Some BBC Channels May Have to Close
He explained: “We might have some channels and services where maybe 100,000 people are watching the broadcast service but 500,000 are getting those programmes on iPlayer.
“When’s the right time to migrate that service fully to being on-demand? And part of my job is to safeguard value for money for the licence fee payer.”
The BBC should go “in different ways to reach audiences and we’re locked into yesterday’s model of how people consume content, and actually the audience is always already living in tomorrow’s world”, he said.
In recent months, the BBC has announced a series of closures of jobs and programmes including Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, Live At The Apollo and Football Focus, and further cuts are expected..
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The BBC’s comments highlight how quickly audience behaviour is shifting, with many viewers choosing iPlayer over traditional broadcast channels. This change places pressure on the corporation to rethink how it delivers content and how long certain services should remain in their current form. The question of when to migrate a channel fully to on‑demand viewing reflects a broader challenge facing public service broadcasters: adapting legacy structures to meet modern expectations while still providing value for licence fee payers. Recent programme closures, including Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, Live At The Apollo and Football Focus, signal a strategic shift toward digital‑first priorities. As the BBC navigates this transition, it must balance innovation with accessibility, ensuring that audiences who rely on broadcast services are not left behind. The evolving landscape demands careful decisions that preserve the BBC’s mission while embracing tomorrow’s viewing habits.
These developments also raise important questions about representation, regional access and the future of shared national programming. While digital platforms offer flexibility and convenience, they can create challenges for viewers who depend on traditional broadcast channels, particularly in areas with limited connectivity or among audiences less comfortable with streaming technology. The BBC must modernise without excluding those who rely on its most established services. At the same time, the shift toward on‑demand viewing presents opportunities to diversify content, reach younger audiences and experiment with formats that thrive online. As further cuts and restructures are anticipated, the debate around the BBC’s future will intensify, drawing attention to how public service broadcasters can remain relevant in a fragmented media environment. The decisions made now will shape the corporation’s identity and influence how UK broadcasting evolves in the years ahead.
