BBC Sport staff are considering strike action after the announcement of more redundancies and a planned restructure. Director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski will speak next week with the expectation being the planned changes will result in several job losses. Existing employees will be offered voluntary redundancy as the department continue with its desire to modernise, reports the Daily Mail.
Newsroom split over direction
But in response some staff are considering going on strike with the newsroom very much split on whether the organisation at MediaCity is going in the right direction. Some believe that Kay-Jelski is going too far with his desire to seek a younger, digital-focussed audience, but others claim that the changes have been long overdue.
Previous changes and programme cuts
Kay-Jelski has already presided over mass changes within BBC Sport and last year sanctioned dozens of redundancies. Recently the organisation announced it was binning Ski Sunday. Other events have been dropped, including the Commonwealth Games, the Boat Race and the Rugby League World Cup.
At the end of last season, long-running show Football Focus was axed, bringing down the curtain on 52 years of coverage. At the time Kay-Jelski denied that the move had come about as a result of cost-cutting.
World Cup coverage and Lineker's departure
BBC Sport's coverage of the World Cup was also heavily criticised with the corporation choosing to conduct its coverage from its Salford base, only sending a cluster of pundits and reporters out for the tournament. Meanwhile rivals ITV boasted a stunning studio in New York, overlooking the Manhattan skyline.
Gary Lineker, one of the BBC's most recognisable faces for decades, recently left the company and has started up his own venture. He has since expressed his affection for the BBC, but didn't shy away from admitting its faults. He said on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast: "I will say that I love the BBC for all its faults. I mean, and it has a few. But it's an amazing institution, and it's hugely respected around the world, and we should be proud of it."
He did add: "But yet, I must say though, living life outside of the BBC without having that thing on show, it's nice not treading on eggshells all the time."
