BBC ‘set to slash jobs’ as it revamps news output in cost-cutting plan
The BBC is said to be on the brink of announcing a wave of job cuts in its news division as it looks to revamp its output before the next director general takes the reins.
The cuts are likely to affect popular news programmes such as Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Two and Radio 4’s Word At One, the Times reported. The BBC News channel is not thought to be affected.
It comes as the corporation tries to claw back £80m each year in savings, with an overall target of £550m per year by 2021-2022.
Despite scrapping the blanket free licence fee scheme for over-75s, the BBC will also have to stump up around £250m for those on pension credit.
The cuts, which will include redundancies, comes as the broadcaster looks to shift its focus towards its digital news output, according to the report.
The BBC is also said to be planning a daily news podcast inspired by the New York Times’ The Daily, which reaches more than 2m listeners per day.
The overhaul comes at a critical time for the public service broadcaster, which earlier this week announced that director general Tony Hall will step down this summer after seven years in the role.
The next BBC boss, who will be chosen by chairman Sir David Clementi, will be tasked with forging a relationship with the new government amid scrutiny over the licence fee funding model and allegations of bias in the broadcaster’s election coverage.
The timing of the cuts, to be announced by director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth, also means Hall will likely take the rap rather than his successor.
Among the internal candidates for the top job are Unsworth, head of radio James Purnell, director of content Charlotte Moore and BBC Studios boss Tim Davie.
Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon and veteran broadcast executive Jay Hunt have also been slated as external frontrunners.
The BBC declined to comment.