The British broadcaster BBC is tightening its austerity measures.
The entrance to a BBC building in London. HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP
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The BBC wants to cut around 550 jobs by the next financial year 2027/28, including in newsrooms and in the entertainment, culture and programming divisions. The broadcaster portfolio should be examined in terms of content. This should save around 160 million pounds (the equivalent of around 185 million euros). Jobs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also be eliminated, as the public broadcaster in Great Britain announced.
The job cuts, some of which will be voluntary, are part of a larger savings program in which a total of up to 2,000 jobs will be cut. The goal is to reduce spending by ten percent over the next three years. According to the information, this corresponds to 500 million pounds (578 million euros).
The savings are based on maintaining the programs with the highest relevance and impact, reducing duplicate structures and accelerating decision-making processes. The number of managers will therefore also be reduced by ten percent.
The BBC’s funding model through mandatory contributions has long been highly controversial. The previous conservative government, which accused the BBC of being left-leaning, had recently suspended subscription increases for two years, thereby putting the BBC under pressure to make savings. There were also plans to abolish contributions entirely and instead introduce a subscription model like streaming services. (APA/dpa)
