Bye Bye BBC Three

I’ve had to rig up my son’s TV this week so that he can use the iPlayer on it. I’d suggested this to him before as I have been rather concerned at him squinting at his phone and/or tablet watching streaming TV but he has actually gone for it this week as BBC Three is no more – at least it is no longer a terrestrial broadcast channel and is now an online only entity as, apparently, young people no longer watch television. Well my son did and his broadcast channel of preference was BBC Three.

BBC Three was never, exactly, my cup of tea but I do think it has had more of its fair share of good quality original comedy and documentaries and, importantly, I think it does appeal to that nomadic tribe of the population that are too old for children’s television but not old enough to satisfy themselves with arts documentaries and period dramas. The BBC is probably right in determining that the future for television is as an online streamed entity but giving up on the terrestrial broadcast channel like this is akin to the footwear salesman arriving at a village in the developing world and despairing because none of the locals are wearing shoes.

I suspect that part of the problem here is that TV executives don’t actually know what appeals to young people. I can recall when I was at a similar age to my son that programmes were made for the “yoof” TV audience by the likes of Janet Street-Porter (although she was possibly a bit later). I can recall watching these programmes but not particularly enjoying them as they appeared trashy, poorly made and, above all, highly patronising with their assumption that their target audience were half-witted, poorly-educated troglodytes. At its best BBC Three did connect with its audience but if they can’t count the viewers it is assumed that they don’t exist.

In the next few years we will see much more TV go online only with the broadcast channels merely a hook to advertise the premium streaming services. From a broadcasters point of view it must be the way to go: either by requiring an up-front subscription or by finally finding a way to force the viewer to watch advertising. They will also know exactly who is watching and will be able to sell this information on to whoever is willing to pay – be it advertisers, product placers or shady men in dark suits.

I suppose what I really miss with all this, and what marked the golden age of television, is that television was once a grand shared experience. The Royle Family slouched around the TV chatting aimlessly may have been an amusing stereotype but once it was a glue that brought both families and nations together. That time, I’m sorry to say, is passing with the generations.