Wonder what you all make of the news The BBC is preparing to drop popular American shows such as Heroes, Mad Men and The Wire as part of a strategic review to combat criticism that it is stifling commercial rivals.
“The corporation said yesterday that it would also consider cuts on each of its television channels and radio stations as part of the review. Sir Michael Lyons, the Chairman of the BBC Trust, said in a letter to licence fee payers that the internal review “may mean the BBC becoming smaller”, adding that the trust wanted “a BBC that is smarter, more efficient and no bigger than it needs to be” Insiders said that the estimated £100 million a year that it spent on buying US shows was a likely target, given how many commercial broadcasters screened American imports. Each of the BBC’s nine television channels and ten national radio stations will be reviewed, although few expect any big casualties.