bbc to drop f1 from 2014

BBC bosses have identified abandoning coverage of Formula One and Wimbledon as one way of saving money to help the broadcaster contend with the frozen licence fee settlement imposed last autumn.

Senior managers drawing up cost-saving options have alighted on the £40m-a-year motor racing deal and the long-running tennis coverage as ways in which the BBC could help achieve a £600m annual saving targeted for 2014.

Formula One, although helped by the popularity of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, is not peak-time programming, and as a result is viewed as a relatively expensive part of the sports schedule. Having been on ITV as recently as 2008, the sport is not seen as a mainstay of the BBC calendar.

Dropping Wimbledon, seen as a quintessentially BBC event, is also under consideration, although that would be a controversial move. The BBC has broadcast the event since 1937, and the close relationship between the All England Club and the broadcaster means the exact cost of the rights is barely known outside a handful of people.

"Wimbledon costs tens of millions, and is a very expensive contract, and costly to cover. No one is saying, definitely exit, but it is being looked at. Or perhaps, goes the thinking, this is a contract that could be shared with another broadcaster," said one well-placed BBC insider.

However, it would not be easy for the BBC to make a quick move to drop either sport, as both contracts run until 2014. Overall, the BBC spends about £300m a year on sport, although costs vary significantly if there is a major event – in particular the Olympics or the World Cup.

With the broadcaster under pressure to cut 20% from its budgets by 2014, sport will need to save an estimated £60m. However, it is understood that the BBC would strive to protect football coverage, because of its appeal and the peak-time programming it provides, even though the cost of football presenters – such as Gary Lineker, who earns somewhere over £1m a year – is high.

The survey of the sports department was touched on by the incoming BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, when he was vetted by the culture, media and sport select parliamentary committee on Wednesday. He warned "all hell will break loose" when decisions are unveiled.

Late on Thursday it emerged that the BBC was also looking at cutting huge swaths of programming from its 40 local radio stations. Only the breakfast and drivetime shows would be retained, with the rest of the output replaced by content from rolling news and sport station BBC Radio 5 Live.

The BBC's English regions controller, David Holdsworth, said on Friday that no decisions had been taken but warned staff to be realistic about what sort of service the corporation could provide in the wake of the impending budget cuts. "The BBC is going through a fundamental assessment of what it needs to do to maintain quality, audience trust and fulfil our purposes but with significantly less money," he said in an email to all local radio staff.

The BBC may also make savings by cutting back regional network television made specifically for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and English regions, particularly on BBC2. One programme thought to be at risk is the Scottish soap River City, which has not found an audience outside Scotland.

Cuts to regional programming would be controversial away from London, particularly as ITV has reduced its spending.

A BBC spokesman said: "We are looking at a range of ideas and it would be wrong to comment on what is speculation."







if it goes to itv i will cry

where should it go if dropped and are bbc making a big mistake?

unfortunately like the rest of us the corporate organisations are feeling the pull of the credit crunch. Its been a long time coming. With the BBC cutting back on their online stuff and now this it makes you wonder how this will affect the general public.

I for one dont want to see F1 or Wimbledon on ITV. Not just because of the adverts (although that is really annoying mid race) but BBC tend to put on a better show and the history of wimbledon on BBC speaks volumes.

Its still a few years away yet, maybes something can be done before 2014.

Wimbledon I can see working on ITV, there's obvious breaks for adverts in it.

But F1 was shocking on ITV, the coverage that the Beeb put out I really enjoy.

Controversial - but it BBC gives up either, I'd opt for Sky Sports.

ITV simply cannot put on a sports show of any quality whatsoever.

I hope BBC gives away neither, particularly the F1. Great team, and great coverage.

I'd like to see F1 on Channel 4, they'd do a good job.

Sad news and i agree that it cannot go back to ITV, they don't seem to have any respect for sport, adverts during a race is just plain wrong, i know some of the races are long and there's no natural breaks but it's just greed. You wouldn't expect adverts to come on halfway through the first half of the footy or halfway through the round of a boxing match.

I think it's just posturing so the licence fee is taken away or reduced.
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This is the one event that the BBC treats really well. They should give away things like motogp instead because they don't cover it very good anymore