BBC3 online in 18 months

Youth-skewing BBC3 is expected to move to its new online home in around 18 months, depending on the outcome of a public consultation from the BBC Trust.

BBC director general Tony Hall confirmed yesterday that the UK pubcaster plans to cease operating the brand as a linear broadcast channel but maintain it online. Such a move would first require the approval of the Trust, which oversees the broadcaster’s operations.

The future of the channel’s controller Zai Bennett has also been in the air but a BBC spokeswoman confirmed to C21 there has been no change to his position and added that speculation around his future moves were premature.

According to the corporation, the plan to axe BBC3, which has been widely expected, will save the BBC more than £50m (US$85.6m) a year – £30m of which will be pumped into new drama on flagship network BBC1.

BBC3 will be reinvented as a new and innovative online service, the organisation said, and will free up spectrum to extend CBBC by an hour a night and to provide a BBC1 +1 time-shifted service.

Hall, who said he expects to bring the changes into effect in the autumn of next year, has already paid tribute to Bennett and his team for bringing series such as Gavin & Stacey, Little Britain, Bad Education and Bluestone 42 to TV screens.