The BBC‘s new director general has announced plans to slash commissioning spend across its TV, radio, and news divisions by £80M ($107M) over the next two years.
Matt Brittin, the former Google executive, told staff in an email on Wednesday (full text below) that the savings plan will mean canceling shows and reviewing the BBC’s “broadcast TV channels and radio network portfolio as audiences move online.”
“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.
Brittin did not provide specifics, but said more details will be announced in the coming days. The efforts form part of wider BBC plans to slash costs by £500M ($670M) over the next three years, expanding on an existing target worth £1.5B.
A total of between 1,800 and 2,000 roles will be laid off across the British broadcaster in the coming months, contributing to a sense of gloom among the workforce.
Some 550 roles will be slashed in the BBC’s news and nations divisions, which Brittin said will help deliver £160M of savings. He added that 700 roles will close in the BBC’s corporate divisions.
“Reductions of this scale inevitably mean some compulsory redundancies, though we will work hard to avoid this wherever we can. Many divisions have already opened voluntary redundancy windows; more will be opening today,” he explained.
“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.”
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