Broadcast Magazine – 22 August 2019

broadcastnow.co.uk 23 August 2019 | Broadcast | 33

Continued on page 34 ➤

INTERVIEW

FIONA CAMPBELL BBC3

Changing direction at BBC
3

The BBC recently created a linear

youth programming block on BBC1

from Mondays to Wednesdays at

10.35pm, replacing repeats of

Have I Got News For You and Question

Time with long-form BBC3 shows.

While the likes of Phoebe Waller-

Bridge’s Fleabag and make-up

entertainment format Glow Up

have performed well in the slot, the

youth rating and share are down on

the same period last year, with less

than 100,000 (or 8.1% of) 16-34s

tuning in each night.

Campbell is under no illusion

that hordes of millennials are flocking

to BBC1 for the post-news slot and

instead sees this block as a way of

surfacing younger-skewing content

to an older audience.

“This is a perception-changing

zone,” she says. “If these older viewers

can watch an episode of [BBC3 enter-

tainment format] Hot Property featuring

a person from Aberdeen, instead of

a static studio-type show like Have

I Got News For You, then that is a

positive change.”

On taking up her post in January,

Campbell immediately decided that

the 16-34 age bracket was too wide to

cater for in full, both in terms of

casting and taste. The ensuing ‘chase

the under-25s’ message has been key

in the 80-odd indie meetings she has

had over the past six months.

“There are a hell of a lot of under-

35s out there and you can’t reach them

all at once, so we should creatively

lean towards under-25s,” she says.

THE CASH QUESTION

BBC3’s £40m annual budget

represents about 2.5% of the

corporation’s circa-£1.6bn yearly

spend across its four main TV

channels, with BBC1 alone

receiving more than £1bn.

“It would be great to have

more money,” says Fiona Camp-

bell, though she stresses that

BBC3 is not the only route through

which the public broadcaster can

invest in young viewers.

She flags BBC juggernauts

like Line Of Duty, Race Across

The World and Top Gear as shows

that are performing admirably

with youth audiences.

“These shows work for a mass

audience that incorporates the

young,” says Campbell.

Eating With My Ex: gives

BBC3 the opportunity to

represent all parts of the UK

Glow Up: the hit BBC3 make-up

format airs in BBC1’s 10.35pm slot

Race Across The World: the

BBC2 show performed well

with a youth audience