Scrap BBC Three and Four to save prestigious programmes, says veteran journalist John Humphrys

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The presenter said he was "massively concerned" about damaging cuts at programmes like Radio Four's Today, which he has fronted for 20 years.

If it came to a choice between funding the two new channels and key output being cut, they should go, he said.

Mr Humphrys said: "If continuing with channels like BBC Three and BBC Four, if funding those channels means that the price to pay is that there must be damaging cuts to core programmes then I don't believe that is a price worth paying.

"The case cannot be made if the price to be paid is some kind of salami slicing which means that the Today programme not just suffers but is seriously damaged."

Mr Humphry's revealed Today is facing losing up to a fifth of its reporters, and fears the flagship programme could end up with just four journalists.

The 64-year-old's call comes after Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said in a recent speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival that cuts to his programme were unsustainable.

BBC Panorama journalist John Sweeney has also called for BBC Three to shut down.

The organisation's chairman Sir Michael Lyons also recently revealed it may have to scrap a channel to help meet a £2billion cut in the budget.

BBC Three, which has a £93.4million budget, and BBC Four, which spends £46.8million a year, were most likely to be scrapped, he said.

Both channels have struggled to make a mark since their launches in 2003 and 2002, with latest figures showing BBC Four gets just 0.4 per cent of audience share.

The BBC needs to save £2billion by 2013 to plug the gap between its desired funding and the actual amount it was awarded in January's licence fee settlement.