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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Tom Barnes

BBC Three is scrapped again as broadcaster announces major cutbacks

  • The BBC has announced plans to close linear broadcast services for BBC Three, BBC Scotland , and BBC Radio 4 Extra in spring 2027 as part of a wider strategy to achieve £500 million in savings by 2028.
  • The cost-cutting measures will result in approximately 100 job redundancies at BBC News, alongside additional staff cuts linked directly to the broadcast closures, including ten roles in Scotland.
  • Content from the affected channels will shift to digital platforms, with BBC Three and BBC Scotland remaining accessible via BBC iPlayer , while BBC Radio 4 Extra programming will move to BBC Sounds .
  • It is not the first time BBC Three has been cut from linear TV. It returned as a fully-fledged TV channel in January 2022, six years after it moved online.
  • In a note to staff, director general Matt Brittin stated that the corporation faces tough choices as it responds to immediate financial pressures and seeks to reinvent itself for a changing world.

IN FULL

BBC to axe key TV channels in cost-cutting drive

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