BBC to cut 2,000 jobs in major restructure

The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs as part of a drive to reduce costs by 10 per cent over the next three years, sources have revealed.

It is understood staff were informed of the significant redundancies during an all-staff call held on Wednesday afternoon.

These cuts mark the largest reduction in BBC headcount in almost 15 years and coincide with former Google executive Matt Brittin preparing to take over as director-general next month.

The corporation has also recently unveiled plans to drastically downsize the team responsible for covering national occasions, such as royal events and State funerals, to a single staff member supported by freelancers.

The BBC has previously said: “Over the last three years we have delivered more than a 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. As a result we expect to make further savings over the next three years of around 10% of our costs.

“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.”

More to follow…