- Target:
- BBC Trust
- Region:
- United Kingdom
If you value broadcasting that goes beyond Top Gear, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Come Dine With Me and other associated bilge then listen up. They are cutting BBC 4's budget, getting rid of all original comedy and drama.
BBC 4 was the first channel to broadcast Newswipe, Getting On, The Thick of It, Mad Men, The Killing, Spiral, The Road to Coronation Street and so on. Not to mention the hours and hours of amazing documentaries about science, music and art (and yes, many niche subjects, but every subject has it's audience). Some people might feel that some BBC 4 fans are snobbish and it doesn't attract enough viewers to give value for money. But isn't there more to television than 'value for money?' There needs to be broadcasting that looks beyond the mainstream.
BBC 4 is truly distinctive in the media landscape, its unique, different to the television available on commercial networks. Ok, it broadcasts plenty of stuff that some of us might not choose to watch, stuff that’s a bit too nerdy or not to our taste. But the point is that no one else would broadcast this amazing, crazy stuff, especially not a commercial network. Why would they want to show a season about say, Neuroscience when they can give us another cliched Cop drama? It would be a shame if BBC 4 was lost. SAVE BBC 4! Raaar.
We, the undersigned, call on The BBC Trust not to cut drama and comedy from BBC 4. BBC 4 is known for showing some of the most interesting and stimulating programming available in the United Kingdom.
It was the first to broadcast shows such as Mad Men, Newswipe, Getting On, The Road to Coronation Street and The Thick of It, all of which have gone on to be extraordinary popular and found audiences on BBC2 and DVD. It has also given us many amazing documentaries on art, science, music, architecture and more, all of which are able to explore their subjects in greater detail than that possible on other channels.
It is understood that in a climate of reduced budgets and austerity, a channel such as BBC 4 might be seen as a luxury by those that gauge cultural resonance in terms of short term ratings and financial potential. But do you not see that this would be a tremendous pity?
Don't axe BBC 4!
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The Save BBC 4! petition to BBC Trust was written by Guy Chetwynd-Appleton and is in the category Culture at GoPetition.