The BBC is ready to move a number of its commercial channels to the Netherlands, should the outcome of current Brexit talks make it necessary.
In parliament, moves continue to prevent a ‘No Deal Brexit, the latest date for such an exit being Friday week (April 12).
Quoting sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said the licences held by commercial arm BBC Studios would be needed to ensure continued access into continental Europe.
This means the commercial channels BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC Entertainment, BBC First and BBC Lifestyle.
“As an international broadcaster operating a number of commercial channels in the EU we are ensuring the necessary arrangements are in place to continue operating those channels in any changed regulatory environment,” a BBC Studios spokesperson told Broadband TV News. “If any of BBC Studios’ commercial channels are required to be licensed in the EU it would involve a limited number of staff responsible for editorial decisions relating to those channels.”
Domestic channels BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, CBeebies and CBBC, which have distrubution in the Netherlands and Belgium, are handled separately.