The BBC could scrap traditional shows like Gardener’s World to make way for ‘new ideas’, a watchdog has revealed.
An internal review recommended ‘retiring’ more programmes to free up slots in the schedule, according to the National Audit Office.
The news sparked fears the Corporation is ‘dumbing down’ its TV output. Experts warned that other established favourites in the firing line could include The Sky At Night, Bargain Hunt, Points of View, Cash in the Attic and Homes Under the Hammer.
The BBC could also lose its ability to make traditional programmes if it continues to outsource production to independent companies, the NAO warned.
The BBC could scrap traditional shows like Gardener’s World (pictured with presenter Monty Don) to make way for ‘new ideas’, a watchdog has revealed
The Corporation lost the right to make Songs of Praise last March, prompting a senior Church of England figure to warn that it could be ‘another nail in the coffin of the religious literacy of the nation’. A report by the watchdog said: ‘There is a risk that, if BBC Studios loses too many commissions in a particular genre, the ability of the BBC as a whole to make programmes in that genre could be diminished, or even lost.
‘In addition to losing programmes in open competition, Studios could also lose work if the BBC decides to retire old formats. The likelihood of this happening increased in November 2017 when an internal [BBC] review of the tendering process for recommissioning existing programmes recommended retiring more shows, where this made sense from an audience point of view, in order to free up slots for new ideas.’
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told The Daily Telegraph: ‘I am for having the schedule refreshed but there must be no dumbing down of the quality of the programmes.
‘Given the BBC’s nearly £4billion of taxpayer-funding through the licence fee there is no excuse for it.’ A BBC spokesman declined to say which ‘old format’ shows were for the axe, adding: ‘It’s not true this is about “chasing viewers” or dumbing down. We are committed to finding the very best new ideas as well as keeping long running shows at the top of their game.
The BBC could also lose its ability to make traditional programmes if it continues to outsource production to independent companies, the NAO warned
‘The study last year was simply pointing out that there are other options to deliver competition and we should explore them all.’
The BBC’s commercial activities has also flatlined since 2012 in the face of fierce competition from Netflix and Amazon, the watchdog said. Income of £1.1billion in each of the five years from 2012 to 2017 was deemed ‘broadly stable’. Only the Worldwide service made profits throughout. Tory MP Sir Bill Cash said the BBC was ‘feeling the heat of competition’.
Meanwhile, at least 250 staff including Victoria Derbyshire and Mariella Frostrup have demanded the BBC publishes details of individual staff salaries and benefits following the row about equal pay.