Regional BBC programmes cancelled with no plan for return

TWO regional BBC current affairs programmes have been cancelled with no clear idea about when or if they will return.

The second series of this year’s BBC current affairs programme Inside Out has been cancelled and its long-term future remains under review.

And Sunday morning show Politics North will not return for the summer recess, with its presenter saying programme-makers have been given no idea of a return date.

Inside Out highlights real-life stories and investigations from different parts of England. There are 11 regional variations, including one for the North East and Cumbria, presented by Chris Jackson.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the second series of Inside Out this year. Given the current situation, we need to prioritise our resources to ensure we provide the best possible service for our audiences. Separately we are also taking a thorough look at what we do in England. This is driven by the BBC’s significant financial challenges and efforts to learn lessons from the Covid-19 crisis. No decisions have been taken on the future of any of our content or services.”

The show’s North East presenter also announced the news on social media.

Chris, who was born in Newcastle and became Inside Out’s front man when it started many years ago, said on Twitter: “As this is in the public domain, I owe it to our very loyal viewers to confirm that the award-winning, regional current affairs series Inside Out will not return to your screens in September as the series has been pulled by the BBC.

“The entire regional current affairs output, which also includes one-off documentaries for and about the region, is under review.”