BBC Four

British television channel

"BBC4" redirects here. For the BBC radio stations, see BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Not to be confused with Channel 4.

Television channel

BBC Four

Logo used since 2021

Country| United Kingdom
Broadcast area|

* United Kingdom
* Isle of Man
* Channel Islands

Network| BBC Television
Headquarters| London, England
Programming
Language(s)| English
Picture format| 1080i/1080p[a] HDTV
(downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner| BBC
Sister channels| BBC One
BBC Two
BBC Three
BBC News
BBC Parliament
CBBC
CBeebies
BBC Scotland
BBC Alba
History
Launched| 2 March 2002; 23 years ago (2002-03-02)
Replaced| BBC Knowledge
Links
Website| bbc.co.uk/bbcfour
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview (UK)| Channel 9 (SD; 24 in Scot)
Channel 106 (HD)
Streaming media
BBC iPlayer| Watch live (UK only)
Virgin TV Anywhere| Watch live (Ireland only)

BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002[1] and shows a wide variety of programmes including arts, documentaries, music, international film and drama, and current affairs.[2] It is required by its licence to air at least 100 hours of new arts and music programmes, 110 hours of new factual programmes, and to premiere twenty foreign films each year.[3][4] The channel broadcasts daily from 7:00 pm to 4:00 am, timesharing with CBeebies (which starts at 6:00 am).[5]

## History

[edit]

Logo used from 2002 to 2021

BBC Four launched on 2 March 2002 at 7:00 pm GMT, having been delayed from the original planned 2001 launch. BBC Four began as a late schedule for BBC Two, before it received its own channel, along with BBC Three. BBC Four was launched before BBC Three as a result of the government delaying approval for the latter. The channel replaced BBC Knowledge, an educational and cultural channel that had undergone many changes throughout its lifetime; in its final format it carried a schedule of documentaries and art programming, essentially a test of the new BBC Four schedule. It was rebranded as part of BBC Four, aligning it with the existing BBC One and Two brands. Planning for the new channel, along with the new BBC Three, had been in progress since October 2000; however, the incumbent government delayed approving the new BBC digital plans. The BBC Four plans were approved earlier, and as a result launched before BBC Three.

BBC Four was different from the old BBC Knowledge: the channel would be more heavily promoted with more new and original programming and the channel would not be broadcast 24 hours a day. This was because on the Freeview digital terrestrial platform, BBC Four is broadcast in a statistically multiplexed stream in Multiplex B that timeshares with the CBeebies channel (which is on air from 06:00 until 19:00). As a result, BBC Four broadcasts from 19:00 to around 04:00 each night, with an hour's down-time and promotions for CBeebies before the start of that channel's schedule.

On 12 May 2011, BBC Four was added to the Sky EPG in the Republic of Ireland on channel 230. It later moved to EPG 211 to free up space for new channels.[6] It later moved to channel 143 on 1 May 2018 to sit beside the Northern Irish versions of BBC One and BBC Two there, and the 200s being used for +1 channels.[7]

On 17 August 2018, BBC Four announced BBC 4.1, a special two nights of programming which would revolve around artificial intelligence (AI) selecting the programmes broadcast on the channel, based on "what BBC Four audiences might like, based on the channel's previous schedules and programme attributes." It would then "[rank] programmes it thought were most relevant [to what BBC Four viewers would like]."[8] The programming was aired on the nights of 4 and 5 September 2018.[9] This included a few special programmes about AI,[10] such as "Made by Machine: When AI Met The Archive", which documented how the AI works,[8] and "The Joy of AI", where "the emergence of machine learning" is discussed, as well as "why AI shouldn't spook us".[11][12]

On 19 February 2019, Virgin Media stopped providing BBC Four in standard definition.[13]

Due to the launch of BBC Scotland on 24 February 2019, BBC Four has been on a higher Freeview EPG number in Scotland than elsewhere, moving to 82 to make room for BBC Scotland. Following eventual closures, it moved to channel 75 there, and later to channel 68, and eventually channel 55.[14] On 4 November 2020, due to Ofcom proposals regarding certain PSB channels requiring greater prominence on each UK TV provider's channel listing, BBC Four moved to channel 24 in Scotland, while every channel from that number (ITV4) to channel 54 (5Select) moved up one place.[15]

In May 2020, the BBC submitted its annual general plan for 2020–21, which included a proposal for BBC Two to supplant BBC Four as its main outlet for specialist programmes. Under the plan, BBC Four would cease originating new programmes, and become a service showcasing the BBC's "rich archive". The plan also included the possibility of the BBC expanding BBC Four into a global brand, to "[take] our strengths in specialist factual to the world stage."[16][17][18]

On 26 May 2022, the BBC announced plans to discontinue BBC Four as a broadcast channel within "the next few years", as part of plans to streamline and modify services to create a "digital-first" BBC.[19][20][21] In March 2023, it was reported that the BBC was considering a reversal of the decision, citing its viewership and low cost of operation, and concerns that the relaunch of BBC Three as a linear channel had not been successful: the aforementioned cuts to original programming had reduced its budget by half in comparison to 2017, and the channel's reach in February 2023 was 15.8 million—which was 50% higher than BBC Three in the same month.[22]

