[michael21]

Posted in the F1 thread, but I suspect others will want to know about Wimbledon http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011...a-one-bbc-cuts

BBC bosses have identified abandoning coverage of Formula One and Wimbledon as one way of saving money to help the broadcaster contend with the frozen licence fee settlement imposed last autumn.

Senior managers drawing up cost-saving options have alighted on the £40m-a-year motor racing deal and the long-running tennis coverage as ways in which the BBC could help achieve a £600m annual saving targeted for 2014.

Formula One, although helped by the popularity of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, is not peak-time programming, and as a result is viewed as a relatively expensive part of the sports schedule. Having been on ITV as recently as 2008, the sport is not seen as a mainstay of the BBC calendar.

Dropping Wimbledon, seen as a quintessentially BBC event, is also under consideration, although that would be a controversial move. The BBC has broadcast the event since 1937, and the close relationship between the All England Club and the broadcaster means the exact cost of the rights is barely known outside a handful of people.

"Wimbledon costs tens of millions, and is a very expensive contract, and costly to cover. No one is saying, definitely exit, but it is being looked at. Or perhaps, goes the thinking, this is a contract that could be shared with another broadcaster," said one well-placed BBC insider.

Although it says neither maybe dropped before 2014, the F1 contract may have a 'get out clause', if it does then the BBC may well utilise that in the same way ITV did back in 2008.

Seriously bad news this though, I'm not sure why both of those two, considering in the recent BBC Trust findings both were a 'HIT' in all categories.