As part of dramatic cost-cutting the BBC is considering making its 24-hour TV news broadcast channel an online news channel only which could mean the disappearance or radical changes to BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256).
The British Broadcasting Corporation runs BBC News as a domestic 24-hour TV news channel, alongside an international and slightly differentiated channel feed, BBC World News, using the same resources.
The Guardian reports that the BBC is considering changing BBC News into an online news channel only to cut millions of pounds in cost, scrapping its broadcasting footprint.
Taking BBC News off air and online only will undoubtedly impact BBC World News as the international version of the channel seen in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.
The BBC has not taken a final decision on the move, and declined comment when The Guardian asked about the plan. BBC News remains the most watched TV news channel in the United Kingdom.
A paper has been put together about the news channel from the British public broadcaster and its future, and the BBC is considering ending BBC News as a TV channel because rolling broadcast news has become too expensive as people increasing move to the internet to get their news.
In South Africa, 24-hour TV news channels like eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405) have similarly started with cost-cutting and scaling back on budgets.
James Harding, the BBC director of news, recently said "there is a shift from rolling news channels on TV to streaming news on mobile. This represents an opportunity as exciting as the launch of 24-hour news in 1997 and will force the BBC to think how best we reach people".
