The BBC is to cut around 550 roles and review its broadcast television and radio output as the first phase of what will be the corporation’s biggest downsizing in almost 15 years, new director-general Matt Brittin has told staff.
Brittin, a former Google executive who took up the role in May replacing Tim Davie, set out in an internal note on Wednesday that £160 million of staff and non-staff cost savings would be made from across BBC News and TV and radio teams by the end of the financial year. A further 700 corporate roles are expected to go in the coming months, with senior leader positions to be reduced by at least 10 per cent.
The cuts form the opening phase of a sweeping savings plan announced in April, under which up to 2,000 jobs are set to be lost in total. Brittin told employees the scale of savings required “requires tough choices” and that all divisions “will be making significant savings.” Some programmes will be closed as a result, he said.
“We will reduce commissioning spend across Content, News and Nations by around £80 million in 2027 to 2028 and review our broadcast TV channels and radio network portfolio as audiences move online,” Brittin said, framing the changes as an effort to “meet audiences where they are.” He also said steps would be taken to “reduce duplication, clarify accountability, and increase the speed of decision making.” Acknowledging the difficulty of the moment, he added: “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.”
Philippa Childs, head of media and entertainment union Bectu, said the timing of the cuts was deeply concerning given that the BBC’s royal charter renewal is under way. “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,” she told Sky News. “The charter renewal must put the BBC’s funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts.” Bectu is in talks with the BBC to “mitigate the impact as much as possible,” she added, though described the cuts as “far from ideal.”
Brittin inherited a corporation under considerable pressure. His predecessor Tim Davie announced his resignation in November last year amid controversy surrounding a $10 billion lawsuit over the editing of a BBC documentary about Donald Trump, with Brittin formally taking over in May.
