THE BBC could be forced to shift Strictly Come Dancing and its other most popular shows from their prime-time slots to aid privateer rivals under plans being considered by scandal-hit Culture Secretary John Whittingdale.

Mr Whittingdale is said to be considering the measure as part of the white paper on the future of the BBC that is due to be published within weeks, according to reports in Sunday newspapers.

It comes after years of bitter complaints from ITV that its advertising revenue is suffering because the BBC is dominating the Saturday-night battle for viewers.

Some of the British public’s favourite shows — Strictly, Doctor Who, Sherlock and the like — could be banished from peak viewing hours under the plan.

But a BBC source insisted it does not “aggressively schedule” in a deliberate bid to leave competitors out of pocket and said the corporation would be “deeply concerned” if it were barred from showing certain programmes at peak times.

“It would be odd to make it harder for people to find and watch the programmes they have already paid for,” they said.

Shadow culture secretary Maria Eagle said yesterday that the plan would impinge on the independence of the corporation.

“John Whittingdale is behaving as if he were running the BBC. He is not,” she said. “This kind of meddling in day-to-day scheduling decisions would be a completely unacceptable interference in the independence of the BBC.

“What have the Tories got against the BBC?”

The white paper could also set out restrictions on the BBC’s on-air advertising of its own programmes across its networks in order to protect the profits of commercial stations, it was reported.

The salaries of the corporation’s stars could also be forced into the open.

Graham Linehan, who has written TV comedies such as Father Ted, said the reports were further proof that “John Whittingdale is, of course, an ‘off the books’ Murdoch employee.”

But Mr Whittingdale appeared to be in retreat over the idea by yesterday afternoon, with a spokesman saying: “The government cannot and indeed should not determine either the content or scheduling of programmes.”

NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said earlier this month that the Culture Secretary had been “leant on” by right-wing newspapers over his relationship with a prostitute.