Massive job cuts at BBC looming amid turbulent economy

The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs, or around 10% of its workforce, as the gap between costs and income grows for the broadcaster.

The cuts are coming as the broadcaster is trying to save 500 million pounds in the next two years.

On Wednesday, Rhodri Talfan Davies, the interim head of the BBC, emailed staff members to announce the cut, adding that the company is still working on the details.

“This is being driven by a number of factors: Production inflation remains very high, our license fee and commercial income are under pressure, and the global economy remains turbulent.”

He also said the cost controls are being put in place, which include “a lot of good practice.”

“But we need to go further and introduce tighter controls on recruitment and travel; cut spending on management consultancies; and reduce expenditure on attendance at conferences, awards and events.”

He also said one of its radio stations will face really difficult news with the cutbacks.

“We will work on how we make those changes without damaging the services that we know are critical to the BBC across radio and television, and online.”

Comments on YouTube on the massive cuts at the BBC were not kind to the broadcaster. Two users criticised the BBC, calling it outdated, unwanted, and harassing with license fee threats despite not watching.

One said: “The very idea of a ‘public broadcaster’ belongs in the last century. Time to embrace the present, let alone the future, and confine the BBC to history books.”

Another user said, “The BBC should just shut the doors; no one wants them anymore. I haven’t watched since I moved out of my parents’ house 35 years ago. Yet they still hound me every month with threats that they are coming to visit to find out if I watch ANY live TV on any channel. Disgrace of a corporation.”

A third one had this to say:

“If people are just begining to realise that the BBC aka the PDF protection channel are feeding you the party line then you haven’t been paying attention, Covid should have been the biggest red flag ever, where’s your pots and pans now that once again the NHS hold the long suffering public hostage, 13 industrial actions since Covid and last year 14 million sick days the NHS is the sickest thing next to this inept administration.”