The British public broadcaster BBC plans to cut 1,800 to 2,000 jobs. This is a response to growing financial pressures and a changing media environment. This was reported by the AFP agency on Wednesday, writes TASR. BBC interim chief executive Rhodri Talfan Davies said in an announcement to staff that around “1,800 to 2,000” jobs would be cut, almost a tenth of the company’s roughly 21,500 staff.
It will be the biggest redundancies at the BBC in almost 15 years. The move comes shortly before new CEO Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, takes over in May.
According to BBC management, the company must cut operating costs by £500 million over the next two years from a total budget of around five billion pounds. The reasons are high inflation of production costs, pressure on income from concessionaire fees and commercial activities, and an unfavorable economic situation.
Trade unions sharply criticized the planned cuts. According to union representatives, they will have a negative impact on employees and on the functioning of the entire company. The general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Laura Davison, condemned the cuts, which she said were “wrong, damaging and will cause uncertainty and stress for BBC staff”. The job cuts come at a time when the BBC faces a turbulent media market influenced by artificial intelligence and changing consumer habits.
The BBC is funded by the public, who pay for a license to watch live broadcasts. According to surveys, 94 percent of UK adults use its services every month.
