BBC to cut 2,000 jobs ahead of Matt Brittin takeover
The BBC is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs in its largest round of redundancies in 15 years, as the broadcaster accelerates cost-cutting plans ahead of a leadership change next month.
Staff were briefed on the proposals at a company-wide meeting on Wednesday, with the cuts expected to affect roughly 10 per cent of the BBC’s 21,500-man workforce.
The restructuring comes just weeks before former Google executive Matt Brittin takes over as director general in May, succeeding Tim Davie, who stepped down earlier this month.
The job losses form part of a broader £600m savings drive announced in February, with Davie warning the corporation would need to cut around 10 per cent of its £6bn annual cost base over the next three years.
Cost pressures mount
The cuts come as the BBC faces mounting financial pressure from a declining licence fee base and intensifying competition from streaming platforms.
Licence fee income remains the broadcaster’s main funding stream, generating £3.8bn last year, but the number of paying households has fallen by around 300,000 year-on-year. The annual fee rose this month from £174.50 to £180.
At the same time, audiences are increasingly shifting to rivals such as Netflix and Disney, as well as digital platforms like YouTube.
Media regulator Ofcom has previously warned that traditional public service broadcasters are becoming an “endangered species”, as streaming soars.
The BBC has been seeking to respond by expanding its iPlayer offering and striking new content partnerships, including a deal with YouTube earlier this year.
The latest cuts mark the most significant downsizing since 2011 and come as the broadcaster also prepares for negotiations with the government over the renewal of its royal charter, which expires at the end of 2027.
Rhodri Talfan Davies, currently serving as interim director general, is expected to oversee the initial phase of the restructuring before Brittin formally takes over on 18 May.