BBC Radio 4 to be protected from cuts

BBC Radio 4 will reportedly be spared from impending budget cuts at the BBC as the corporation seeks to reduce costs across its services in light of the licence fee freeze.

Over the past few months there have been numerous press stories about just where the cut backs at the BBC will fall. Some articles have claimed BBC Two’s daytime schedules will be axed and will simulcast with the BBC News Channel during the day. Other reports have claimed the BBC will cut back its Sports spending, that BBC Three or BBC Four will be closed, the BBC’s local Radio stations will bare the brunt, it’s News department will be cut back ect ect.

Each proposal has provoked reaction from the general public – the prospect of cutting back BBC Four did not go down well with viewers. It now seems the digital channel will most escape the cut backs because of the backlash. Now it seems that BBC Radio 4 may also escape cost cutting if reports over the week and today are to be believed. The station’s output will be spared from the cuts though its behind-the-scenes activities will be squeezed. The Daily Telegraph reports that the BBC’s other national stations such as BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 will face cuts. The two radio stations have long come under fire from BBC-bashers who claim they infringe of commercial territory.

The cut backs at the BBC are under the banner of ‘Delivering Quality First’ which will see the BBC investing money in key areas such as drama. The corporation is having to make major cuts and difficult decisions because of the licence fee imposed on it by the Con-Dem government and also has the additional funding responsibilities of S4C, the Welsh language, and the World Service. The licence fee freeze was controversial with some when it was imposed and there have been calls for it to be scrapped or investigated because of the alleged closeness between News International and the Government. News.