26-01-2023, 03:41 PM
It's had a few lucky escapes in the last few rounds of cutbacks, but I doubt that it'll be axed in the current round given the merger - without it, I'd say Newsnight would be at far greater risk. It's expensive (in news terms) and only gets about two/three times more viewers than the better performing News channel hours - so it's easy to see why it's a target. But, given the cut to UK news channel hours, I just don't think they could take the heat of losing both at the minute - especially as they are the only TV programmes that really fulfill the 'news analysis' remit (though whether the News channel actually performs this function outside OS is debatable).
It'd be a shame to lose Newsnight, not least as it's the only part of the BBC's TV politics output that a) actually spends any time on policy and b) engages in worthwhile analysis, but I imagine that, when it is axed, they'll have to replace it (at least in the medium-term) with some cheaper alternative - extended, harder News at Ten; Outside Source simulcast; a visualised Radio 4 programme - none of which would be terrible. Though, let's be honest, it'd likely be some Politics Live-style durge.
It'd be a shame to lose Newsnight, not least as it's the only part of the BBC's TV politics output that a) actually spends any time on policy and b) engages in worthwhile analysis, but I imagine that, when it is axed, they'll have to replace it (at least in the medium-term) with some cheaper alternative - extended, harder News at Ten; Outside Source simulcast; a visualised Radio 4 programme - none of which would be terrible. Though, let's be honest, it'd likely be some Politics Live-style durge.