[DTV]

Exactly, if funds really were running that low then the BBC should examine output costs and look to support (and prioritise) PSB output such as news.

As has been the case with most of the cuts. But you get to a point where the amount of things that have been ringfenced is unsustainable and it makes more sense to continue to protect mass-use PSB stuff like network news than a supplementary news channel, which, let's not forget, is used by only a small minority of those who use BBC News services, despite not catering to a minority audience.

And I'm getting a bit bored of having to say this, but there's no quicker way to destroy any remaining public support for the licence fee than to substantively cut back things that people enjoy to fund worthy things they don't want to watch - that's just not the PSB bargain that allows the BBC to survive. Ditching a sporting tournament that a) the BBC have broadcast for nearly as long as television has existed and b) is one of the most-watched programmes when it is on, to help add extra funds to a channel whose better-performing slots rate about as well as Look North (Hull) is just bad politics.

Plus, I just don't believe that funding alone explains the output flaws. Given the broad numbers suggested, we're probably looking at a channel with a budget a bit higher than either channel previously had and which is only a bit smaller than the combined budgets for the entire English TV regional news operation. Given direct production costs are only a fraction of a news channel's budget, there should be more than enough money for a more professional operation. Bad executive decisions, poor resource management and poor staff retention are likely to be bigger culprits.