BBC to Cut 550 Jobs and Reduce Commissioning Spend by More Than $100 Million as Part of Savings Plan, New Director General Says

New BBC director general Matt Brittin has outlined the first phase of his savings plan for the broadcaster, which includes cutting jobs and reducing commissioning spend.

In a memo to staff today, Brittin — a former Google executive — announced that 550 roles would be eliminated across the News, Nations and Content divisions by the start of 2027-28 and the amount of money spent on commissioning programs and series would be reduced by by £80 million ($107 million). This is part of Brittin’s previously announced goal to shave £500 million ($670 million) of spending over the next three years.

In the Content division, Brittin has a target of saving a minimum of £100 million ($134 million) by the end of the 2027-28 fiscal year. This will include a review of the broadcaster’s TV channels and radio programs, with a goal to reduce original programming by 100-150 hours.

BBC News is reducing its workforce by 200 roles, with voluntary redundancy available, and has a goal of reducing costs by at least £51 million ($67 million) by April 2027. According to the memo, the closure of programs will be guided by those with the highest audience and impact, the desire to “meet audiences where they are” and to make the BBC overall “simpler and faster.”