Staff at BBC News were warned over the weekend that the division will face larger cost-cutting efforts than previously anticipated, which will likely force layoffs.
The division is facing a 15% cost-cut, more than expected and more than the corporation-wide 10% average. While cost savings will come largely from eliminating jobs, additional expense reductions are expected as well.
BBC News accounts for about 25% of the national broadcaster’s total headcount of circa 21,500.
The cuts are part of a broader effort to cut around £600 million from its overall budget.
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Originally, the broadcaster said it would cut, on average, around 10% of its expenses across its various departments and divisions. The cuts could include eliminating jobs or operating expenses, but the broadcaster has also indicated that some areas have roles and costs that can’t be easily eliminated, which has led to the newsroom facing that higher 15% reduction.
With a current headcount of around 21,500 employees across all divisions, the BBC said it would cut around 2,000 positions.
More specific details about the cuts are expected in June, with affected employees due to be notified in September 2026.
It’s not clear how many on-air jobs will be affected, though one executive indicated the cuts will broadly affect most areas of the news division fairly consistently.
The BBC typically spends around £140 million on talent wages, according to previous financial reports. It also has 237 roles classified as “senior leadership” where staffers are paid more than £100,000 ($135,000) to more than £350,000 ($474,000) per year. There has so far been no indication of whether the BBC may prioritise cutting higher-paying positions in favour of saving jobs at a lower lower.
The announcements come as the BBC prepares to welcome Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, as its new director general on May 18. Brittin replaces Tim Davie, who resigned in November 2025 alongside BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness following the Donald Trump Panorama editing row and accusations of bias. Davie denied the claims and they have not been formally confirmed.
