Journalist and presenter Mark Urban has confirmed his departure from the BBC after 35 years at the broadcasting giant.
Addressing his social media followers on Sunday, Urban, 63, best known for his appearances on Newsnight alongside Jeremy Paxman, announced he will be parting ways with the BBC just weeks after deciding it was “time for a change”.
On X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: ‘Personal news. I will be leaving the BBC at the end of May. Newsnight in its current format will end then, so most posts will disappear.
‘I decided not to apply for other jobs at the BBC. Working there for 35 years has defined my life: being an eyewitness to history collaborating with such brilliant colleagues. But it’s time for a change.’
Newsnight will soon show more live debate shows as it takes inspiration from Question Time and appoints a new editor amid a battle to win back lost viewers.
Journalist and presenter Mark Urban has confirmed his departure from the BBC after 35 years at the broadcasting giant.
Addressing his social media followers on Sunday, Urban announced he will be parting ways with the BBC just weeks after deciding it was “time for a change”.
Urban is currently Newsnight’s diplomatic editor and occasional presenter of the long-running current affairs programme.
The news and current affairs program will be led by Jonathan Aspinwall, who has worked for the corporation for 27 years and currently runs BBC News Podcasts.
He will become executive editor four months after the BBC decided to cut more than half of the show’s 60 staff and reduce it to 30 minutes to save £7.5m.
Urban had worked alongside Paxman for more than 20 years before the outspoken host’s departure in 2014.
He is currently Newsnight’s diplomatic editor and occasional presenter of the long-running current affairs programme.
The BBC is trying to save £500m in the face of high inflation and a freeze on license fees, as it struggles to reverse falling audience numbers in recent years.
Viewers have nearly halved to 300,000 since 2020; Jeremy Paxman’s last show in 2014 attracted 1.1 million, although this was double the average at the time.
The BBC said Aspinwall, who edited Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, “will lead Newsnight as it evolves into a program based on debates, discussions and interviews”.
He currently runs the BBC’s news podcasts, including the Newscast and Newscast TV series, Americast, Ukrainecast, The Global Story and The Shamima Begum Story.
Victoria Derbyshire has been confirmed as the main presenter of BBC Newsnight
Newsnight bosses to take inspiration from Question Time, presented by Fiona Bruce
Newsnight’s new executive editor is Jonathan Aspinwall, who joined the corporation in 1997.
After joining the BBC in 1997, Aspinwall has held senior editorial roles across television, radio and digital media, including deputy editor of BBC Breakfast, senior news editor of World TV and editor of Radio 5 Live’s Late Night Output.
He said: ‘I’m delighted to be joining the brilliant and talented Newsnight team ahead of the UK and US elections.
‘We will build on Newsnight’s formidable reputation to deliver top interviews and accurate analysis. I can’t wait to get started.’
Bosses hope the relaunch, due in May, can take inspiration from Question Time, which tours the UK with debate shows with live audiences.
Earlier this month, Newsnight, which airs on BBC Two, had two programs live from Doncaster and Paisley in which small groups of voters had the opportunity to ask MPs questions.
And a source familiar with the plans said The times: “We will continue doing it, although it will not be weekly.”
Victoria Derbyshire has been confirmed as main presenter after Kirsty Wark said last October that she would leave the show after the next election, having presented it for three decades.