BBC Three and BBC Scotland linear channels to close in cost-cutting bid

The BBC will close BBC Three, BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4 Extra linear broadcast services in spring 2027 as part of cost-cutting measures, it has been announced.

In addition, around 100 jobs will be cut at BBC News, as the corporation faces pressure to make savings of £500 million by 2028.

A number of roles will also be cut as a result of the broadcast closures, including ten in Scotland.

BBC Scotland will remain a channel on iPlayer, but will no longer be a broadcast channel on television.

Content will also be available on BBC One and BBC Two in Scotland.

BBC Three content, which has a younger-skewing audience, will be available on BBC iPlayer and on other platforms, including YouTube.

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.

The channel has since been responsible for major hits including Fleabag, Normal People and Killing Eve.

Programmes from Radio 4 Extra will still be available on BBC Sounds – and The Daily Service will be on BBC Sounds and local radio.

In a note to staff setting out the changes, BBC Director-General Matt Brittin said: “We need to make every pound work harder for audiences as we respond to the immediate cost pressures and reinvent the BBC for a changing world. We all know that means tough choices.”

He added: “Much of the great content they currently carry will still be found where audiences already enjoy them on iPlayer and Sounds. While this follows media speculation, I recognise the confirmation of this news will be hard for audiences and colleagues.”

An email to staff from Rachel Jupp, the new director of BBC News, said the 100 employees who will lose their jobs have already been informed.

She said: “We’re now announcing further saving proposals, with a total value of around £5.5 million which represents the net closure of just over 100 roles.

“I know this will be very difficult news for those affected. We will continue to work closely with colleagues and trade unions throughout the consultation process and will do everything we can to minimise the need for compulsory redundancies.

“Colleagues affected by today’s proposals have already been informed.”

She will also lay out plans for further savings early next year, while other divisions will confirm savings plans in the coming months.

The email said: “Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at costs across BBC News to have the fullest possible financial picture. I will build on some of the reviews started in June and stretch the ambition of them so they can better support our wider transformation.”

The review will include how presenters are used across video, audio and digital, as well as how to get as much value as possible from long form journalism, planning and commissioning.

The news follows earlier savings announced in BBC Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Local and Speech and Sounds.

At the weekend the BBC confirmed its long-running home renovation TV series DIY SOS will be “rested” next year amid the corporation’s ongoing “savings challenges”.

The BBC also cancelled plans to build a new bespoke studio for The Archers at its Tea Factory in Digbeth amid its cost-cutting measures.

Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity said the linear broadcast closure of BBC Radio 4 Extra was “a significant blow” for audio artists.

It added: “The channel currently airs archival programmes and our members are paid for these repeats.

“But from April 2027, only some of Radio 4 Extra’s content will be available on BBC Sounds. This will therefore be a reduction in income for audio artists and in the BBC’s overall output of scripted audio.

“Meanwhile, moving BBC Three and BBC Scotland online should not affect income for our members, as Equity has agreements which cover usage rights and fees for broadcasting content across both online and linear channels.

“We have also had assurances that commissioning will not decrease as a result of these moves.

“However, the BBC is proposing that some BBC Three content will be made specifically for YouTube. It is currently unclear how secondary payments will function for work that airs initially on linear broadcast or iPlayer, then is repeated on YouTube – but Equity is clear that any repeats on YouTube must be properly remunerated and must not lead to a drop in income for members.

“Overall, today’s announcement does not signal a thriving BBC, and we are concerned about the UK’s preeminent public service broadcaster’s ability to meet its duties to the fullest.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. The BBC Charter, which sets out the BBC’s objectives and purposes, is currently in the process of being renewed.

“Equity has put forward a bold vision for a properly funded BBC, which will in turn contribute to growth in the economy through the creation of jobs and cultural infrastructure throughout the UK.

“This is an exceptional opportunity to re-found the BBC, and the union will continue lobbying decision-makers to back our vision for a truly revitalised public service broadcaster.”