The BBC has announced the date when BBC Three will switch its operations from television to online only.
BBC Three New Logo
In a blog post on the broadcaster’s web site, the channel’s head of marketing, Nikki Carr, said the switch would be made on 16 February.
The channel would be active as a promotional channel to promote the move for a few weeks before it is switched off permanently.
The channel also unveiled a new logo, which had achieved some criticism on Twitter.
BBC Three’s new logo looks like BBC 2 with an exclamation mark.. ??? pic.twitter.com/wRYi8XJvZ5
— Jamal Edwards MBE (@jamaledwards) January 4, 2016
Thought new BBC Three logo looked familiar, or maybe it’s just BBC Three 2.5 lol #Paramore pic.twitter.com/cOADRS9G3g
— Nick J Cave (@cavedawes) January 4, 2016
The new BBC Three logo is basically this scene from W1A https://t.co/FMLWcKs9Lv
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) January 4, 2016
Carr said the logo change was a necessity to reflect the digital environment BBC Three would be entering. Yet, Carr said the influence of the satirical programme W1A had dominated some marketing efforts.
“We needed to develop something that worked on a TV screen and as an app icon,” Carr said. “Look at Snapchat. They’re doing okay without having Snapchat in their logo.”
Nikki Carr, Head of Marketing @BBCThree introduces a new logo for the channel. https://t.co/x0jZchKQqT pic.twitter.com/EPo8xBNGLm
— BBC (@AboutTheBBC) January 4, 2016
BBC Three launched in 2003, and had been home to such programmes as Gavin and Stacey, Little Britain, Don’t Tell The Bride and Torchwood. Long form programmes from the channel would air on BBC One and BBC Two.
The BBC Trust, the body that governs the BBC, approved the channel’s move to the web last November.
