Plans to make BBC3 online-only have been put back to next year, according to the digital channel's controller.

Damian Kavanagh told Broadcast Magazine he did not want the move to be "rushed".

The BBC announced last year the channel, which produced hits including Gavin And Stacey, would go online only in a bid to save money.

It was intended to close this autumn, but BBC bosses are still awaiting the results of a public value test carried out by the BBC Trust which is not expected to be published until June leaving them little time to manage the move properly.

Mr Kavanagh told Broadcast: "Once we have the Trust's final decision, we'll start doing more online and in social, building up to a move online-only after Christmas."

He added: "You simply can't turn around something as ground-breaking as this overnight. We won't be rushed. We will do what's right for our fans, not to satisfy deadlines".

The proposal is controversial and two TV executives, Jimmy Mulville and Jon Thoday who run production companies Hat-Trick and Avalon respectively, have previously offered the BBC £100 million to buy the channel.

Mulville, who makes shows including Have I Got News For You, has described the move as "the kiss of death" for the channel.

He told the Broadcasting Press Guild earlier this year that the BBC were going "to close a channel which actually speaks to a more diverse mix of community than any other channel in their family of TV channels so if they are successful and they do close down BBC3 the BBC will at one fell swoop become more middle-aged, more middle-class and whiter and that is the truth".

BBC TV boss Danny Cohen previously defended the decision by saying a move online would help them find young talent and reach young audiences.