BBC set for hundreds of more job cuts

by Joe Lepper Brand Republic 04-Jun-07, 10:45

LONDON - The BBC is bracing itself for another round of redundancies, with the corporation's news operation expected to bear the brunt of cuts.

According to insiders at the corporation, hundreds of jobs are set to be axed from the 2,000-strong BBC News team, with many programme specific teams such as '10 O'Clock News' set to be reduced. There are also fears that the online news team could face cuts.

It is understood that the digital and satellite BBC News 24 team will become the main provider of TV news as the BBC seeks to cut its annual £3bn budget over the next six years, as part of its long-term business plan.

The job cuts are part of BBC director-general Mark Thompson's plans to increase "value for money" in the corporation's costs and follow a licence fee settlement that fell short of what the BBC had hoped for.

Earlier this year, BBC News journalists were considering a 24-hour strike over management's plans for compulsory redundancies. Talks between the National Union of Journalists and BBC management failed to resolve differences over a number of compulsory redundancies.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "These figures are not yet in any paper. This is a work in progress and we will be making a proposal to the board of trustees this month with a formal decision expected in autumn."

This latest job cut threat comes on the back of a voluntary redundancy programme, involving around 3,800 members of staff.

This has also included compulsory redundancies, with the nine remaining members of the soon-to-be closed BBC children's education unit being recently served with redundancy notices. Last week, it emerged that union members of the unit will ballot for strike action.