BBC News is preparing for a major round of job cuts, expected to be announced within days, as part of a £500m cost-saving drive across the corporation. Staff have been told to expect a high number of redundancies, with job losses potentially running into the hundreds.
The cuts, the largest at the broadcaster in 15 years, were drawn up before the arrival of new director general Matt Brittin. He has indicated a preference for decisive decisions over cutting entire services or programmes, rather than a 'salami slicing' approach. While many inside the BBC welcome this, it is likely to face opposition in practice.
BBC News, which employs about a quarter of the corporation's 21,500 staff, is braced for deeper cuts than other departments. During a video meeting last month, staff were told to expect cuts of around 15% of income, exceeding the 10% pan-BBC target. Richard Burgess, director of news and content, noted that most savings come from people, as salary bills make up the majority of costs.
The BBC has already taken cost-saving measures, such as covering the World Cup from Salford rather than the US, Mexico and Canada. This has drawn criticism from Conservative chair Kevin Hollinrake, who said it damages the 'viewer experience'. The cuts come as the BBC negotiates with ministers over its future funding and royal charter, including potential changes to the licence fee to cover private streaming services.
Philippa Childs, head of the Bectu union, stressed the importance of sustainable funding for the BBC, highlighting its role in producing high-quality independent news and uniquely British content. She warned that the cuts underscore the need for a secure financial model to preserve the corporation's integrity and cultural value.
