1 of 1- paterson1
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Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
Corus Media closed down BBC Canada on December 31st last year. The station had a run of a little over 19 years.
But fear not, Blue Ant Media and BBC Studios have rebranded the HIFI channel to a new network as of yesterday.
BBC First, seems to have more movies (not always British) and more variety programming than BBC Canada. Also it is in free preview right now along with some of Blue Ant's other channels, like BBC Earth and Smithsonian Channel. The new BBC First still has some of the programming from the old network, like Antiques Road Show.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
I gather this is actually a BBC First Canada?
I'm strictly guessing the UK BBC First has content that can't air here (On BBC First) due to rights being held by competing networks?
Or are we literally getting the UK BBC First channel here now?
ie same movies, same content, etc...
- fybush
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
Radiowiz wrote:
I gather this is actually a BBC First Canada?
I'm strictly guessing the UK BBC First has content that can't air here (On BBC First) due to rights being held by competing networks?
Or are we literally getting the UK BBC First channel here now?
ie same movies, same content, etc...
There is no UK "BBC First." Perhaps you're thinking of BBC One, the flagship BBC broadcast TV network in the UK? That's a very different schedule and lineup from anything available in Canada and the US, partially because of rights issues and partially because there's a perception (rightly or wrongly) that North American audiences aren't interested in some of the domestic news and content BBC One provides to UK viewers.
(Also, BBC One and the other BBC UK TV networks have no commercials, being funded by viewers' TV licence fees, so how would distribution outside the UK be funded?)
The BBC First name is used in other parts of the world for a similar channel to the new Canadian BBC First. In reading deeper on this, it appears the BBC First in other countries is owned by the BBC's commercial BBC Studios arm, while the Canadian version is just a licensed name and programming owned by someone else.
Last edited by fybush (March 18, 2021 9:27 am)
- RadioActive
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
Speaking of the BBC, there's a huge story in England about the Grand Old Lady of British Broadcasting. A new controller has taken over and has committed to changing the way the place works. So he's decided to move a slew of shows and radio networks out of London, to make the Beeb less centered on the capital.
Many shows, including their major nightly newscast, will go on the road and be anchored from a number of different places, supposedly to increase local coverage and diversity. The problem: while those working there will be offered to have their jobs transferred, most know it's almost impossible to drop everything and move hundreds of miles away to a new city. At least 200 jobs are expected to be lost, with more cuts coming. And the workers aren't happy.
Why is this such a big deal? Imagine for a moment, if the CBC decided to mostly abandon its Front St. HQ in Toronto, and relocate hundreds of positions to say, Flin Flon, Manitoba or Sasaktoon, Saskatchewan. The uproar from the unions and the press would be deafening.
This is a big change, since the BBC has been on the air since 1922. And while it's established itself in other locations since, London has always been its home base.
New BBC move to leave London
- paterson1
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
BBC First in Canada is owned by Blue Ant Media and BBC Studios. And fybush is right, it should not be confused with BBC 1 which is something else altogether and the main network in England.
BBC scattering operations might not really as big a deal as you might think. England and Scotland are small geographically. Ontario alone is over 4 times larger than the UK. And many cities aren't really that far away from London. Certainly nothing like Toronto to Lethbridge, Flin Flon or Moncton NB.
BBC has local stations thoughout the UK with some local programming. BBC Scotland is a much different network than BBC in England. And BBC's gift from the taxpayer is about $7 billion every year in Canadian dollars compared to $1.2 billion for CBC/Radio Canada.
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Thread Starter- fybush
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
Agreed... it seems like every few years there's a push to decentralize more national BBC operations. There's a huge production base now in Salford (Manchester), where the CBBC kiddie network, BBC Sport and Radio 5 Live are all located. They've been making Doctor Who in Wales for years.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
BBC First in Canada is owned by Blue Ant Media and BBC Studios. And fybush is right, it should not be confused with BBC 1
I was definitely not thinking of BBC 1.
I may have been thinking more along the lines of the Australian version or something...
(this site does not mention Canada as an option)
- paterson1
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Re: Goodbye BBC Canada...Hello BBC First
Sorry about that Radiowiz. I noticed that all of the BBC First Channels listed have different programming, and they seem to customize a bit for each market. Maybe we are not listed yet since the channel has only been on since Tuesday and in free preview. So far not a bad channel, with usually fewer commercial breaks (especially for movies). However what commercials and promo they have, pretty repetitive. Don't think I would subscribe, but I am enjoying what I have seen so far. Seems a bit more mainstream than I remember BBC Canada. Don't really understand why they aren't showing many British movies though. So far most movies have been US. And the shows on vintage cars are not British. However I don't care since I like shows about old cars.
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