Janine Machin, the 44-year-old presenter of BBC Look East (West), has described the impending closure of the Cambridge-based programme as 'a very sad day for the team'. The show is scheduled to end on 16 December, with many journalists and production staff facing redundancy.
Staff at the Cambridge office decided not to broadcast the scheduled 6.30pm and 10.30pm programmes on Monday after receiving the news earlier that day. Cambridge journalist Mousumi Bakshi apologised to viewers, stating that the team was 'split' and unable to broadcast live under the circumstances.
A BBC employee from the Cambridge office said the tech team took the news hardest, with many tears as colleagues processed the redundancies. The staff member described the team as 'close-knit' and 'hardworking', adding that the decision not to broadcast was made after 'much deliberation' to avoid letting viewers down under stressful conditions.
The BBC has said it needs to save £285 million following the announcement in January that the licence fee will be frozen for two years. The corporation's plans include sharing more content across local radio stations, resulting in 48 job losses overall.
