The Beeb's big guns go to war over budget cutbacks

By PAUL REVOIR

Last updated at 22:38 11 September 2007


They are two of the BBC's most snarling interrogators.

But yesterday Jeremy Paxman and John Humphrys turned on each other over where exactly the BBC should aim its budget cuts.

The battle began last week when Humphrys, 64, who presents Radio 4's Today programme, wrote to the BBC staff magazine Ariel declaring that his show was more essential to the BBC than Newsnight.

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Yesterday 57-year-old Mr Paxman wrote back, sarcastically branding Humphrys "the Greatest Living Welshman" and accusing him of encouraging staff to fight like "rats in a sack".

The row has erupted over the BBC's plans to cut programmes after receiving a lower than expected licence fee settlement.

Humphrys had written: "Both Today and Newsnight must have an adequate budget but when the chips are down Today matters more.

"There's a lot more fat in television - if fat is the right word - than there is in radio."

Paxman who hosts Newsnight on BBC2, and also fronts University Challenge, was scathing in his response in this week's magazine.

"Well hold the front page! John Humphrys thinks his programme shouldn't have its budget cut. That's not even up there with Dog Bites Man," he wrote.

"Perhaps The Greatest Living Welshman would like to consider how clever it is for us all to start fighting like rats in a sack because this organisation apparently finds it impossible to live on the assured income of £3.5billion a year."

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