BBC Learning Zone

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The BBC Learning Zone ident.

BBC Learning Zone is mostly an Open University sponsored block of academic programmes shown during the late night - early morning on BBC Two. It presently features programming for GCSE and A-Level among others with a wide variety of subjects.

The BBC Learning Zone traditionally broadcasts after the main schedule on BBC Two, it provides a wide variety of Educational programmes for all ages. During "critical" times for students such as GCSE Exams the programming alters to a revision dominated schedule and reverts after the exams.

Its audience is encouraged to record the programmes for later viewing rather than watch them during the night-time broadcast. Programmes are often used in this way by school teachers to show to a class.

Current programming includes:

Bitesize - exam revision guides
Languages & Travel - French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Greek, Japanese
Schools Programmes

Programming no longer broadcast:

Open University
WorkSkills - advice on skills needed in the workplace

[edit] History

In the past the Learning Zone was known as the Open University and did not cater to such a wide age range instead choosing to focus on University grade material. It was and still is broadcast in the late evening - early morning slot to allow the public to record the material on videotape and watch it at a sane hour.

When the BBC entered the "Digital Age" it introduced a television channel called BBC Knowledge with an aim of providing cultural and educational programming, which was later shutdown and its spectrum split between CBeebies (6am-7pm) and BBC Four (after 7pm).

The international subscription channel BBC Prime also showed an overnight programming block called BBC Learning with similar programming; however, this ended in August 2006.

Notably, the BBC Learning Zone's current ident has been in use since October 1997 which makes it the oldest BBC ident in current use and one of the BBC's longest lived, with only some of BBC Two's 1991 "2" idents being in use for longer (February 1991- November 2001). Interestingly the programme block is broadcast with a DOG, this is probably to remind viewers that they are watching BBC Two.