BBC Three relaunch "flagship project"

Simon Nelson, the BBC's controller of multiplatform and portfolio, has said the relaunch of BBC Three "is a flagship project" for BBC Vision's new focus on multiplatform strategy.

Nelson, adding to comments made by controller Danny Cohen, said on the BBC Internet blog that Three will "change from a linear service to a fully joined-up multiplatform venture".

He explained: "This means that all the channel’s programmes, content and experiences can be available on TV, online, mobile, and on-demand platforms - and that's just the start.

"The relaunch is not just about a new logo. It’s about a new behaviour and attitude for the channel, which has the habits and preferences of its key audience - the elusive 16 to 34s - at its heart."

Nelson pointed to recent developments on the BBC's website, such as the programme information system currently in beta, which gives each programme a dedicated web presence that ties in with iPlayer, and a widgetisation strategy recently outlined by user experience chief Richard Titus and employed on the new BBC homepage, as key planks of BBC Three's web strategy.

"Though initially basic," he said of the programme system, "we hope this will grow into a fantastic resource that will make BBC Three and its content more searchable and easily navigable as well as more findable and easier to link to."

He added that the BBC will be looking to establish content partnerships with "the places where our audiences spend time" to help make the channel's web presence "the hub of a vibrant network of conversations across the web".

"For the entire channel to be based around these principles marks a major step, I believe, in helping great BBC content to benefit and prosper from all the advantages offered by a digital world," he said. "This won’t be just lip service: it’s about making content playable in the ways that fit young audiences' preferences: online, on the move, and on demand. And it’s about making it easier for young people to share the content they like - and discover the content they didn't know they liked."