[DTV]

Also, news is the core “point” of PSB broadcasting, so if you cannot do that what is the point. The BBC should have kept the channel and inflicted the cuts elsewhere. Even if they are left with only children’s, News and current affairs; those are the core elements of the broadcasting remit that commercial channels can’t/won’t do. It is the niche services that are actually the most important. If a smaller BBC is what we have to have, then something akin to PBS in America should be it - not something where there is money for popular entertainment on BBC One but no money for the News Channel.

I'm not sure I'd agree that news is the core point of PSB broadcasting, certainly a core tenet, but only as part of the wider inform, educate, entertain mantra. Ultimately, the PSB bargain in Europe has been that you can have the money for niche services, but you need to do something for the general audience too and I feel that the BBC have typically struck the right balance. It's also worth noting that general entertainment is also getting hit by the cuts - the News channel's contribution to the BBC's latest savings drive only accounts for about 5% of the overall planned £500m annual savings.

While I'd agree that the News channel's effective closing is a shame and that we are absolutely losing something, I do think it's fair given the circumstances. I know there is a lot of trepidation around it, but if the new channel can land somewhere around 'balanced shared hours and decent and regular UK-opt outs' then I think it would be a perfectly adequate and justifiable service. Ideal? No, but nothing about the situation the BBC is currently in is.