The BBC Scotland television channel could be taken off air as early as next week amid growing fears over sweeping cuts at the broadcaster.
Staff fear the dedicated Scottish channel could lose its place on conventional television and become an online-only service as the BBC attempts to save £500 million.
BBC Three is also understood to be vulnerable, with director-general Matt Brittin expected to update staff on the latest stage of the corporation’s cost-cutting plans on Wednesday.
No decision to close BBC Scotland as a linear television channel has been confirmed and the BBC has declined to comment on the speculation.
The concerns have intensified after a redundancy process began within the BBC’s TV and streaming division this week.
Dan McGolpin, director of BBC iPlayer and Channels, which oversees the corporation’s television stations, has asked staff to express an interest in voluntary redundancy.
Employees have also been asked about potential job-sharing, reducing their hours or moving to another BBC base as the broadcaster attempts to limit compulsory redundancies.
The wider savings programme could eventually result in as many as 2,000 jobs being lost across the BBC.
The Guardian reports increased speculation that BBC Scotland and BBC Three could be moved online-only.
One BBC insider told the newspaper: “It is no secret that BBC Scotland and BBC Three are very expensive on a cost-per-viewer basis – a key metric being looked at – and they clearly haven’t achieved what was hoped.”
BBC Scotland launched as a dedicated television channel in February 2019 following calls for the corporation to provide more programming specifically reflecting Scottish life.
At the time, then director-general Tony Hall described the new service as “bold, creative and ambitious”.
Seven years later, changing viewing habits and the BBC’s increasingly digital-first strategy have raised questions about the future of the channel.
Figures cited in the latest report suggest around 12% of people in Scotland watch BBC Scotland live.
The corporation told the Scottish Parliament earlier this year that requests to watch BBC Scotland content on iPlayer had increased by 250% since the television channel was launched.
BBC Scotland is responsible for programmes including comedy Dinosaur and dramas such as Granite Harbour, while forthcoming Scottish productions include Counsels, Grams, The Young Team and the return of children’s favourite Balamory.
The BBC has been increasingly clear about shifting investment towards iPlayer as audiences move away from traditional television schedules.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society London Convention this week, Brittin said the balance between on-demand and live television viewing was reaching a point where the corporation had to question whether maintaining all of its existing broadcast services represented the best use of licence fee money.
“If you look at the on-demand consumption versus live broadcast consumption then the balance is starting to get to the point where you have to ask: ‘Is that the best way to spend a licence fee pound?’” he said.
The BBC has already begun making cuts elsewhere.
Sports bulletins on the BBC News channel are being axed as part of changes announced last month, while reductions are being made across news, sport and other parts of the corporation.
BBC Three has been through an online-only transition before. It disappeared from traditional television in 2016 as a cost-saving measure before returning as a linear channel in 2022.
Brittin is expected to address BBC staff on Wednesday, when further details of the broadcaster’s savings programme could emerge.