The BBC is to axe You and Yours, the long-running Radio 4 programme focused on consumer rights and public concerns, after more than 50 years on air. The decision forms part of the corporation's £500 million cuts programme.
Former Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer had described the programme as one of the station's most important. Its removal signals a further reduction in the broadcaster's established specialist radio output.
You and Yours is among several Radio 4 titles affected by the changes, alongside Thinking Allowed, The Artificial Human and Free Thinking. The BBC is seeking programmes that can be more easily developed and distributed as podcasts, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The changes underline the pressure on public-service broadcasters to reconcile savings targets with shifts in audience habits. For listeners, the end of You and Yours removes a familiar national forum for consumer issues from Radio 4's schedule.