BBC Four

BBC Four is British knowledge television network owned by British Broadcasting Corporation. The channel broadcasts documentaries, culture, movies, reality shows, music, arts and series programmings.

History

BBC had been wanting to expand into the digital television market for a number of years prior to BBC Knowledge's launch. Originally this was by their association with Flextech, which spawned the UKTV network. Both companies had different ideas on how the new channels would be run: BBC wanted the channels branded as BBC channels, but Flextech wanted the channels to contain advertising. BBC refused, stating that no domestic BBC channel should carry advertising, and in the end a compromise was made. Two of the channels would launch as BBC channels, the soon to be BBC Choice and the then called BBC Learning, with the remainder of the channels being launched as the UKTV network, intended to be BBC in all but name. Prior to the launch, the channel changed name from BBC Learning to BBC Knowledge.

The channel launched on 1 June 1999, broadcasting for six hours each day. The new channel had plans to be a new, multimedia channel, operating across television, online and on interactive television, and showing educational and informative programming. The channel's original schedule style was initially a 'bright and breezy' approach to education, aimed at both adults and children, with viewers encouraged to get involved and contribute to the programming. Original programme included a GCSE survival guide based upon the popular BBC series Bitesize, entitled Bitesize Etc and the technology series The Kit, aimed at children and getting them online and embracing digital.

A few years into the channel's existence, it was becoming clear that the channel's original format was not working in its aim of interacting with viewers and making learning fun. The channel was receiving consistently poor ratings, and the BBC decided to relaunch the channel. The relaunched channel was given a new visual identity, and became from 17 November 2001, a 24-hour channel, caused by the move of BBC Knowledge from the SDN to the BBC multiplex on the DTT service. In addition to this, the format was changed to a serious, documentary channel with scheduling arranged into 'zones' depending on topics.

However, the real reason for the shift in programming was because the incumbent government delayed approving new BBC digital plans. BBC Three and BBC Four were planned to have launched in 2001 but because of the plans being delayed, instead the BBC decided to relaunch the two channels in the meantime with the new programming. It had been planned since October 2000 that BBC Knowledge would be replaced with BBC Four. Eventually the new digital plans were approved. In February 2002 the hours were cut back for CBeebies to launch. BBC Knowledge was closed down in the final hours of 2 March 2002.

BBC Knowledge from mid-2001 was essentially a test platform for the style of the new channel.

Versions of BBC Knowledge were launched in other countries from 2007 onwards.

On 2nd March 2002, BBC Knowledge is renamed BBC Four at 19:00 GMT, having been delayed from the original planned 2001 launch. BBC Four began originally as a late schedule to BBC Two, before it received its own channel, along with BBC Three. Curiously, BBC Four had to launch before BBC Three as a result of the government delaying approval plans. The channel replaced BBC Knowledge, an educational and cultural channel which 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. BBC Four would rebrand this channel, and bring it into line with the well recognised BBC One and BBC Two brands at the same time. 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. 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 CBeebies (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. It later moved to channel 143 on 1 May 2018 to sit beside BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Two Northern Ireland there, and the 200s being used for +1 channels.