BBC chief warns some TV channels and radio stations could close

Some BBC television channels and radio stations could close so resources can be invested in on-demand services, director general Matt Brittin has warned, citing financial pressure and changing audience habits.

In remarks to BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, reported by BBC News on 25 September 2026, Brittin said “we wouldn’t guarantee any programme or any channel will exist forever”. The report identifies no channels or radio stations facing closure and gives no approved timetable: this is a conditional warning, not an announcement of specific closures. [1]

The BBC is seeking £500 million in savings, according to the report. Brittin said the tight financial situation meant some decisions were being considered sooner than the corporation would like. The report does not specify a deadline for those savings or how much might come from closing broadcast services. [1]

Brittin said his priority when making savings was to minimise the impact on audiences. To explain the choices involved, he offered a hypothetical example of a service with perhaps 100,000 broadcast viewers but 500,000 people accessing its programmes through iPlayer, asking when it would make sense to move entirely on demand. Those figures were illustrative, not verified audience measurements for a named service. [1]

The warning follows job and programme cuts announced in recent months. BBC News named Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, Live at the Apollo and Football Focus among the programmes being closed. Those reported cuts are separate from the possibility of closing whole television channels or radio stations. [1]