BBC Scotland has relegated the Scottish version of Question Time to a "graveyard slot" after viewing numbers collapsed.
Debate Night is to be moved from its slot at 10.45pm on Wednesday to 10pm on Sunday.
It means the show will be up against big-hitters including Match of the Day and News At Ten.
Viewing figures for Debate Night, hosted by Stephen Jardine, fell from around 16,000 on its opening night in February to around 3000 a month later.
Professor Tim Luckhurst, a former BBC editor, told the Daily Mail that it was clearly not "a vote of confidence" in the show by BBC bosses.
He said: "If Debate Night is not yet in the graveyard, it is in intensive care – the competition from sport, entertainment and straight news on other channels is formidable on Sunday evenings.
"Indeed, the most successful Sunday current affairs shows, such as BBC One's Andrew Marr Show and Sky's Sophy Ridge, tend to be scheduled in the morning. Granted, to do that, they would have to call it Debate Day or Morning Debate, but a change of title might be a small price to pay for sufficient viewers to justify the expense."
A BBC Scotland spokesman said: "The switch to Sunday means Debate Night now has an earlier time slot.
"It continues to receive positive feedback from viewers who value the programme as a forum in which audience members have a say in the big issues and the opportunity to challenge politicians and policy makers."
Responding to the announcement on social media, people questioned the decision to move the show to the "graveyard slot", as it had been well-received by Scottish audiences.
Right, Sunday night,
— Brian MacIver (@Palayo) April 24, 2019
the grave yard hour.
Sunday night? For a political debate programme? And you wonder why you're not getting viewers?
— Andrew Sinclair (@Bluesprints) April 24, 2019
Changing this schedule doesn't seem a good move.
Sunday night? Seriously? Well, that will probably lose me as a regular viewer. What was wrong with the midweek slot! What on earth are the BBC Programme schedulers up to? #unimpresssed
— Stephen Taylor (@kozmapar) April 24, 2019
We are moving the well received programme to 10pm on Sunday night. We so want this channel to be a success... https://t.co/2H0VwpEznj
— Prof. Colin_Church (@ColinTKIrk) April 24, 2019
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel