BBC axes hard-hitting Hard Talk program amid wider cost-saving measures

​​​​​​​By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The BBC announced cuts totaling £24 million Tuesday as part of a broader effort to save £700 million annually, with significant changes set to affect its news services.

Among the casualties is the globally renowned interview program Hard Talk, which will be axed after more than two decades on air.

The show's long-time presenter, Stephen Sackur, who will leave the BBC, expressed disappointment at the decision, calling it a "depressing" signal for the future of in-depth interviews.

"These kinds of programs hold to account those who too often avoid accountability in their own countries," said Sackur.

In addition to Hard Talk, the BBC's Asian Network News service will also be closed. Moving forward, the station will instead source its bulletins from Radio 1’s Newsbeat.

Other changes include the production of the overnight program on BBC Radio 5 Live being shifted to regional BBC teams across the UK.

The proposed cuts will result in a net loss of 155 jobs, with the savings representing 4% of the BBC's news budget. Despite the reductions, Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, emphasized that the department will "remain very well resourced compared to our competitors."

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), however, expressed concern about the potential long-term damage to BBC journalism.

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet criticized the cuts as a "damaging assault on journalism" at a time when the UK requires greater diversity and plurality in its news offerings. "Trust in journalism is under attack both at home and abroad," she added.

While these announcements detail domestic cuts, the BBC has yet to provide an update on the future of its World Service, which has already seen reductions to foreign language broadcasts, including Chinese and Arabic services.

According to BBC, the UK government currently contributes about a quarter of the World Service’s £366 million budget, and a decision on whether to increase this funding is expected by the end of October.

BBC Director General Tim Davie warned earlier this week that cuts could undermine the UK's ability to counter "pure propaganda" from nations like Russia and China.