LONDON The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs, British media reported Wednesday, citing sources.
The cuts will be the biggest round of redundancies at the broadcasting corporation in almost 15 years, ITV News and The Press Association news agency reported.
The BBC has not confirmed the planned job losses and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reported cuts come as the broadcaster prepares for a leadership transition, with Matt Brittin set to take over from Tim Davie following his departure in April. Davie stepped down after an edited BBC Panorama clip involving Donald Trump triggered a controversy that later led the US president to sue the corporation for $10 billion.
Brittin, a former Google executive, is expected to face a difficult agenda, including questions over BBC coverage of the Gaza war, as well as mounting pressure from streaming platforms and YouTube’s growing influence.
According to the Financial Times, about one in 10 staff could lose their jobs, with the announcement expected at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The BBC employs about 21,508 people across the UK.
The job cuts are part of plans unveiled in February to reduce costs by about 10 percent over the next three years, or roughly £500 ($678) million, amid what the BBC described as “substantial financial pressures.” The broadcaster’s public service spending last year exceeded £4 billion.
With AFP
