BBC reveals it will slash original programming by 1,000 hours a year

The BBC is to slash the amount of original TV programmes it shows by 1,000 hours a year, it revealed yesterday. This is expected to lead to a surge in repeats and a string of well-known shows being axed.

It is part of cost-cutting plans sparked by a frozen licence fee and inflationary pressures. Yesterday, the corporation laid out its plans for the year ahead, revealing that newly made shows will drop from 12,500 hours to about 11,500.

In recent weeks the BBC has cancelled shows including Autumnwatch, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and sitcom The Witchfinder. 

The BBC refused to be drawn on whether there will be a large increase in repeats but its Annual Plan did admit it was thinking about ‘how we surface the breadth and depth of the BBC’s archive’ on its channels and iPlayer.

BBC sources said ‘fluctuations’ in the sporting calendar would account for 500 hours of the 1,000 hour loss, while the remaining 500 will come from a reduction across all types of programming, barring news. 

In recent weeks the BBC has cancelled shows including Autumnwatch (pictured from left: Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Gillian Burke on Autumnwatch in 2022)

The report said the amount the BBC must save has gone up by 40 per cent to £400million.

Its TV budget alone will drop by nearly £100million this year, it has been revealed. Industry website Deadline said the budget would fall to £1.75billion but more resources were being moved across to radio and online content.