The BBC says it will cut a raft of long-running Radio 4 programmes, including “You and Yours” and “Thinking Allowed”, as part of a broader drive to save about £500m. Several other shows are also reported to be affected, with listeners set to lose programmes that have run for decades.
The BBC says the restructuring includes investing in a new consumer programme and prioritising formats it says can be adapted more easily, including podcasts. Outlets differ in emphasis: some focus on the number and prominence of the cancellations, while others underline the BBC’s stated rationale of cost-cutting and shifting to audio-led formats. The BBC frames the changes as “difficult decisions” intended to deliver “significant savings”, while reports note the historic importance of some of the targeted programmes.
