Sky News was interrupted for a bombshell update on the BBC. Presenter Barbara Serra announced that the corporation is reportedly set to significantly downsize its workforce – cutting jobs by 10 per cent. She told viewers: “The BBC is reportedly set to downsize its workforce significantly. The FT says that around one in 10 jobs are expected to go.
The presenter was joined by Sky’s arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer, who revealed that senior leaders at the BBC were briefed about the all-staff meeting taking place on Wednesday afternoon. She continued: “I’ve seen the note that was sent around to all of their staff on Monday of this week, talking about the fact they were going to hold this meeting, saying that a number of staff had come to them and said they felt very unsettled by the comments that outgoing Director-General Tim Davie had made a few weeks ago, saying that further savings were needed.”
“How that email reads compared to what the FT is reporting is massively downplaying the situation to staff if the FT is correct. It’s seemingly like one in 10 jobs might be going and from what they are reporting, as many as 2,000 job cuts could be announced.
She determined that a “significant” amount of employees among the corporation’s 21,000-strong workforce are likely to lose their jobs.
“We know the BBC announced that it needed further cost cutting measures. 10 per cent is the figure that they put on the plans going forward,” Katie explained, adding that the corporation has taken measures to bring its costs down over the last few years.
“It’s going to be hard to see where they can make these further savings,” she said. “We will see within the coming hours exactly how tight a situation financially this is for the BBC.”
Katie added: “This is all before Matt Brittin comes in as the new director-general. It’s safe to say that he will be joining the corporation to an atmosphere of staff feeling incredibly unsettled by these financial changes and this backdrop of people feeling fed up and overworked within the BBC.”
At the time, Davie said the BBC would need to reduce its roughly £6bn annual cost base by 10% over the next three years.
The BBC has previously said: “Over the last three years we have delivered more than half a billion pounds’ worth of savings, much of which we’ve been able to reinvest into our output across the BBC.
“In a rapidly changing media market, we continue to face substantial financial pressures. This is about the BBC becoming more productive and prioritising our offer to audiences to ensure we’re providing the best value for money, both now and in the future.”
