BBC to close CBBC, BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra as linear channels

The BBC has announced that CBBC, BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra will stop being broadcast as linear channels.

The news comes as part of a plan to shake up the organisation, with the aim to create “a modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation that drives the most value from the licence fee”.

BBC World News and BBC News Channel are also set to merge to become one channel, simply titled BBC News.

Director-General Tim Davie told staff on Thursday (26 May) of the organisation’s need to reform to stay relevant and continue to provide great value for its users.

“When I took this job I said that we needed to fight for something important: public service content and services, freely available universally, for the good of all,” he said.

“This fight is intensifying, the stakes are high.”

Davie confirmed that although the changes to the channels won’t happen for the next three years, the plan to move them off linear television is in place for the future.

BBC London headquarters (PA) (PA Wire)

Other changes noted in the press release include plans for new on-demand content and formats for news and current affairs, organising for some of World Service languages to be digital-only.

Furthermore, there are plans to stop scheduling separate content for Radio 4 Long Wave, ahead of the Long Wave platform altogether.