BBC 3
| BBC Three | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 9 February 2003 |
| Closed | 16 February 2016 31 March 2016 (Stopped broadcasting completely on this day) |
| Owned by | BBC |
| Picture format | 576i (16:9 SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audience share | 1.16% (September 2015, BARB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Replaced | BBC Choice |
| Replaced by | BBC Three (online) |
| Website | www |
BBC Three was a British television channel operated by the BBC. Launched on 9 February 2003 as a replacement for BBC Choice, the service's remit was to provide "innovative" programming to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old, leveraging technology as well as new talent.
Unlike its commercial rivals, 90% of BBC Three's output was from the United Kingdom. 70% was original, covering all genres, including animation, comedy, current affairs, and drama. BBC Three had a unique 60 Seconds format for its news bulletins, adopted so that operation of the channel could be completely automated, without the complication of dealing with variable length live news broadcasts. The former controller of the station, Zai Bennett, left to join Sky Atlantic in July 2014, at which point BBC Three commissioner Sam Bickley became acting controller.
Until February 2016, the network broadcast on Freeview, digital cable, IPTV and Satellite television platforms, and was on-air from 7 pm to around 4 am each night to share terrestrial television bandwidth with CBBC. In March 2014, as a result of a planned £100 million budget cut across the BBC, it was proposed that BBC Three be discontinued as a television service, and be converted to an over-the-top internet television service with a smaller programming budget and a focus on short-form productions. Despite significant public opposition, the proposal was provisionally approved by the BBC Trust in June 2015, with a new consultation open until 30 September of that year. The closure was confirmed in November 2015, with the TV channel ceasing operations on 16 February 2016, and replaced by an online-only version. The BBC Three TV signal was switched off in the early hours of 31 March 2016.
...
Wikipedia