Editing BBC Choice (section)

{{short description|Defunct BBC TV station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = BBC Choice
| logo = [[File:BBC Choice logo.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_caption = Logo used from 1998 to 2003
| logo_alt = 
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1998|09|23|df=yes}}
| closed_date = {{End date and age|2003|02|8|df=yes}}
| picture_format = [[576i]] ([[16:9]] [[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| owner = [[BBC]]
| replaced_by = [[BBC Three]]
| sister_channels = [[BBC One]]<br>[[BBC Two]]<br>[[BBC Four]]<br>[[BBC News (British TV channel)|BBC News 24]]<br>[[BBC Parliament]]<br>[[BBC Knowledge]] (until 2002)<br>[[CBBC]]<br>[[CBeebies]]
| availability_note = 
| terr_serv_1 = [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]
| terr_chan_1 = Channel 7
}}
'''BBC Choice''' was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first [[United Kingdom|British]] TV channel to broadcast exclusively in [[Digital television|digital]] format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terrestrial channel launch (following on from the [[BBC News (British TV channel)|BBC News channel]] in 1997).<ref name=bbcdigital>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/174535.stm|title=BBC unveils digital TV|date=21 September 1998|access-date=19 June 2016|work=BBC}}</ref>

At launch, BBC Choice mainly existed to supplement existing programming on BBC One and Two, with some low-profile original programming of its own.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 September 1998|title=BBC News {{!}} Entertainment {{!}} A new channel is born|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/178140.stm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021026110100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/178140.stm|archive-date=26 October 2002|access-date=4 September 2021|website=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref> However, faced with low ratings for both Choice and its sister channel [[BBC Knowledge]], in 2000 the BBC's digital strategy changed. Under new controller [[Stuart Murphy]], the channel began to aim specifically at a young adult audience. The BBC ultimately planned to replace the channel with the higher-profile [[BBC Three]], which, after some delay, began broadcasting in February 2003.