BBC Radio 4 will be free to discontinue programmes on matters such as agriculture, according to new plans.
The broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, has given the green light to slash the number of rules the BBC must follow on the contents of its programming, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The station will no longer be required to regularly cover issues to do with farming. Religion and science matters could also see a cut.
BBC Radio 4 will be able to be flexible on how much and how often niche subjects are covered, but it is thought the station won't drop them all together.
An Ofcom spokesman told The Telegraph: “The BBC must deliver to the high standards outlined in its new charter. We will soon publish the BBC’s licence requirements, explaining how we will hold it to account.”
Critics fear that the less demanding rules could lead to “dumbing down”.
The radio station is well-known for its programme Farming Today, hosted by broadcaster Charlotte Smith, which covers issues to do with food, farming, and the countryside.
It is broadcast each weekday morning from 5.45 to 5.58, and a longer programme (Farming Today This Week) is broadcast on Saturdays between 6.30 and 6.55. Around one million people listen to the programme.