## Organisation

[edit]

The channel direction is determined by the channel's remit, set by royal charter and the corporation's governing body (the BBC Board), and by the channel controller. In October 2013, following the departure of Richard Klein from the controllership, the management of the channel changed, with the role of Controller of BBC Four scrapped: from this point the Controller of BBC Two would have ultimate oversight of BBC Four as part of their role, absorbing some of the former duties of the Controller of BBC Four, but a new 'Channel Editor' post, reporting up to this controller, would be created to take day-to-day charge of Four. The controllers of BBC Four from 2002 to 2016 have been:

* 2002–2004: Roly Keating
* 2004–2008: Janice Hadlow[23]
* 2008–2013: Richard Klein[24]
* 2013–2014: Janice Hadlow (as Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four) "on an interim basis"[25] – Hadlow had been Controller of BBC Two since departing BBC Four in 2008
* Early 2014: Adam Barker (interim Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four following Janice Hadlow's departure to a new post)[26]
* 2014–2016: Kim Shillinglaw (as Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four)[27]

Channel Editors of BBC Four have been:

* 2013–present: Cassian Harrison[28]

As of 2011[update], BBC Four had an annual budget of £54.3 million.[3]

On 20 January 2016, Kim Shillinglaw announced that she had decided to leave the BBC as the Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four. As a result of the reorganisation, the post of BBC Two and Four control had closed after her departure later that year.[29]

## BBC Four HD

[edit]

BBC Four HD logo (2013–2021)

On 16 July 2013, the BBC announced that a high-definition (HD) simulcast of BBC Four would be launched by early 2014.[30] The channel launched on 10 December 2013 at 18:58 GMT, and rolled out nationwide up to June 2014 (as did BBC News HD, CBBC HD and CBeebies HD).[31] The channel shares its stream with CBeebies HD, as they both air at different times. In June 2022, BBC Four HD moved from the COM7 multiplex on Freeview to Multiplex B due to the closure of COM7 for spectrum reallocation; this move allows the service to reach nearly the entirety of the UK.[32][33]

Prior to launch, the majority of BBC Four's HD output was broadcast on the BBC HD channel, before its closure on 26 March 2013. In 2017, BBC Four HD, along with CBBC HD and CBeebies HD, launched in Ireland.

## Programming

[edit]

Main article: List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC

> BBC Four's primary role is to reflect a range of UK and international arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative, high quality programming that is intellectually and culturally enriching, taking an expert and in-depth approach to a wide range of subjects.

— BBC Four Remit

BBC Four share of viewing 2002-2013 BARB figures

The first evening's BBC Four programmes were simulcast on BBC Two,[1] with the first programme being The Man Who Destroyed Everything, a documentary about conceptual artist Michael Landy and his installation Break Down.[34] BBC Four was also notable for first showing Larry David's Seinfeld follow-up, Curb Your Enthusiasm,[35] Armando Iannucci's cutting political satire, The Thick of It, The Chaser's War on Everything, Flight of the Conchords, Mad Men and Danish thriller The Killing.

The channel broadcasts a mixture of art and science documentaries, vintage drama (including many rare black-and-white programmes), and non-English-language productions such as films from the Artificial Eye catalogue, the French thriller Spiral and the Swedish detective series Wallander.[36] BBC Four further supports foreign-language films with its annual World Cinema Award which has been running since 2004.

From the channel's launch in 2002 until the middle of 2020, BBC Four broadcast a global news bulletin on weeknights. Originally this was the BBC Four News presented initially by George Alagiah, which ran at 8pm. It was rebranded in January 2004 as The World, and was axed in May 2007, replaced the following week by World News Today, in a new 7pm timeslot. More recently BBC Four moved news programmes to 7pm with a simulcast of Beyond 100 Days Monday–Thursday and an edition of World News Today on Fridays which was produced by BBC World News. As of autumn 2020, BBC Four no longer broadcasts a news bulletin.

It screens a number of documentaries such as The Century of the Self and The Trials of Henry Kissinger. The channel is also home to many political travel shows such as Holidays in the Axis of Evil which features investigative journalism.

