LONDON, Oct 16 – British broadcaster BBC is set to cancel its long-running interview programme HARDtalk as part of plans to cut 130 news positions to reduce costs.

It said HARDtalk, which is hosted by journalist Stephen Sackur, will end in March next year after nearly 30 years on air.

"This is sad news for me personally, but much more important, I think it’s depressing news for the BBC and all who believe in the importance of independent, rigorous deeply-researched journalism,” Sackur posted on X.

"At a time when disinformation and media manipulation are poisoning public discourse HARDtalk is unique — a long-form interview show with only one mission: to hold to account those who all too often avoid accountability in their own countries.”

The show, which began in 1997 and airs from Monday to Thursday, is known for its hard-hitting interviews with high-profile figures.

The programme has featured interviews with figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Emmanuel Macron, Imran Khan, Robert Mugabe, and Hugo Chavez.

This comes as the BBC has been under growing financial pressure, with its deficit expected to reach £492 million for the 2024-25 financial year.

Sky News reported that BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness saying 185 roles will be closed, while 55 new roles will be created, leading to a net loss of 130 jobs.

Turness said BBC is said to save £24 million from BBC News budget, with around 40 per cent of it coming from "non-staff measures including reductions to spend on contracts, suppliers, distribution and physical buildings”.

Last year, it had also decided to reduce flagship show Newsnight to 30 minutes, and eliminate about half of its staff.