This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

Fourteen new episodes of Doctor Who starring Matt Smith have been commissioned with "a good chunk" of them airing next year, the BBC has confirmed.

It follows a report in Private Eye that producers BBC Wales were proposing not to make a full series of the hit show in 2012 and instead air four specials.

A BBC spokesman said 14 new episodes have been ordered but it is not yet known how many will be aired in 2012.

The corporation may reveal more details later on Tuesday.

He denied the decision to split the current series 13-part run into two tranches was taken for financial reasons, saying showrunner Steven Moffat made the decision for "narrative" reasons.

The spokesman said: "The new commission is a big commitment, not many other shows have such a commitment so far in advance. We do not know yet how many will air in 2012."

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.