Drama has given the channel some of its most popular programmes, with The Alan Clark Diaries (2003) and Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (2006) being among the highest rated, with over 800,000 viewers. The highly acclaimed Hattie, broadcast in 2011, holds the record for BBC Four's best ever consolidated ratings, of 2m / 8%.[37] Before that The Curse of Steptoe brought the channel its highest audience figures, estimated as 1.41 million viewers, a 7% share of multichannel audiences between 21:00 and 22:05, based on overnight returns.[38] The official audience figures for the broadcast, including time-shifting, were later published as 1,625,000.[39]

Another notable production was a live re-make of the 1953 science-fiction serial The Quatermass Experiment, adapted from the original scripts into a single, two-hour version (though on the night it underran considerably, lasting less than 1 hour 40 minutes), broadcast on the evening of Saturday 2 April 2005. Discounting BBC Four's previous live relays of theatrical William Shakespeare productions, this was the first live made-for-television drama to be broadcast by the BBC for twenty years.[citation needed]

Another notable programme broadcast on BBC Four is Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe which contains reviews of current shows, as well as stories and commentary on how television is produced. The show is presented by broadcaster Charlie Brooker. The show was very successful and spawned several spin-offs such as Newswipe with Charlie Brooker, Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe and Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe.

The channel is also curator and leader of the BBC Archive project whose aim is that the BBC's television archive is re-broadcast as much as appropriate so that the Archive can be enjoyed again and not isolated.[40]

Some output from BBC Four (documentaries rather than foreign films) was for a time repeated on BBC Two in a 'BBC Four on Two' branded area, although this was often in a late night broadcast slot after Newsnight and has since been discontinued.

According to BARB the comedy panel game QI has the highest ratings of any show on BBC Four.[41]

At the Edinburgh International Television Festival, BBC Four won the Non-Terrestrial Channel of the Year award in 2004, 2006 and 2012.

In 2012 Dirk Gently became the first continuing drama series produced for the channel.[42]

During the period when BBC Three was not broadcasting as a linear TV channel, BBC Four was occasionally used to show live sports coverage. The channel aired games from the UEFA Euro 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup football tournaments when the final round of matches in the group stages took place (when matches in each group kick-off simultaneously). It has also been used to broadcast England women's football matches, as well as some matches from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. It also temporarily extended its broadcast hours to show live action from the 2016 Summer Olympics.[43]

As of 2023, BBC Four schedules still feature music programming (such as Top of the Pops and Neil Brand's documentaries) on a Friday night,[44] with drama imports on a Saturday (but not always foreign-language productions like Italian crime drama Inspector Montalbano)[45][46] and usually an hour of 'archive' programmes (such as those by Bob Ross[47] and Fred Dibnah)[48][49][50] starting off the weekday schedule at 7pm. As well as programmes from the 1980s and 1990s, this early evening slot gives a chance for regional programmes to get a national airing with Cy Chadwick's Walking with... productions and Gareth Edwards's Great Welsh Adventure (from BBC Wales) getting a repeat here and then again late night.[51][52] In addition to these programmes, many hour long regional documentaries such as BBC Scotland's Rigs of Nigg,[53][54][55][56][57] about the 1970s North Sea oil drilling platform construction industry based around the Cromarty Firth, also received their national debut on the channel.

On 9 April 2021, BBC Four was suspended due to the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in order to preserve bandwidth for the broadcast of news coverage and tribute programming on BBC One and Two.[58][59][60] This was done for the same reasons after the death of Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022.[60][61]

## Programmes

[edit]

### Original programmes

[edit]

* The Art of Cornwall
* The Ballad of Mott the Hoople
* BBC Four News
* BBC Four Sessions
* Beyond 100 Days (simulcast on BBC Four, BBC News and BBC World News; Previously 100 Days (January – April 2017), 100 Days + (May – July 2017)
* Birds Britania
* Britain by Bike
* Britain's Best Drives
* Britain's Lost Masterpieces
* Can Eating Insects Save the World
* Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe
* Children's TV on Trial
* Churches: How To Read Them
* The Curse of Steptoe
* Detectorists
* Dinosaurs, Myths and Monsters
* Dirk Gently
* Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency
* The First World War
* Frankenstein: Birth of a Monster
* Free Will and Testament: The Robert Wyatt Story
* Goodbye BBC Television Centre
* The Great War
* Hattie
* H. G. Wells: War with the World
* Hinterland/Y Gwyll (Joint BBC / S4C production, English-language version)
* Hive Minds
* How to Build a Dinosaur
* If Walls Could Talk
* Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City
* Music for Misfits: The Story of Indie
* Only Connect
* Racing at the BBC
* Sandhurst
* The Secret Life of Ice
* Shock and Awe: The Life of Electricity
* Singer-Songwriters at the BBC
* Sings the...
* The Life of Rock with Brian Pern
* The Story of Musicals
* The Story of the National Grid
* Survivors: Nature's Indestructible Creatures
* Tales of Television Centre
* Talking Children
* Timeshift
* Twenty Twelve
* To Kill a Mockingbird at 50
* Walter's War
* We Need Answers
* World News Today (simulcast on BBC Four and BBC World News, previously World News Today with Zeinab Badawi)
* A Very British History

### Imports

[edit]

* Arne Dahl
* Borgen
* The Bridge
* Hostages
* Inspector De Luca
* Inspector Montalbano
* The Joy of Painting
* The Killing
* Minuscule
* The Money
* Salamander
* Spiral
* Trapped
* Wallander

### Domestic repeats

[edit]

