The BBC is reportedly poised to unveil plans to merge the BBC News channel and the international BBC World News channel into a single service.
The move comes as the corporation looks to find huge savings to comply with an increasingly-strained budget and is in the context of a wider debate about the BBC's long-term funding structure.
According to a report in The Times, a new channel will be created to replace both BBC News and BBC World News in what is being described as "an opportunity to reinvent its rolling news and make it nimbler and more digitally focused".
As a result, UK viewers will see more content aimed at a global audience but there will be a provision for the UK feed of the channel to "opt out" of the new service to provide dedicated coverage of major events of specific interest to the domestic audience, such as the recent shenanigans in parliament.
The newspaper says that on-air talent, as well as people working behind the scenes, are likely to lose their jobs in the efficiency drive - while there are also rumours that overnight hours may be outsourced to the BBC's foreign bureaux such as Singapore and the US, where production costs are cheaper.
A timescale for the launch of the new channel has not yet been revealed.
Neil Wilkes
Follow us on Bluesky or on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.
Media Mole's Lowest Ever Sky Offer: Get Sky Essential, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £15 a month + £0 upfront fee for 24 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends March 19, 2025
