Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Not Addressed
Reversal of BBC Three's digital-only move highlights risks of premature switchover.
Conclusion
BBC Three was taken off air as a traditional linear broadcast channel and was made an internet-only channel in 2016. Six years later that decision was reversed on the grounds of it having reduced the BBC’s impact with younger audiences, particularly those who still watched broadcast TV.11 We raised this, and the BBC acknowledged that “We went a bit early” and that while it might be easy to go to digital, “you can go to digital and be a lot smaller quite fast”.12
Government Response Summary
The government states that the BBC will write directly to the Committee regarding the recommendations in the report, without addressing this specific conclusion about BBC Three.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Committee published its report on 28 April 2023 and the BBC will write directly to the Committee regarding the recommendations in the report.