* Africa
* All Creatures Great and Small
* Batman
* The Bear Family and Me
* Between the Lines
* Blackadder
* Blue Peter (Classics only)
* The Blue Planet
* Boys from the Blackstuff
* Butterflies
* Casualty 1906
* Casualty 1907
* Civilisation
* Climbing Great Buildings
* Cranford
* Doctor Who (1963–89)
* Ever Decreasing Circles
* Fawlty Towers
* The Frozen Planet
* The Good Life
* The Good Old Days
* Great British Railway Journeys
* A House Through Time
* I, Claudius
* Juliet Bravo
* Last of the Summer Wine
* Life
* The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
* The Life of Mammals
* The Likely Lads
* Monty Python's Flying Circus
* No Place Like Home
* Not in Front of the Children
* The Onedin Line
* One Foot in the Grave
* Our Friends in the North
* Outnumbered
* Peaky Blinders (Series 1-4, 6)
* Parkinson
* Planet Earth
* Porridge
* Pride and Prejudice
* The Sky at Night
* Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
* Sorry!
* Steptoe and Son
* Sykes
* Talking Pictures
* This Life
* The Two Ronnies Sketchbook
* Waking the Dead
* Walking with Beasts
* Walking with Dinosaurs
* War Walks
* Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
* Yes Minister
* Yes, Prime Minister
* The Young Ones

### Music concerts

[edit]

* BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (from 2016)
* Coldplay Live
* David Gilmour Live in Gdansk (part of David Gilmour Night)
* Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals (2016–2021)
* Madness Live (part of Goodbye Television Centre)
* Queen 1975 Live
* Glastonbury Festival
* Madonna Rebel Heart Tour

### Music programming

[edit]

* ...at the BBC (an original hour long music compilation usually featuring performances from various BBC TV shows, with bands like ABBA, genres like disco and acts from record labels such as Motown and Island featured)[62][63][64][65]
* The Old Grey Whistle Test
* The Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand[66][67] (documentary series)
* The Sound of TV with Neil Brand[68] (documentary series)
* Top of the Pops (episodes repeated each week from BBC One, with the run continuing from 1976 to 1998 as of July 2025)
* Top of the Pops: The Story of... (an original hour long year-by-year documentary on BBC Four, also shown on BBC Two/UKTV Yesterday in an edited 45 minute version)[69]
* Top of the Pops: Big Hits (an original hour long year-by-year compilation featuring performances from the show with added on-screen facts, also shown on BBC Two)[70]
* Top of the Pops: Big Hits 1964 to 1975 (a 90-minute version of the Big Hits format featuring early hits from the show, also shown on UKTV's Yesterday channel)[71][72]

### Classics (shown in 2007, 2015 and 2022)

[edit]

* The Avengers
* Blue Peter
* ChuckleVision
* Clangers
* Grange Hill
* The Magic Roundabout
* Newsround
* Play School
* Teletubbies

### Most watched programmes

[edit]

The following is a list of the ten most watched broadcasts on BBC Four since launch, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB.[73] Number of viewers does not include repeats.

Rank | Programme | Number of Viewers | Date

|
|
|

1 | The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal | 2,378,000 | 3 June 2018
2 | Threads (1984) | 2,300,000 | 9 October 2024
3 | Hattie | 2,005,000 | 19 January 2009
4 | The Bridge | 1,810,000 | 21 November 2015
5 | Snooker: 2020 World Championship | 1,738,500 | 14 August 2020
6 | Detectorists | 1,687,000 | 8 November 2017
7 | Roots | 1,659,000 | 8 February 2017
8 | The Curse of Steptoe | 1,625,000 | 19 March 2008
9 | The Bridge | 1,620,000 | 1 February 2014
10 | Detectorists | 1,593,000 | 22 November 2017

## Availability outside the UK

[edit]

BBC Four is widely available on cable, IPTV and digital satellite television in the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The channel is registered to broadcast within the European Union/EEA through the Luxembourg Broadcasting Regulator – ALIA.[74][75]

## Presentation

[edit]

Main articles: BBC Four idents and History of BBC television idents

The channel's initial series of idents were generated dynamically reflecting the frequencies of the continuity announcers' voice or of backing music and were designed by Lambie-Nairn. As a result, no two idents were ever the same. The first continuity announcer was Zeb Soanes.

When the channel first started airing, it used the slogan "Everybody Needs A Place To Think", but the BBC stopped using this several months after the launch. However the BBC Four logo and above slogan can be found, engraved on benches along the South Bank in London, between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge.

On 10 September 2005, the channel began showing new idents comprising a central BBC Four logo surrounded by four quadrants which show different stages of the same footage thus making for a sort of optical illusion; for example, a swimming pool where a person on an inflatable ring appears in the bottom-left corner, though ripples don't enter the remaining quarters. Although the image appears as one at the start of the ident, by the end it is clearly four separate images. These were the longest-running idents ever used by the BBC - they lasted until the channel's rebrand in 2021, however, the "quadrants" theme continues to this day.

