The BBC is to cut about 550 roles and undertake a sweeping review of its TV and radio programming in the first phase of a major downsizing plan announced by new director-general Matt Brittin – already up for the chop are six Radio 4 shows including The World Tonight and The Midnight News and the Sunday morning edition of BBC One’s BBC Breakfast, while the Today Programme will drop from five presenters to four, and have only one anchor on the Saturday edition. The BBC also proposes merging the production teams of Newsnight and Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Brittin, who took up his new role in May and warned of “tough choices” on his first day on the job, told employees today (Wednesday 17 June) that £160m 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.
More savings across all areas will follow, with 700 corporate roles expected to go and senior leader roles to be reduced by at least 10%, he added.
The cuts are the first to be announced as part of a huge BBC savings plan announced in April, with up to 2,000 jobs to go in total – the corporation’s biggest downsizing in almost 15 years.
The scale of savings needed “requires tough choices” and all divisions “will be making significant savings,” Brittin said in an internal note to staff.
Some programmes will have to be closed, he added, as the broadcaster moves to “meet audiences where they are” and reduce spend elsewhere.
“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,” the director-general said.
Steps will also be taken to “reduce duplication, clarify accountability, and increase the speed of decision making”.
“We live in very uncertain times,” the BBC boss added. “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.”
In an email to staff, interim CEO of BBC News, Jonathan Munro has since told staff at the division that 200 jobs are to go in the news division, resulting in savings of £25m. Early reports suggest that Content will cut 100 roles, and Nations will reduce by 250 posts.
Unions have reacted with horror at the latest cuts. Bectu chief Philippa Childs warned that the cuts would adversely affect the broadcaster’s ability to deliver its public service mission: “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 said. “The charter renewal must put the BBC’s funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts.”
The NUJ, meanwhile, has called the UK government to provide urgent intervention to stop the “constant cycle of cuts to jobs and programming.”
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said: “Largescale cuts to the BBC would be devastating – not only for dedicated workers at the broadcaster whose jobs are at risk – but also audiences and communities across the UK.
“The need for accurate, independent, locally relevant and universally accessible journalism is greater than ever with increasing media monopolisation, mis- and disinformation, and AI fake news rife on social media.
“This is not the time for the BBC to retreat from its public service commitments and its core mission to inform, educate, and entertain. The BBC cannot provide quality journalism without the talented and experienced workers who make it possible.
“Our members are already being asked to produce more with fewer resources, leaving workers across newsrooms at risk of burnout. Previous rounds of cuts have resulted in unmanageable workloads, low morale, loss of staff, and fewer opportunities for freelances or career progression.
“This constant cycle of cuts and cost-saving must end. With Charter Renewal underway, the BBC and government should instead be focussing on securing positive reforms that guarantee a bright future for our public broadcaster. Our ‘Back The BBC’ campaign sets out members’ priorities for Charter Renewal: increased funding, worker representation on the BBC board, and truly independent governance. However, Charter Renewal won’t come soon enough to stop these cuts, which is why we are calling on the government to urgently intervene.
“The NUJ will be supporting members collectively and individually though these difficult times. We strongly encourage BBC workers to stand with us and get involved in the union. Working together gives us a stronger collective voice and helps us fight to protect jobs and programming.”
