Underlying investment in news output will increase under the DQF proposals as the BBC makes providing ‘the best journalism is the world’ its first editorial priority.

Live breaking news, the main news bulletins, Newsnight, Daily Politics and daily sequences on radio (such as Today) will all be maintained.

However, the mid-morning and short 3pm BBC1 news summary and separate bulletins on some radio stations will end while the News Channel will focus more squarely on breaking news.

Spend not dedicated to core and breaking news stories will be reduced on the News Channel, with more material repeated from the nations and regions when demand is lower. Broadcast events from around the UK will also be reduced.

“The editorial challenge will be to ensure the channel stays relevant and retains its significantly increased audience,” says the report.

Scope savings in news total c£24m per year by 2016/17. However, newsgathering has been earmarked for reinvestment in core global priority areas (such as BRIC countries or other parts of the world that emerge as significant) and in local and regional newsgathering around the UK “where the BBC’s presence is becoming more valuable over time”.

There will also be investment in commercial service BBC World News to strengthen its quality and reputation, subject to regulatory clearance, while efficiencies are expected from the integration of BBC News and the World Service to create ‘One BBC News’.

Factual programming spend is expected to fall slightly but there is to be an increased investigations fund for Panorama,and an increase in international current affairs on BBC television.

 Other areas to be protected include:

Radio 4 landmark output such as A History of the World in 100 Objects

The Proms

The networked Politics Show on a Sunday will be relaunched as part of the Daily Politics strand

Regional current affairs programme Inside Out will be shared across larger regions, and its investigations budget will be protected.

News bulletins and flagship strands in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be protected but there will be a small reduction in other output.

Factual programming for BBC TV and Radio 4 will move out of Birmingham, largely to Bristol and Cardiff, though television production investment with independent producers in the Midlands is set to increase. Local and regional new services will remain.