The BBC is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of a £500m cost-saving drive, with the news division facing the deepest reductions. Staff have been told to expect a significant number of redundancies, with the announcement expected within days.
The cuts, planned before new director general Matt Brittin took over, reflect his preference for decisive action over a “salami slicing” approach. Brittin, a former Google executive, has signalled he is willing to make tough decisions on entire services or programmes.
Richard Burgess, director of news and content, told staff that cuts in news would be about 15% of income, noting that most savings come from personnel. The news operation employs roughly a quarter of the BBC’s 21,500 staff.
The cost-saving measures come as the corporation negotiates with ministers over its future funding and the renewal of its royal charter. Deputy director general Rhodri Talfan Davies said an additional £500m must be saved from annual operating costs of £5bn over the next two years.
Cost-saving moves are already visible, such as covering the World Cup from Salford rather than the host countries. Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake criticised this as damaging the “viewer experience”.
Philippa Childs, head of the Bectu union, stressed the importance of a sustainable funding model to preserve high-quality independent news and British cultural content, warning against homogenisation of media.
