BBC Director General, Matt Brittin, has informed BBC staff that there will be compulsory redundancies and entire BBC programmes will be dropped as part of ongoing cost cutting measures.
In an email to staff, Brittin said “the scale of savings requires tough choices, careful work and won’t all be ready at once. We are committed to letting you know as soon as we have plans in your area. All divisions will be making significant savings.”
He said that by the end of this financial year, News, Nations and Content will deliver £160 million of cost savings, including staff and non-staff costs, and a net reduction of around 550 roles. This is part of the 1,800–2,000 roles announced to go over the next three years.
Brittin said that the BBC “will reduce commissioning spend across Content, News and Nations by around £80 million in 2027–28” and that the corporation would review “our broadcast TV channels and radio network portfolio as audiences move online.”
More savings are on their way in the months ahead across all divisions including corporate divisions where “we expect around 700 roles to close in these areas.”
The staffing reductions “inevitably mean some compulsory redundancies,” said Brittin. “though we will work hard to avoid this wherever we can.” He said “we must reduce duplication, clarify accountability, and increase the speed of decision making” and that “this includes reducing senior leaders by at least 10%.”
Brittin said: “We live in very uncertain times. Our audiences rely on us every day to keep them informed, entertained and equipped to make sense of the world. Making savings while fulfilling our mission means a doubly difficult time for everyone.”
Head of Bectu Philippa Childs, responding to the BBC announcement of job cuts, said:
“These cuts, while expected, will still be devastating for the workforce and to the BBC as a whole.
“10% cuts when real terms income from the licence fee is already down £1.3bn in the last decade is significant and will affect the BBC’s ability to deliver its public service mission.
“It seems clear that cuts will have a direct impact on programming and output, and audiences will also notice the effects. Bectu is actively engaging with the BBC to mitigate the impact as much as possible, and we will support members facing redundancy as well as those who will see their workloads drastically change.
“To be embarking on this latest round of cuts at the same time as Charter renewal is far from ideal. I’m not sure how you can make informed decisions about the long-term future of the organisation when it will be in a substantially diminished place at the end of the process than the beginning.
“In an era of fake news and an industry that is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations, the UK needs a confident, ambitious and sustainably-funded BBC more than ever.
“The Charter Renewal must put the BBC’s funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts.”
Staff Reporter
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