In March 2019, BBC Four added several new idents inspired by "oddly satisfying videos" in tandem with the quadrants theme, originally premiering for a programme season honouring the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web.

## See also

[edit]

* List of documentary television channels
* BBC Four World Cinema Awards
* List of television channels in the United Kingdom

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 1080p25 sometimes only on Freeview

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Culture, controversy and cutting edge documentary: BBC FOUR prepares to launch", BBC Press Office, 14 February 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
2. ^ "BBC Four – FAQ". Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
3. ^ a b BBC Four Service Licence. Issued February 2011 Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 7 October 2011. Published by the BBC Trust.
4. ^ BBC Four Service Licence. Issued May 2009 Archived 1 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 12 March 2010
5. ^ "TV Guide & Listings | Radio Times". Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
6. ^ "Ireland: Extra BBC channels being added to Sky EPG". The Airwaves. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011.
7. ^ "Sky completes biggest channel reshuffle – a516digital". a516digital. 1 May 2018.[permanent dead link]
8. ^ a b "BBC Four announces experimental AI and archive programming". BBC Media Centre. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
9. ^ Sherwin, Adam (17 August 2018). "AI to create BBC channel schedule and new programmes in technology trial". i News. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
10. ^ "AI TV on BBC 4.1". BBC. 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
11. ^ Bickerton, Jake (20 August 2018). "BBC 4 turns to AI to create two nights of programming about AI". Broadcast. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
12. ^ "BBC Four – The Joy of AI". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
13. ^ "Virgin Media to move BBC HD channels to prime EPG slots". Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
14. ^ "Why BBC Four is moving channels AGAIN on Scottish Freeview..." Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
15. ^ "Revised rules on the allocation of LCNs to public service channels - Freeview". 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
16. ^ "Global ambitions for BBC Four; changes for BBC Two". RXTVlog. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.[permanent dead link]
17. ^ Kanter, Jake (20 May 2020). "BBC Eyes Plan To Make BBC Four A Global Subscription Service". Deadline. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
18. ^ "BBC - Annual Plan - record-breaking performance but challenges ahead - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
19. ^ "BBC to move CBBC and BBC Four online". BBC News. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
20. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (26 May 2022). "BBC To Close CBBC & BBC Four As Linear Channels; 1,000 Jobs At Risk As Public Broadcaster Begins Its "Digital First" Push". Deadline. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
21. ^ "Plan to deliver a digital first BBC". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
22. ^ Goldbart, Jake Kanter, Max; Kanter, Jake; Goldbart, Max (31 March 2023). "BBC Considers U-Turn On Closing BBC4". Deadline. Retrieved 31 March 2023.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
23. ^ "Janice Hadlow to be new Controller of BBC Two" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
24. ^ "Richard Klein named new Controller of BBC Four" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
25. ^ "Richard Klein, Former Controller, BBC Four – Inside the BBC". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
26. ^ "Adam Barker Appointed Acting Controller of BBC Two & BBC Four". TVWise. 19 February 2014.
27. ^ "Kim Shillinglaw Named BBC Two & BBC Four Controller". TVWise. 11 April 2014.
28. ^ "Cassian Harrison appointed as Channel Editor, BBC Four – Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
29. ^ "BBC – Strategic reorganisation of BBC TV sees Charlotte Moore appointed Controller, TV Channels and iPlayer – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
30. ^ "BBC to launch five new HD channels". BBC News. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
31. ^ "BBC to launch five new subscription-free HD channels on Tuesday 10 December". BBC. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
32. ^ Newsdesk1, RXTV (23 June 2022). "Two days of Freeview retuning: your guide to all the changes". RXTV info. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
33. ^ "BBC Freeview changes: BBC Four HD reprieved for now; gets wider coverage". RXTV info. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
34. ^ "The Man Who Destroyed Everything". BBC Four. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
35. ^ Burrell, Ian (15 February 2010). "Watch and learn: BBC Four's success is a sign that Britain is regaining a hunger for intelligent broadcasting". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
36. ^ "BBC Four – Wallander". BBC.
37. ^ "Chris Curtis on Twitter". Twitter. Editor, Broadcast. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
38. ^ "BBC4 breaks ratings record", The Guardian (London), 19 March 2008
39. ^ BARB multichannel top ten, BBC Four, week ending 23 March 2008
40. ^ Klein, Richard, Ten Years of BBC Four About the BBC Blog, BBC, Last accessed 3 March 2012
41. ^ "Analysis of BARB audience figures". QI. BBC. Archived from the original on 17 March 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
42. ^ "Dirk Gently to return to BBC Four". BBC. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
43. ^ "BBC Four to be converted to a sports channel in August". a516digital. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
44. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guide/bbcfour/20210205 [dead link]
45. ^ "Inspector Montalbano - Love". Retrieved 2 July 2022 - via www.bbc.co.uk.
46. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guide/bbcfour/20210206 [dead link]
47. ^ "The Joy of Painting - Series 2: 5. Secluded Forest". Retrieved 2 July 2022 - via www.bbc.co.uk.
48. ^ "Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain, A Lifetime's Achievement (Part 2)". BBC. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
49. ^ "Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone, The Industrial Landscape". BBC. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
50. ^ "BBC iPlayer - BBC Four Guide - Mon Feb 08 2021". Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
51. ^ "BBC One - Gareth Edwards's Great Welsh Adventure". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
52. ^ "BBC One - Gareth Edwards's Great Welsh Adventure, Series 1, Episode 3".
53. ^ "Rigs of Nigg". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
54. ^ "Rigs of Nigg Archives". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
55. ^ "Rigs of Nigg BBC Show to Air Next Week".
56. ^ "BBC Scotland - Rigs of Nigg".
57. ^ Chrystall, Margaret (14 August 2021). "Rigs of Nigg: Heady days of tough work and hard living that set up some for life". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
58. ^ Kanter, Jake (9 April 2021). "Prince Philip's Death: How The BBC & Other British Broadcasters Responded". Deadline. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
59. ^ "Broadcasters change TV schedules to air tributes to Prince Philip following his death". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
60. ^ a b Newsdesk1, RXTV (8 September 2022). "UK channels suspend broadcasts following Queen's death > RXTV info". RXTV info. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
61. ^ Newsdesk1, RXTV (9 September 2022). "Recordings may fail as schedules continue to change > RXTV info". RXTV info. Retrieved 31 March 2023.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
62. ^ "Motown at the BBC". BBC Four. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
63. ^ "ABBA at the BBC". BBC. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
64. ^ "Island at the BBC". BBC Four. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
65. ^ "Disco at the BBC | Yesterday Channel". yesterday.uktv.co.uk.
66. ^ "Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand, Seasons of Love". BBC. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
67. ^ "List of programmes". BBC. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
68. ^ "The Sound of TV with Neil Brand". BBC. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
69. ^ "Top of the Pops, The Story of 1989". BBC One. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
70. ^ "Top of the Pops, Big Hits 1989". BBC One. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
71. ^ "Top of the Pops, 1964 to 1975 - Big Hits". BBC One. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
72. ^ "Yesterday Channel". yesterday.uktv.co.uk.
73. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Barb.co.uk. 22 October 2017.
74. ^ "Supervisory activities". www.alia.lu. 20 April 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
75. ^ "Data" (PDF). www.alia.lu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* BBC Four at BBC Online

