Why is arts programming such a difficult sell for TV? “For the commercial broadcasters, the problem is manifold: arts TV is expensive to do properly, it’s difficult to schedule and it attracts only niche advertising and niche viewing. In short, it’s a lot of effort for little return. For the BBC, the problem is different: if you run a minority channel and a highbrow digital channel as well, why would you want arts bunging up your main service?”