BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in next two years

The BBC revealed Wednesday that the British broadcasting corporation is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs in the next two years amid a challenging media landscape.

The BBC’s interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said in a statement to staff that “while we still have to work through the detail, we anticipate the overall number of jobs will fall by 1,800-2,000”.

The cuts were announced on screen on BBC rolling news on Wednesday afternoon.

The acting director-general said in the statement sent to AFP by the BBC, this was because the BBC faces “significant financial pressures, which we need to respond to at pace”.

The organisation has to cut £500 million from its operating costs of £5 billion, with most of these savings required in 2027 and 2028, he said.

It will be the biggest round of redundancies at the broadcasting corporation in almost 15 years, ITV News and The Press Association news agency reported.

The job cuts come as the BBC faces a turbulent media landscape, affected by AI and changing consumer habits.

US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster over a documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot, making it appear he explicitly urged supporters to attack the seat of Congress.

A new director-general, former Google executive Matt Brittin, is due to take over at the BBC next month, with his appointment announced as leading the corporation “through transformation”.

The BBC is funded by the public paying for a licence to view or listen to content. It says 94 percent of UK adults use its services every month.

In a report, in March the BBC said its income from the licence fee had fallen 24 percent in real terms since 2017.

“We must reduce our total cost base by a further 10% by March 2029 due to licence fee headwinds and other pressures,” the report said, warning “tough choices may require cuts to content and services”.

AFP