BBC News to cut 415 jobs, but add £5M to World Service budget

(Image source: BBC)Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Richard Cuff, for sharing:

(Source: BBC News)

The BBC’s News department is to axe 415 jobs as cost-cutting measures continue, the BBC’s director of news James Harding has announced.

The move is part of £800m efficiency savings required after the licence fee was frozen in 2010.

The latest cuts are expected to save £48m by 2017.

BBC News currently employs around 8,400 people, including around 5,000 journalists, based in London, around the UK and overseas.

He also set out plans to substantially restructure the news division and put the BBC at the forefront of producing news for the digital age using new technologies.

A total of 195 new posts will be created to fulfill this plan, meaning a net reduction of 220 full-time jobs overall.

Around 70% of the annual running costs of BBC News are staff-related, meaning there would inevitably be an impact in this area, Mr Harding said.

(Continue reading…)

The article continues by outlining all of the cuts and gains to the BBC.

I took note that BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight and the World Service program Newshour will be consolidated under a single editor. The BBC World Service’s budget, however, will increase from £245m this year to £250m in 2016-17. (Perhaps the most positive news in international broadcasting circles this week.)

Also check out Jonathan Mark’s comments on Critical Distance.

Spread the radio love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.