’re never going to drive along.
Social services. We’re antisocial.

I only want to pay for the services we actually use, so next time I assault a policemen I’ll pay to have myself incarcerated. Similarly for any other service I don’t currently use.

We don't want any your Communism here young man

[jayne lee wilson]

This was very diverting.... especially if you already knew the films.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yqk7d

....3 more episodes to come....

[oddoneout]

I enjoyed the Dazzling Duets hour this evening(and the equivalent solo offering last week), although the Domingo/Susan Graham slot felt slightly uncomfortable given what we now know about PD. As with last week's offering a wide range of music across several decades, yet again raising the question as to why so little (non-pop) music on mainstream TV.
In light of this thread's concerns it seemed singularly inappropriate for there to be a juicy promo slot for BBC4 after the programme...

[Count Boso]

BBC Four will increase focus on bringing together collections of the most distinctive content
from the BBC’s rich archive. Arts will continue to be a centrepiece of Four

A centrepiece? How many other centrepieces will it have?

[ardcarp]

Tonight's BBC4 schedule:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b

With the possible exception of the first item, was it really (from 8pm onwards) anything to do with the Arts? Discuss.

[Serial_Apologist]

Tonight's BBC4 schedule:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b

With the possible exception of the first item, was it really (from 8pm onwards) anything to do with the Arts? Discuss.

Stevie Wonder could have been - though my guess is that it probably just consisted of anecdotally associated stuff from the pop celebs listed in RT for both programmes. And they would of course have to put this on at the same time as a Later... with Jules Holland devoted to Dizzee Rascal, in a brilliant manifestation of like programmes clashing - which I ill-advisedly chose to watch, unfortunately...

[MrGongGong]

Tonight's BBC4 schedule:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b

With the possible exception of the first item, was it really (from 8pm onwards) anything to do with the Arts? Discuss.

All of those are
you might not "like" them
but that doesn't really mean they aren't Art

I don't "like" a certain piece by Elgar but it's still music

[ardcarp]

I thought some people might not agree. It's difficult to put into words; and I suppose popular culture is 'art' in a way. Perhaps there's no hope for me, but I'd just love a regular night on BBC4 to be pigeon-holed for...call it what you will...art-music, classical music, serious music. But I hate all the names. ' Classical' is period-specific. 'Art' smacks of elitism and 'Serious' is plainly wrong. Perhaps Music-That-This-Forum-Is-All-About describes it best? Anyway BBC4, please may we have more of it?

[MrGongGong]

I thought some people might not agree. It's difficult to put into words; and I suppose popular culture is 'art' in a way. Perhaps there's no hope for me, but I'd just love a regular night on BBC4 to be pigeon-holed for...call it what you will...art-music, classical music, serious music. But I hate all the names. ' Classical' is period-specific. 'Art' smacks of elitism and 'Serious' is plainly wrong. Perhaps Music-That-This-Forum-Is-All-About describes it best? Anyway BBC4, please may we have more of it?

It is a particularly dull evening on BBC4
as is most weekends
but there's still much to find IMV

[teamsaint]

I like the places where we and others meet, musically, arriving from different places. They are creative, illuminating, good places.Pigeonholing is a very good way of stopping this happening, I suspect.

Grace Jones might easily be seen as Art Song, IMO. but it is just a label, and not the substance.