Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The BBC has announced a second round of website closures in response to recommendations in the Graf Report.

The report - commissioned by the government to examine the BBC’s online services - was published in July.

BBC New Media announced on Monday a series of measures that will help fund new broadband and other projects that support the BBC’s public values.

The changes to bbc.co.uk include the closure of the US Sports section of bbc.co.uk/sport and bbc.co.uk/legacies.

It is about preparing ourselves for the broadband world Ashley Highfield, BBC New Media

A reduction in investment and efficiency savings will also be implemented to achieve the 10% savings - approximately £6m - set by the Governors.

Ashley Highfield, director of New Media & Technology, said: "This is all about focusing our investment so that we can best use our funding to reach and delight the largest audiences with the most distinctive and original content.

"It is about preparing ourselves for the broadband world."

Mr Highfield said this meant reducing "funding or archive web content that no longer needs this level of investment or which may have become amply supplied by the market."

Public value

Mr Highfield added that the changes were "an ongoing process".

"The savings we made in July represented 2.5% of our web output.

"To meet the 10% target set out by the BBC Governors, we are announcing today a further 7.5% reduction to be achieved through lowering investment in areas where we feel this will not cause a reduction in public value, and by sharing resources with the commercial world."

Other changes to bbc.co.uk include a reduction in funding for bbc.co.uk/cult, with the exception of the Doctor Who section, and a more modest investment in bbc.co.uk/lifestyle.

Changes will also be made to the content on the BBC’s Where I Live sites and investment in bbc.co.uk/film will be re-prioritised to create a web space aimed at the film-making community.