* v
* t
* e

BBC Television

BBC

UK channels|

* BBC One
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* BBC Two
* Northern Ireland
* Wales
* BBC Three
* BBC Four
* BBC News
* BBC Parliament
* BBC Scotland
* CBBC
* CBeebies

UK nations
and regions|

* Scotland
* Wales
* Northern Ireland
* North East and Cumbria
* North West
* Yorkshire
* Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
* West
* West Midlands
* East Midlands
* East
* London
* South West
* South
* South East

Services and
programming
blocks|

* BBC iPlayer
* BBC Learning Zone
* BBC Music
* BBC News
* BBC Red Button
* BBC Schools
* BBC Sport
* BBC Switch
* BBC Weather
* CBBC
* CBeebies

UKTV
channels|

* U&Alibi
* U&Dave
* U&Drama
* U&Eden
* U&Gold
* U&W
* U&Yesterday

International
channels and
joint ventures|

* BritBox
* BBC Alba
* BBC America
* BBC News Arabic
* BBC Brit
* BBC Drama
* BBC Earth
* Canada
* India
* BBC First
* Canada
* Netherlands and Belgium
* BBC HD (international)
* BBC Kids (Australia)
* BBC Lifestyle
* BBC Maestro
* BBC Nordic
* BBC Persian Television
* BBC Player
* BBC Select
* BBC UKTV
* BBC News
* Together TV

Defunct
channels|

* BBC Canada
* BBC Choice
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales
* BBC Entertainment
* BBC First (Australia)
* BBC Food
* BBC HD (UK)
* BBC Japan
* BBC Kids (Canada)
* BBC Knowledge
* UK
* international
* BBC Living
* BBC Prime
* BBC Select
* BBC TV Europe
* BBC World Service Television
* BBC 2W
* BBC Two Scotland
* UKTV (various channels)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Media in the United Kingdom

UK national newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals

| Newspapers
(history, circulation)|

| Broadsheet|

* Financial Times
* The Daily Telegraph
* The Sunday Telegraph
* The Sunday Times

|

Compact|

* The i Paper
* The Times
* The Guardian
* The Observer

Middle-market|

* Daily Express
* Daily Mail
* The Mail on Sunday

Tabloid|

* Daily Mirror
* Sunday Mirror
* Morning Star
* The Sunday People
* Daily Star
* Daily Star Sunday
* The Sun
* Sunday Sport
* Weekend Sport
* Midweek Sport

