RIVER City could be scrapped, BBC Scotland's big-name presenters could face pay cuts, and much of the Scottish input into BBC2 could be lost in plans to reduce annual costs.

The moves will be debated on Wednesday and Thursday when the BBC Trust meet at BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay headquarters to review plans to cut the BBC’s annual costs of £2.4 billion.

Most production departments will be asked to cut costs by up to 20%, with other areas looking to make a 25% reduction in their budgets. BBC Scotland’s budget of £80 million will lose £16m.

The most expensive programmes to make will come under serious review. River City costs £7m a year and the hour-long show has an audience of 500,000, while £4m of BBC Scotland’s budget goes to Gaelic channel BBC Alba, which attracts just 200,000 viewers a week.

“We don’t know what will happen with River City,” said a BBC Scotland spokesman. “There are three options; leave it as it is, pull the plug on it completely or cut it back to 40 weeks screening a year. If we had to guess it would be the third option, whereby it takes a break 12 weeks a year, and returns, just like Waterloo Road does.

“As for BBC Alba, everyone is looking to their budgets.”

BBC Trust chairman Chris Patten has indicated BBC2 will be reformatted, removing its opt-out slots.

“A major concern for BBC Scotland will be losing much of the 550 hours of television a year it makes for the channel.

“What we are guessing will happen is that BBC2 will feature all network programmes and BBC1 will be re-jigged,” said the spokesman. “And this is a concern. There is also an indication that Light Entertainment will suffer and BBC Scotland’s shows such as The Lottery Show, Tonight’s The Night and Mrs Brown could well be axed.

“But at the same time, we’re less worried about the future of drama and sitcom, which are seen to be ‘audience drivers’.”

The changes to BBC2 would not mean the loss of Rab C Nesbitt, which is commissioned as a network programme. It would mean, however, that Scots producers hoping to make BBC programmes would find themselves facing far stiffer competition for network slots if the opt-out market vanishes.

Regardless, BBC Scotland faces a 10% cut in staff, which employs around 1250 people. It is likely freelance presenters’ pay will be cut, with the likes of John Beattie and Fred MacAulay offered less.

“If the BBC ethos of providing information and entertaining people at the same time is to be adhered to, there has to be a re-think,” said a BBC insider. “And you have to question the idea of bringing in expensive freelances when there are journalist presenters facing the axe.”

The BBC Scotland spokesman acknowledged presenters’ salaries would be reviewed.

“Talent spend will be decreased,” he said. “This is a BBC-wide policy that will be taking place. As for using journalists more, it always been about getting the right mix.”

It is “too early to say” if the cuts will impact upon the 2014 Commonwealth Games, or outside broadcast events such as T In The Park.

However, the BBC Scotland insider said the cuts will be revealing. “It will be interesting to see if the … viewers actually notice the difference. Would viewers care if BBC Alba disappeared, for example? Or indeed some of the Radio Scotland output? And you have to ask what is the point of a regional broadcaster if doesn’t reflect its broad-based audience.

“And you have to ask how successful is BBC Scotland when it has to be handed a network drama such as Waterloo Road, rather than create its own.”