BBC Newsnight, a flagship programme watched by millions for decades, could be taken off air by the end of next year, staff fear. Those working on the show told The Sun they believe it may disappear from television screens as the corporation faces a £500 million savings target.
Savings drive sparks fears
The concerns come as the BBC implements wide-ranging cuts. New Director-General Matt Brittin said in June that the corporation must save £500 million to make ends meet. In an email to staff, he wrote: "The scale of savings requires tough choices, careful work and won't all be ready at once. All divisions will be making significant savings."
The email confirmed that one in 10 jobs would be made redundant. A BBC spokesperson did not deny the claims reported in The Sun when asked for comment.
Previous overhaul and recent changes
Newsnight faced a major overhaul in 2024 when bosses cut its investigative journalism teams. Since then, the show — fronted by Victoria Derbyshire, Matt Chorley, and Paddy O'Connell — has centred on debate and political guests discussing the big events of the day. The move slashed Newsnight's headcount from 57 to 23.
More savings were made in June, when the BBC merged the production of Newsnight and Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
Spokesperson response and show's legacy
A BBC spokesperson said: "Since its reformat it has significantly increased its audiences and won an award. The BBC needs to save £500m over the next three years. News will play its part in contributing to those savings."
Launched in 1980, Newsnight has been responsible for some of TV news' biggest ever moments. Millions tuned into Emily Maitlis' bombshell interview with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in November 2019, when she grilled the then-Prince over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Back in 1997, long-time host Jeremy Paxman infamously asked then-Home Secretary Michael Howard if he 'threatened to overrule' prisons boss Derek Lewis 12 times during a live clash about Howard's decision to sack Lewis two years earlier. Long-running presenter Kirsty Wark carried Newsnight for 30 years into its new format.
