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If we are in a crisis of news, we should look to the BBC to prioritise that fight – not make it worse

Former head of BBC Television News Roger Mosey says shut BBC Three to fund BBC News.

Roger Mosey standing outdoors in a park, wearing a suit and tie and smiling.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Published: Friday, 19 June 2026 at 8:00 am

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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

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Right now what the country and the world need more than anything else is BBC News. Big US tech companies dominate the information we see, and social media is awash with rubbish. Worse still, hostile states set out to inflame tensions in Britain.

BBC News needs to bring us the facts, not take sides, and have a commitment to the truth. Evidence and data matter, and the BBC should be our trusted guide. It also has to capture the authentic voices of our islands – views of people from the north of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall.

The cabinet member responsible for broadcasting, Lisa Nandy, has said that the BBC is second only to the NHS as an essential national service. If it is, she and the Corporation cannot preside over threatened cuts that would make hundreds of journalists redundant.

I am worried about services in the nations and regions, including local radio, which have already been cut to the bone.

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The BBC should concentrate on what’s excellent and will be much viewed on iPlayer. And if it means that some network TV channels have to close, with reluctance, I’d support that.

BBC Three’s days are over; BBC Four should be merged with BBC Two. But if we are in a crisis of news, we should look to the BBC to prioritise that fight – not make it worse.

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Roger Mosey

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