‘Very sad news’: Newsnight cuts 34 jobs, scales back program to 30 minutes, leaving fans heartbroken

Newsnight, the flagship program of the BBC, is set to transform into a 30-minute show as the corporation implements extensive cost-cutting measures, aiming to achieve £500 million in savings. The decision, announced by Deborah Turness, the BBC's Chief Executive of News and Current Affairs, is part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and eliminate redundancy, ultimately seeking savings of £80 million.

It comes a month after Kirsty Wark said she would step down as the Newsnight's lead presenter after the next general election, following three decades with the program. Employees are left heartbroken after the decision.

The BBC is compelled to achieve £500 million in savings due to the freeze on the license fee and the effects of inflation. Additionally, the broadcaster acknowledged a decline in linear TV audiences by 11% over the last five years, indicating the challenges it faces in adapting to changing viewing habits and economic pressures.

Why BBC is cutting Newsnight?

The BBC has reportedly revealed plans to reduce the duration of its longstanding current affairs program, Newsnight, to 30 minutes, accompanied by a significant staff reduction of over half its workforce. Although the show will still air on weeknights on BBC Two, more than 30 positions, including roles of reporters, producers, and operational staff, will be eliminated.

The decision translates to a roughly 10-minute reduction in the show's current running time. At Newsnight, the number of roles across reporting, production, and operational functions will supposedly be cut from 57 to 23 as it reformats into an “interview, debate and discussion show which draws on the best of the BBC’s talent and news-making interviews to make sense of the day’s news”. Plans to axe Victoria Derbyshire’s BBC Two program have already been leaked, with the host saying she was “absolutely devastated”.

As part of additional modifications, a lengthened hour-long edition of BBC News At One is reported to be moved to Salford. BBC Breakfast will be prolonged by an additional 15 minutes each day, according to the corporation. These alterations are anticipated to result in savings of £7.5 million, aligning with the BBC's ongoing efforts to reduce costs amid challenges posed by high inflation and a frozen license fee.

While TV and radio continue to play a crucial role for BBC News, the organization acknowledges the imperative to invest in its digital platforms to establish them as the primary hub for its highest-quality journalism. This is designed to expedite this transformative process.

Fran Unsworth, director of news and current affairs, said:

“We need to reshape BBC News for the next decade in a way which saves substantial amounts of money. We are spending too much of our resources on traditional linear broadcasting and not enough on digital."

According to BBC:

“The changes to Newsnight were based on audience feedback which showed what consumers value most from today’s programme – high-quality, consequential, news-making interviews, discussion and debate”.

The BBC said the changes “to how BBC News will work will lead to an estimated 450 job losses”.

The National Union of Journalists has said it is "deeply concerned about changes in BBC News and Current Affairs", calling the cuts "a major blow" before warning that "they will diminish these investigatory and interrogative programmes which regularly set the news agenda." Jobs will be lost in reporting, production, and operational departments.

Employees and fans were left devastated hearing the news. Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban, who presented the program on Wednesday, said on X:

Former Newsnight deputy editor Rob Burley said:

BBC News has to save £80 million as part of financial pressures on the corporation, including paying for free TV licenses for over-75s on pension credit.

Significant Setbacks: Impact of Newsnight and Panorama Cutbacks

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Expresses Concern Over Newsnight and Panorama Cuts, Anticipating a Substantial Impact on Investigative Programs.

"The union believes cuts at the flagship news programmes Newsnight and Panorama will be a major blow, and they will diminish these investigatory and interrogative programmes which regularly set the news agenda."

Five Panorama films are shortlisted in Press Gazette’s British Journalism Awards 2023. Paul Siegert, NUJ broadcasting organiser, said:

“The proposals would, on the face of it, diminish a part of the BBC’s output that has already been negatively impacted by previous rounds of cuts. The extension of BBC Breakfast and News at One would not provide an equivalent in-depth analytical and agenda-setting news product.”

NUJ members at BBC Local decided to stop arguing about the cuts to local radio content. This decision means they are moving towards creating more digital content. This comes after a year that included two times when many journalists walked out of their jobs in protest.