‘We shouldn’t let great art disappear into BBC Four’s cultural ghetto’: The impact of BBC Four on mainstream arts provision
-
Published:2022-04-19
Issue:2
Volume:17
Page:187-193
-
ISSN:1749-6020
-
Container-title:Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies
-
language:en
-
Short-container-title:Critical Studies in Television
Affiliation:
1. University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Abstract
Although BBC Four has been lauded for its dedication to more esoteric content and artforms, since the channel was introduced there has concern for the range and depth of arts content on the BBC’s terrestrial services – BBC One and BBC Two. As journalist Stuart Jeffries warned at the launch of the new channel: ‘We shouldn’t let great art disappear into BBC Four’s cultural ghetto and let the mainstream be dominated by Carol Smillie’s mirthless smile’ (2002). This paper examines the impact BBC Four has had on the BBC’s mainstream arts provision as part of a broader shift in the BBC’s provision from a Reithian mixed schedule of programming to specialist digital services for niche audiences.
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Subject
Communication,Cultural Studies
Reference24 articles.
1. Annan N (1952) Talking on the Third Programme. The BBC Quarterly VII: 141–146.
2. BBC Commissioning (2016). BBC Four. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/articles/bbc-four (accessed 10 October 2016).