ITV to axe South Bank Show after three decades as Bragg steps down

The South Bank Show is to be axed by ITV after more than 30 years as the channel's flagship arts programme, it was announced today.

The show, presented by Melvyn Bragg, 69, will air for the last time in June next year when the current series comes to an end. Bragg will also be retiring as ITV's controller of arts. He said in a statement today: "I have decided to leave ITV at the end of my current contract.

"I have had the privilege to work with fine programme makers and hundreds of the best artists of the last half century." ITV is at the sharp end of an unprecedented downturn in television advertising revenue.

There has been speculation that the collapse in income would lead to cuts in public service programming and the South Bank Show would appear to fit that definition.

The show's last series will feature programmes on the Royal Shakespeare Company, Coldplay and Andy Warhol.This Sunday it will focus on the work of writers from Nigeria.

The first South Bank Show in 1978 featured Germaine Greer, cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and Paul McCartney.

Over more than 700 episodes it has won more than 110 awards, including 12 Baftas, six Emmys, five Prix Italia awards and four Royal Television Society awards.

ITV chairman Sir Michael Grade, who originally commissioned The South Bank Show, said: "Over three decades the South Bank Show has become the benchmark for popular arts programming."

Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, channels and online said: "Up until the show's arrival, this genre had been narrowly focused on classical music, ballet, operas and art.

"The South Bank Show and Melvyn go hand in hand and given that he has decided to step down we felt that this was the right time to lower the curtain on this series."

■ Some of Channel 4's biggest stars face pay cuts as it slashes 10 per cent, or £100 million, of its programme budget. Paul O'Grady, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Davina McCall will bear the brunt of the cuts.