BBC 2W facts for kids
 |
|
| Country | Wales |
|---|---|
| Network | BBC Two |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 576i ( SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC |
| Sister channels | BBC One Wales BBC Two Wales |
| History | |
| Launched | 5 November 2001 |
| Replaced | BBC Choice Wales |
| Closed | 2 January 2009 |
| Availability (at time of closure) |
|
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 2 (Wales only) |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 102 (Wales only) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky | Channel 102 (Wales) Channel 991 (Rest of UK) |
BBC 2W was a special digital TV channel from the BBC that was available in Wales. It started on 5 November 2001 and closed down in January 2009.
This channel was created to offer unique shows just for people in Wales. It took the place of the regular BBC Two channel on digital TV in Wales during certain hours. You could watch BBC 2W on weekdays from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM. When it first launched, about 1.1 million people could watch it.
What it Looked Like on Screen
Every TV channel has short animations called "idents" that play before shows. These idents help you know which channel you're watching.
When BBC 2W first started in 2001, its ident was a bright green design. It featured a cool spinning cube that could change into a menu for TV shows.
In 2003, new idents were introduced. These were more creative and showed the green BBC 2W logo box as part of real-life scenes. For example, the logo might appear on a beer tap or painted on a garage door. Even with these fun scenes, the logo always ended up in the bottom right corner, just like the regular BBC Two idents.
However, starting from 18 February 2007, BBC 2W began using the same idents as the main BBC Two channel. The only difference was that the "2W" box would appear. When the channel switched from BBC Two Wales to BBC 2W, the "2W" box would alternate with the regular "Two" box during the ident. This also happened during trailers for shows that would air during BBC 2W's broadcast hours.
Why BBC 2W Closed Down
BBC 2W was shut down in January 2009. This happened as part of the move to digital-only television in the UK. The BBC also wanted to save money, as part of a plan by BBC Wales to be more efficient.
After BBC 2W closed, the digital BBC Two channel in Wales went back to showing the main network version. This meant fewer local Welsh programs were shown, similar to how BBC Two worked on older analogue TV.
BBC 2W was created to give Welsh viewers a special TV experience. It aimed to be "topical and stylish," offering smart shows with a bit of fun.
