BBC to end sports show Grandstand

 

The BBC sports show Grandstand is to come to an end after 48 years.

The corporation said the programme will be phased out as part of an overhaul of coverage but sports will still be shown on Saturday afternoons.

 

Grandstand has been presented by the likes of Frank Bough, David Coleman, Des Lynam and Steve Rider.

 

BBC Director General Mark Thompson is expected to announce the changes when he gives details of a review of BBC output on Tuesday.

 

The project is aimed at making sure the BBC's programming and content meets the challenges of the digital, on-demand world.

 

Sports programming on Saturday afternoon originally ran within Grandstand.

 

But in recent years coverage has been broken down into individual programme segments such as Football Focus.

 

This year's coverage of the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games were shown without the Grandstand banner.

 

It is thought events currently covered by BBC Sport within Grandstand, such as the Grand National and FA Cup football, will now also be given their own programmes.

 

BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said: "BBC executives believe that in the new digital on-demand world, in which people consume news, sport and entertainment on computers and mobile phones as well as radio and TV, it is associated with the past rather than the future."

 

Credit: BBC Sport

 

Awwwwwww I'll miss the theme tune :( Yes I loved the PROGRAMME so much :lol:

Saturday afternoons will never be the same, why change it after so many years :(

It certainly seems to be the end of an era.

TRAVESTY :cry:

It's the end of an era, but in reality if you love sport then why watch Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon when you've got Sky Sports or can listen instead to Radio 5 Live which did not exist c.15 years ago.

I don't have Sky but I do listen to Radio Five Live regularly.

 

Plus BBC have said they are still going to show sport on a Saturday but it just seems to be Grandstand that is being axed.

Edited April 27, 200619 yr by Serendipity

tbh grandstand is old hat now anyway, bbc needed to come out with a new format to challenge sky, sport is very niche now & fans can get better coverage of their fav sports on other chanels

I'll just miss the music.