Top BBC news shows to be hit by strike

Flagship BBC news programmes such as Newsnight are set to be blacked out because of a strike by thousands of journalists and technicians in protest at job losses, it was learned today.

The BBC Radio 4 Today programme, BBC 1’s Breakfast, news bulletins and BBC News 24 are also expected to be badly affected by the first of a wave of walkouts.

Members of the National Union of Journalists, Bectu and Amicus will strike for 24 hours on Monday, 48 hours from May 31 and another 24 hours in June which is yet to be announced.

The unions are expecting solid support for the stoppage and will mount picket lines outside BBC centres across the UK.

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman is believed to have told his bosses he was not prepared to cross the picket line that will be set up outside Television Centre in West London.

Union sources said production staff on Newsnight will be joining the strike so the programme will not be broadcast even if Paxman and other journalists did to work.

The NUJ said it had recruited hundreds of new members in recent weeks since the dispute over jobs flared.

A BBC spokeswoman said the corporation would do all it could to provide the best service it can, but could not comment on which programmes will be hit until it knew who will be on strike.