Protests as BBC takes 11,000 recipes offline

The BBC’s Food and Newsbeat websites, along with its iWonder service, will close over the next 12 months as part of plans to save £15 million.

The online News Magazine will also close, to be replaced by “long-form” journalism online under a current affairs banner, the BBC said. Social media activity around digital radio and music will also be reduced, and the BBC’s Travel website will be closed.

James Harding, director of BBC News and current affairs, said: “The internet requires the BBC to redefine itself, but not its mission: the BBC’s purpose online is to provide a distinctive public service that informs, educates and entertains.”

The reforms come after a review last autumn to ensure the BBC provides “a distinctive public service that informs, educates and entertains”.

Around 11,000 recipes will be lost under the review of online services, and there has been a clamour to save them from being permanently lost to the public.

An online petition to save the recipe archive has attracted more than 30,000 supporters — with numbers rapidly rising — as campaigners called it a “precious resource” for people.

Over the coming year, the BBC will:

• Close the iWonder service, but redeploy its formats across BBC Online;
• Close the BBC’s Foodwebsite. The Good Food site part of BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, will remain;
• Focus on distinctive long-form journalism online under a current affairs banner and close the online News Magazine;
• Integrate Newsbeat output into BBC News Online, but close the separate Newsbeat site and app;
• Continue to offer travel news online as part of BBC News, but close the Travel site and halt development of the Travel app.