BBC to axe Radio 4’s The World Tonight after more than 50 years

News programme broadcast every weekday evening is one of first victims of corporation’s drive to cut £500m in costs BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight is to be axed after more than 50 years, as part of a first round of sweeping cuts that will result in other shows being cut and the departure of hundreds of staff. The 45-minute news programme, broadcast every weekday evening on Radio 4, is one of the first victims of a savings drive that will also put entire BBC channels and radio stations under review. Its closure emerged as BBC departments began announcing savings, designed to axe as many as 2,000 jobs – with some compulsory redundancies – and trim £500m across the next three years. Some in the BBC already fear the cuts will lead to a strike. On-screen figures will be among those leaving the corporation after a review of the BBC’s chief presenter roles. In all, up to 150 fewer hours of programmes will be commissioned by the BBC by the end of the 2027-28 financial year. In a morning note to staff, Matt Brittin, the new director general, indicated he was focusing cuts on areas that would help shift BBC content to digital platforms, where audiences were growing. He said the