With several media outlets reporting that there are plans to close BBC Four, sparking a social media campaign in support of the channel, PhD Candidate and Associate Tutor in the Department of Film and Television Studies Leanne Weston comments on its impact.

Leanne Weston said: "The news of BBC Four’s closure signals a great loss to both our cultural and national lives. Since its launch in 2002, it has been central to the wider policy of arts provision on the BBC, changing to reflect the needs and tastes of its audience.

"During its lifetime, the channel has provided us all with the opportunity to see, hear, and most importantly, think about the Arts in new and interesting ways. Its dedicated Friday night music programming, for example, has offered an increasingly rare sight of engagement with music history that is otherwise unavailable without a subscription fee.

"In our current climate, losing an avenue which has offered us all a way to engage with such programming feels particularly acute. It is my hope that the channel can continue in some form, or indeed, that some of its programming can find a new home as part of the output of BBC 2, reflecting the close links both channels share.

"No matter what the future of BBC Four, its rich history and the valuable contribution it has made to Arts programming in the UK, should also be acknowledged and celebrated."

14 May 2020

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