The BBC’s flagship current affairs programme Newsnight is set to be axed as broadcasting bosses battle to save half a billion pounds.
After more than 40 years on air, staff fear the show could be shut down by the end of next year as the corporation shifts focus to social media and its streaming service.
Sources have reported that BBC bosses are looking to save £500million as hundreds of staff across the broadcaster face redundancy.
In June, it announced that 550 jobs would be axed as part of strict cost-saving measures.
The move forms part of a plan to save half a billion pounds over the next three years while the corporation also cuts back its commissioning spend of around £80million by the end of the 2027-28 financial year.
After Newsnight’s special investigations team was axed, the programme’s total head count has fallen from 57 to 23.
Now staff fear the show is a ‘sitting duck’ as the BBC looks to prioritise social media output alongside iPlayer as success is ‘down to clicks’.
In June, the corporation merged the production of Newsnight and Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg – and BBC Radio has also been hit heavily by recent cuts.
Victoria Derbyshire presents a BBC Newsnight segment about Huw Edwards
The infamous interview about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein was conducted by Emily Maitlis on Newsnight in November 2019
A source has revealed that budget cuts are ‘likely’ next year as staff fear for their jobs amid the ‘worrying’ cost-saving measures.
‘Everyone is concerned for Newsnight and how it will fare in the next cuts,’ a BBC source told The Sun.
‘We’ve been warned there are likely budget reductions and revisions next year. It’s a worrying time.
‘The new director-general [Matt Brittin] has made it clear that success is down to clicks.’
Since 1980, Newsnight has aired every weekday and been hosted by presenters including Jeremy Paxman, Kirsty Wark and – currently – Victoria Derbyshire.
Two million viewers tuned in to watch the infamous Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor interview in which Emily Maitlis challenged the former prince over his links to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The ex-royal has always strongly denied wrongdoing.
The BBC has said the News arm of the corporation will ‘play its part’ in the £500million cost-cutting initiative over the next three years.
A spokesman for the broadcaster told the Daily Mail: ‘We’re very proud of Newsnight’s success.
‘Since its reformat, it has significantly increased its audiences, won an RTS award and is now being moved to a peak-time slot on Friday evenings.
‘As we have said, the BBC needs to save £500m over the next three years and BBC News will play its part in contributing to those savings.’
They added that Newsnight is about to be moved to a peak time slot on BBC Two on Fridays because it’s doing well.
