Azernews.Az

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs across its departments as the broadcaster prepares for the arrival of the recently appointed BBC Director-General Matt Brittin, who is set to take over on May 18, Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

BBC employees are expected to be told that about one in 10 could lose their jobs at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday afternoon, according to people familiar with the matter. Senior leaders at the BBC were briefed on the plans on Wednesday morning. The BBC employs about 21,508 staff across the UK.

The job cuts are part of plans announced by the BBC in February to cut costs by about 10 per cent over the next three years — amounting to about £500mn — in the face of “substantial financial pressures”. The BBC’s total public service spending last year was more than £4bn.

The staff meeting will be led by Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s interim director-general. Brittin, the former Google executive taking over from Tim Davie as director-general, is due to join the corporation on May 18.

The BBC cutbacks come as the corporation is locked in negotiations with the government about its future and funding via the licence fee as part of the renewal of its royal charter at the end of 2027.

The licence fee will increase in line with inflation this year, but this is expected to be partly offset by a 1 per cent decline in the number of payers.

The BBC is also looking to prioritise its spending in areas of growth, including developing its iPlayer streaming service, as well as expanding its content on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram with short-form video to reach younger audiences. The BBC’s commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios, is also building its development and production capabilities.