BBC Newsnight to be cut back; The One moves to Salford; Breakfast extended

The BBC today announced a new round of budget cuts to its news division.

BBC Newsnight will be cut by ten minutes and will share resources and reporters with BBC News. It will no longer have any dedicated Newsnight reporters.

Newsnight will also lose it’s investigative format and revert to a studio-based debate format. Newsnight’s current 57-strong team will be cut by more than half to 23.

The One O’ Clock News will move to Salford and be extended to a full hour, while BBC Breakfast will be extended to 9.30am on Monday to Fridays.

BBC News and Current Affairs CEO Deborah Turness said: “Like many businesses, we are in a tough financial climate and as our audiences shift rapidly from TV to online news consumption, we need to make choices about where we allocate our resources.

“While TV and radio remain crucial to BBC News, we must invest in our digital platforms to ensure they are also the home of our very best journalism, and today’s package of measures will accelerate this transformation.”

The moves are expected to save £7.5m. The changes are set to begin in the new year.