The BBC is to announce more staff redundancies as lunchtime and overnight sports bulletins are set to be cut, according to a report in The Times.
The latest reported cuts come as part of major money-saving measures recently brought in by the broadcaster, which is seeking to cut costs by a total of over a billion pounds over the next three years under the leadership of new director-general Matt Brittin to address the pressures of rising inflation and declining licence fee income.
Staff have been informed that the sports bulletins, which run on the BBC’s 24-hour News channel, will no longer be aired, according to The Times.
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As a result, around seven sports journalists’ jobs – including four senior roles – will go, it is believed.
Some staff were told of the decision this morning, after the number of employees who requested voluntary redundancy was reportedly too low, leading to compulsory cuts.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s Director of Sport, is also due to address employees in an all-staff meeting at BBC Sport’s MediaCity headquarters this afternoon.
The BBC has lost a number of key live coverage events over the past 10 years, including Formula 1, England’s Six Nations matches and the Open.
Sky Sports now holds the most live sports broadcasting rights in the UK, with TNT Sports (previously BT Sport) its main competitor, and Amazon gaining ground as a relative newcomer to the live sport arena.
Kay-Jelski insisted in February that the broadcaster would remain “relevant,” even if it lacked the rights to many live sports events it once held.
At the time, he said: “You can still be relevant, you can still matter if you don’t show the sport. No-one out there can show it all. So, you just have to make sure you’re in the conversation of the things that matter.”
The Times added there had been “talk” of a possible strike ballot as a result of the redundancies.
The BBC declined to comment ahead of this afternoon’s meeting.
In June, the broadcaster announced 550 roles would be axed across its News, Nations and Content divisions by the start of next year.
