BBC TO MAKE CUTS

Late night programmes such as chat shows could be axed from BBC1, and BBC2 converted into a repeats channel.

This is because increases are expected to attack the BBC licence fee, which will cost approximat £145 until 2016, the corporation has promised to become efficient with savings of 20%.

Mark Thompson, the BBC Director General, decided on a series of possible reductions to services, designed to protect the prime-time programming that he believes is most valued by their viewers.

The main changes are:
1. Closing 2,500 job posts over the next six years.
2. Creating about 1,000 new jobs, many of which will be filled internally. (The BBC estimates there will be 1,800 redundancies from their current staff.)
3. Making 10% fewer original TV programmes by 2013 and keeping only high quality shows.
4. Establishing an integrated newsroom - merging TV, radio and online.
5. Selling the BBC Television Centre by 2012/13.
6. Scrapping plans for four new local radio stations.

Shermeen and Ketachi (students) think that this is effective because you might miss a programme and you can watch it later instead.

Parents say that they disagree and say that this is bad because adults with children want to watch their types of programmes when children have gone to bed and they don't want to just watch repeats of programmes that children watch; they want to watch their favourite chat shows!

- Emily