BBC announces raft of closures with CBBC and BBC Four to be online only

Plans include merging BBC News and World as well as cuts to local TV and radio services in England

CBBC, BBC Four and Radio 4 Extra will shut down and become online-only services, the corporation has said, as part of plans to close television and radio channels in order to focus on streaming services.

The BBC director general, Tim Davie, made the announcement on Thursday, in response to the culture secretary Nadine Dorries's decision to freeze the licence fee at 159 for the next two years.