Should CBBC be moved from live TV? DEDICATED CHANNEL
People are unhappy with plans to move the channel online.
What you need to know CBBC, short for Children’s BBC, launched in 2002 as a free channel showing programmes for those aged between six and 17. Its much-loved programmes include and
CTim Davie, the head of the BBC, has announced that CBBC will become online-only, but the change won’t happen for at least another three years.
The move is to cut costs because of changes to the annual licence fee, the BBC’s main source of funding.
Davie said moving channels online would also help the BBC to “change in step with the modern world”.
BBC shows like and have entertained and informed millions of young people in the UK, but in a few years they will only be available online. The head of the BBC, Tim Davie, has announced that CBBC and some other channels will be removed from live TV. He said that the changes would help the BBC adapt to the digital streaming age. It will also be cheaper, and the BBC needs to save money. The Government announced in January that the cost of a TV licence (money that most people who watch TV live or online have to pay), which is where the BBC gets most of its money, won’t go up for two years. What do you think? Is having a CBBC TV channel a bit old-fashioned or is it too special to lose?
Yes – live TV is a thing of the past
Older generations might moan about the loss of something they used to love but the fact is that today’s young people just aren’t into live TV. There are so many streaming options out there now, such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV, that it’s no wonder CBBC’s live viewing figures are going down. Moving online is crucial if the BBC is to compete with these streaming platforms and to avoid running out of money. Whether you agree with the Government’s decision or not, the cuts have to be made. It makes sense to do that in a way that doesn’t affect services that lots of people use. CBBC will keep making the programmes that everyone loves – they’ll just be available in a slightly different form. but it in 1985, started
CBBC channel its own didn’t get then – before until 2002 were on its shows
BBC One.
No – not everyone can afford the internet
Moving channels online doesn’t work, as the case of BBC Three has recently shown – this channel for 16 to 34-year-olds was made online-only in 2016, but then the BBC realised its mistake and brought it back to live TV earlier this year. Removing CBBC from live TV means losing its unique identity and the way a live show brings people together at the same time. And what about the families that can’t access iPlayer? Not everyone can afford to pay for internet access. When schools closed during lockdown, it was CBBC that broadcast educational programmes to help children who couldn’t access online lessons. Removing CBBC from live TV isn’t modernising – it’s a step backwards. Brilliant services like CBBC should be protected.