Online|

* 5Pillars

Magazines and
other periodicals|

* List of magazines in the United Kingdom
* List of magazines by circulation

Radio in the UK

| National
stations|

| BBC|

BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 Extra
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Asian Network
BBC World Service
BBC National DAB (multiplex)

|

Independent
/ commercial|

Absolute Radio Network
BFBS Radio
Capital
Capital Xtra
Classic FM
Digital One (multiplex)
Gold
Greatest Hits Radio
Heart
Hits Radio
Jazz FM
Kiss Network
LBC
LBC News
Magic
Magic Classical
Premier Christian Radio
RNIB Connect Radio
Sound Digital (multiplex)
Smooth Radio
talkSPORT
TalkRadio
Times Radio
UCB UK
Virgin Radio UK
Radio X

Regional
and local
stations|

| BBC|

List of BBC Local Radio stations
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Foyle
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Cymru

Cymru 2

|

Independent
/ commercial|

* List of community radio stations
* List of local commercial radio stations
* List of semi-national / regional analogue and digital radio stations

Other
stations|

* List of hospital radio stations
* Pirate radio
* Restricted Service Licence (RSL)
* List of RSL stations
* List of student radio stations

Other|

* Broadcasting House
* FM broadcasting
* Radio Academy
* Radio Academy Awards
* Radio Independents Group
* RAJAR
* Most listened to programmes

Television in the UK

| Principal
channels
(list)|

| BBC/UKTV|

BBC One
BBC Two
BBC Three
BBC Four
BBC News
BBC Parliament
BBC Alba
BBC Scotland
CBBC
CBeebies
U&Alibi
U&Dave
U&Drama
U&Eden
U&Gold
U&W
U&Yesterday

|

ITV|

ITV1/STV/UTV
ITV2
ITV3
ITV4
ITV Quiz

Channel 4/S4C|

Channel 4
S4C

E4 Extra
Film4
More4
4seven

Paramount|

5Star
5USA
5Select
5Action
Comedy Central
Comedy Central Extra
MTV
MTV Music
MTV 80s
MTV 90s
Club MTV
Nickelodeon
Nicktoons
Nick Jr.

Sky UK|

Challenge
Sky Arts
Sky Atlantic
Sky Cinema
Sky Comedy
Sky Crime
Sky Documentaries
Sky History
Sky History 2
Sky Kids
Sky Max
Sky Mix
Sky Nature
Sky News
Sky Replay
Sky Sci-Fi
Sky Showcase
Sky Sports Box Office
Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports Racing
Sky Sports
Sky Witness

Warner Bros. Discovery|

Animal Planet
Boomerang
Cartoon Network
Cartoonito
CNN International
Discovery Channel
Discovery History
Discovery Science
Discovery Turbo
DMAX
Food Network
HGTV
Investigation Discovery
Quest
Quest Red
Really
TLC
TNT Sports

Narrative Entertainment UK Limited|

Great! Action
Great! Movies
Great! Romance
Great! Real
Great! TV
Pop
Tiny Pop

Services
and
platforms|

| Current|

* Amazon Prime Video
* BBC iPlayer
* cable
* Channel 4
* digital
* digital terrestrial
* List of channels
* Disney+
* EE TV
* 5
* Freely
* Freesat
* Freesat+
* Freeview
* high-definition
* List of channels
* ITV
* ITVX
* STV Player
* local television
* Now
* Netflix
* Paramount+
* Pop Player
* Restricted Service Licence
* satellite
* List of channels
* Sky Group
* Sky Q
* Sky Glass
* Sky Stream
* TalkTalk TV
* TVPlayer
* U
* Virgin Media
* FilmFlex
* TiVo
* YouView

|

Defunct|

* analogue
* analogue terrestrial
* BBC Store
* Film4oD
* Real Digital
* Sky Group
* Freesat from Sky
* On Demand
* Sky+
* Sky+ HD
* TalkTalk TV Store
* Top Up TV
* Virgin Media
* V+

Studios|

| Current|

* 3 Mills Studios
* BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House
* BBC Elstree Centre
* BBC Pacific Quay
* The Bottle Yard Studios
* Broadcasting House
* Broadcasting House, Belfast
* Broadcasting House, Bristol
* Dock10
* Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)
* Gas Street Studios
* The Leeds Studios
* The Maidstone Studios
* Mailbox Birmingham
* MediaCityUK
* Old Granada Studios
* Riverside Studios
* Roath Lock
* The Sharp Project
* Sky Campus
* Space Studios Manchester
* Television Centre, London

|

Defunct|

* Broadcasting House, Cardiff
* Dickenson Road Studios
* Fountain Studios
* The Hospital Club
* Lime Grove Studios
* Limehouse Studios
* The London Studios
* MGM-British Studios
* New Broadcasting House, Manchester
* Pebble Mill Studios
* Teddington Studios
* Television Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne
* Television Centre, Southampton
* Upper Boat Studios

