The BBC will close about 200 websites as part of its commitment to scale back its activities and make more room for commercial competitors, according to new media chief Erik Huggers.

Huggers told the Media Guardian website that the BBC had made a mistake in allowing its web presence, which unlike its broadcast activities is not constrained by spectrum restrictions, to sprawl and said that the corporation had to focus on what it did best.

Huggers told Media Guardian that the BBC would cut 25% off its online budget by 2013.