Broadcaster is said to be trying to ‘find a way out of the dispute’ (Picture: BBC)
The BBC is said to be conducting a review to ascertain whether it needs more presenters for its news channel, it’s been reported.
However, it’s been claimed that five female anchors who haven’t been seen on the BBC News channel since March are still in the dark over the future of their roles with the broadcaster.
Earlier this year, BBC News and BBC World News merged ahead of a relaunch, creating a single 24-hour TV channel, in a move that was announced in 2022.
It’s been alleged that management at BBC News is now reviewing whether more on-screen talent is needed, in a review that has reportedly been taking place for several weeks.
According to Deadline, it has been speculated that the broadcaster may be looking to bring back the five female presenters – Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Geeta Guru-Murthy, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh – who have been absent from the BBC for months.
On March 31 this year, Croxall signed off from BBC News for the final time ahead of the merger, saying to her viewers at the time: ‘It has been the greatest privilege to broadcast to you from here all this time. Thank you for joining us.’
Croxall said it was a ‘privilege’ to broadcast to viewers on the BBC (Picture: BBC)
A source told Deadline: ‘The review is just a cover for finding a way out of the dispute and settling with the presenters.
‘They’ll dress it up as requiring more presenter staffing and be able to bring back the people who’ve been off.’
The five presenters were said to have been offered roles to become correspondents or presenters on the merged BBC News channel, but accepting would have involved a pay cut and a step down in their careers.
It has been alleged that concerns by the presenters over the way in which BBC News chief presenter roles were recruited are being investigated.
Yalda Hakim moved over to Sky News from the BBC earlier this year (Picture: JP Yim/Getty Images)
The publication also claimed that the review is looking into the departure of Yalda Hakim from the BBC.
In July this year, it was announced that Hakim was joining Sky News as the firm’s lead world news presenter, fronting a primetime show on international news.
She previously hosted The Daily Global with Yalda Hakim on BBC News.
BBC star Christian Fraser, host of The Context, was reported to have been approached by other companies, but a source refuted the claim that he had spoken to other broadcasters.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment.
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Broadcaster is said to be trying to ‘find a way out of the dispute’.