Other|

* Television in Northern Ireland
* in Scotland
* in Wales
* Defunct channels
* Edinburgh International Television Festival
* History
* List of years
* Viewing statistics
* Most-watched broadcasts

Companies and organisations

| Major
companies|

* Banijay UK Productions
* Bauer Media Audio UK
* BBC
* Bloomsbury Publishing
* BT Group
* Channel Four Television Corporation
* Daily Mail and General Trust
* Dentsu International
* Economist Group
* EMI Music Publishing
* Future plc
* Global Media & Entertainment
* Guardian Media Group
* Haymarket Media Group
* Informa
* ITN
* ITV plc
* National World
* News Broadcasting
* News UK
* Newsquest
* Pearson plc
* Press Holdings
* Reach plc
* RELX
* Reuters
* Sky
* STV Group
* Syco
* TalkTalk Group
* Paramount Networks UK & Australia
* Virgin Media O2
* The Walt Disney Company (UK) Ltd.
* Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA

|

Resources|

* Arqiva
* List of largest UK book publishers

Government and
regulatory bodies|

* Advertising Standards Authority
* BBC Board (formerly: BBC Trust
* Board of Governors of the BBC)
* British Board of Film Classification
* British Film Institute
* Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee
* Department for Culture, Media and Sport
* Independent Press Standards Organisation
* Ofcom
* Press Recognition Panel
* S4C Authority

Industry and
trades bodies|

* British Academy of Film and Television Arts
* British Phonographic Industry
* Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union
* Clearcast
* Digital TV Group
* Equity
* Everyone TV
* Federation Against Copyright Theft
* Independent Publishers Guild
* National Union of Journalists
* The Publishers Association
* Royal Television Society
* United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting

Other|

* BBC Academy
* National Film and Television School
* National Science and Media Museum

Regional and student media

| Regional media|

* Media in England
* Birmingham
* London
* Manchester
* Media in Scotland
* Aberdeen
* Dundee
* Glasgow
* Media in Wales
* Cardiff

|

Student media|

* Student television
* Student press

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Freeview

TV channels|

* 4seven
* 5Action
* 5Select
* 5Star
* 5USA
* Al Jazeera English
* HD
* Arise News
* BBC One
* HD
* BBC Two
* HD
* BBC Three
* HD
* BBC Four
* HD
* BBC Alba
* BBC Scotland
* HD
* BBC News
* BBC Parliament
* Blaze
* +1
* CBBC
* HD
* CBeebies
* HD
* Challenge
* Channel 4
* +1
* HD
* 5
* +1
* HD
* DMAX
* E4
* +1
* E4 Extra
* Film4
* +1
* Food Network
* GB News
* Gems TV
* Great! TV
* +1
* Great! Action
* Great! Movies
* +1
* Great! Romance
* +1
* HGTV
* Ideal World
* ITV1
* +1
* HD
* ITV2
* +1
* ITV3
* +1
* ITV4
* ITV Quiz
* The Jewellery Channel
* Legend
* More4
* PBS America
* Pop
* Pop Player
* Quest
* +1
* Quest Red
* QVC
* HD
* QVC2
* Really
* Rewind TV
* RTÉ One
* RTÉ2
* S4C
* Sky Arts
* Sky Mix
* Sky News
* STV
* +1
* HD
* Talking Pictures TV
* TBN UK
* TG4
* That's TV UK
* That's TV 2
* That's Melody
* That's Dance
* That's TV 3
* Together TV
* True Crime
* True Crime Xtra
* U&Dave
* ja vu
* U&Drama
* +1
* U&Eden
* U&W
* U&Yesterday
* +1
* UTV
* +1
* HD

Radio stations|

* BBC Asian Network
* BBC Radio 1
* BBC Radio 1Xtra
* BBC Radio 2
* BBC Radio 3
* BBC Radio 4
* BBC Radio 4 Extra
* BBC Radio 5 Live
* BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
* BBC Radio 6 Music
* BBC Radio Cymru
* BBC Radio Cymru 2
* BBC Radio Foyle
* BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
* BBC Radio Scotland
* BBC Radio Ulster
* BBC Radio Wales
* BBC World Service
* Capital
* Classic FM
* Heart
* LBC
* Premier Christian Radio
* RNIB Connect Radio
* RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
* Smooth Radio
* Talksport
* Trans World Radio

Local channels|

* Latest TV
* Local Television Limited
* London TV
* Notts TV
* NVTV
* Sheffield Live TV
* That's TV

Streamed channels|

* Channelbox (Africanews/Euronews/FashionTV/Qello/Hellenic TV)
* On Demand 365
* Vision TV (Brit Asia TV/Spotlight TV/Sports Tonight/3ABN/JML Direct)

TV platforms|

* Analogue
* Analogue terrestrial
* Cable
* Digital
* Digital terrestrial
* High-definition
* IPTV
* Satellite

Miscellaneous|

* History of Freeview UK

Portal:

* BBC

Authority control databases |

* ISNI

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template