‘Wanted to Interview Modi but He Refused’: BBC Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur

In an interview to discuss the BBC's decision to axe its well-known and highly-regarded programme HARDtalk, its anchor Stephen Sackur revealed that he wanted to interview Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made several efforts to do so over the years, but Modi refused.

In a 35-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Sackur said the BBC’s decision to scrap HARDtalk “is a very serious mistake”. The BBC has claimed this is part of a cost-cutting exercise which initially will save £24 million. But HARDtalk only costs 1.2 million a year, a mere 5% of 24 million. So is the BBC losing valuable viewership and influence for very little saving?

HARDtalk will end in March and that means the last episodes are presently being broadcast. But does the BBC realise what HARDtalk represents to its international viewership? For many, HARDtalk is perhaps the most popular and widely watched programme on BBC World after The News.

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