BBC to slash 2,000 jobs in biggest redundancy drive in 15 years

The BBC said on Wednesday that the British broadcasting corporation is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs amid a challenging media landscape.

The BBC’s interim director general Rhodri Talfan Davies said in a statement to staff that “while we still have to work through the detail, we anticipate the overall number of jobs will fall by 1,800-2,000”.

The BBC reported the cuts on Wednesday afternoon, saying they amount to “almost one in 10” jobs, since it has about 21,500 employees.

The acting director general said in a message to staff that this was because the BBC faces “significant financial pressures, which we need to respond to at pace”.

“Put simply, the gap between our costs and our income is growing,” said Talfan Davies, who has taken on the role temporarily.

“Inevitably, these plans will also mean reducing the number of jobs in the BBC,” he added in a message that he said followed an all-staff call.