BBC News and BBC World to merge

[London Lite]

If the first response to the prospect of receiving a little less money is to make significant cuts to what (I think we can agree) are the truly essential licence-fee-funded services like news, rather than looking elsewhere - maybe just one episode of EastEnders a week instead of four? - then is it really unfair to observe that maybe the major danger is in what the BBC itself is choosing to cut, and what to prioritise?

EastEnders is cheaper to produce by making more episodes than by reducing them. It may not have the pulling power it used to have, but it still remains one of the BBC's key methods of introducing PSB storylines to the masses.