[cheekyangus]

I can't remember how much the broadcast part of the cost of BBC3 was. It still has a programme budget of course, since it still commissions programmes for iPlayer of which some then get repeated on BBC1 and 2.

Is the "existing funding" part of that BBC Scotland channel amount made up from the budget of BBC1? It is meant to be providing shows that can be used for the main UK network as well as this new channel.

I believe since there were rules with regard to what the BBC3 Freeview space could be used for the BBC had little choice with what they could do with it. They expanded one of the children's channels until 9pm but they aren't allowed to sell the remaining space to a 3rd party. Presumably this is the space that is being used for the channel. Rather than leave it doing nothing they view it as providing a use. The children's channel of course would have to go back to its original times in Scotland.

Given they announced similar new services and money for Wales (including a new Welsh iPlayer channel) the day before I don't see why they didn't use that space in Wales the same way. Unless it doesn't exist anymore for some other reason. They could make a regional channel for each of the English regions and NI too, taking the existing regional programmes from BBC1 and/or 2.

I was surprised when they didn't just make an extra Red Button channel from the BBC3 space, but they stopped it after Olympics.