THE BBC's new director-general has informed staff that up to 2000 jobs will be cut in the coming months to deliver £500 million of savings – with a quarter of these set to come from the corporation's "news and nations" divisions.
In an email to staff just weeks after his appointment, former Google executive Matt Brittin said he wanted to provide "clarity" on his plans to make savings within the corporation.
He said the scale of savings "requires tough choices", with all parts of the BBC set to face cuts.
Further information on the changes will be revealed later in the year, but Brittin said his first cuts would come from the "News, Nations and Content" division, which includes BBC Scotland.
"Together, by the end of this financial year, they deliver £160 million of cost savings, including staff and non-staff costs, and a net reduction of around 550 roles," he said. "This is part of the 1800-2000 roles announced to go over the next three years."
As well as cuts to jobs, Brittin said that commissioning spend across the division would be slashed by tens of millions of pounds.
BBC staff had been advised in April that the corporation faced its largest downsizing in two decades.
For BBC Scotland, the news comes after major controversy surrounding its decision to cancel several radio shows.
Tens of thousands of people signed a petition to reinstate The Iain Anderson Show, described as a "cultural lifeline" for Scottish music and culture.
Brittin added that he also expects 700 jobs to be cut in the BBC's corporate division.
"Reductions of this scale inevitably mean some compulsory redundancies, though we will work hard to avoid this wherever we can. Many divisions have already opened voluntary redundancy windows; more will be opening today," he added.
He went on: "The News, Nations and Content divisions will set out more details in calls and updates over the coming days. For other divisions, leaders will update you with the latest progress on the size of the savings needed, the opening of voluntary redundancy windows and when you will hear more.
"We live in very uncertain times. Our audiences rely on us every day to keep them informed, entertained and equipped to make sense of the world. Making savings while fulfilling our mission means a doubly difficult time for everyone."
Brittin concluded his email by thanking staff for their work.
In response to the announcement, the head of media and entertainment union Bectu, Philippa Childs, said it is “far from ideal” that the cuts are taking place at the same time as the BBC’s charter renewal.
She said: “I’m not sure how you can make informed decisions about the long-term future of the organisation when it will be in a substantially diminished place at the end of the process than the beginning.
“In an era of fake news and an industry that is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few multinational corporations, the UK needs a confident, ambitious and sustainably-funded BBC more than ever.
“The charter renewal must put the BBC’s funding on a secure, long-term pathway or it risks death by a thousand cuts.”
She said that while cuts were “expected”, they would “still be devastating for the workforce and to the BBC as a whole”.
Childs added: “Ten per cent cuts when real terms income from the licence fee is already down £1.3 billion in the last decade is significant and will affect the BBC’s ability to deliver its public service mission.
“It seems clear that cuts will have a direct impact on programming and output, and audiences will also notice the effects.
“Bectu is actively engaging with the BBC to mitigate the impact as much as possible, and we will support members facing redundancy as well as those who will see their workloads drastically change.”
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has warned that further brutal BBC cuts will be “devastating” for workers and audiences, urging management and the UK Government to prioritise investing in the broadcaster.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said: “The need for accurate, independent, locally relevant and universally accessible journalism is greater than ever with increasing media monopolisation, mis- and disinformation, and AI fake news rife on social media.
“This is not the time for the BBC to retreat from its public service commitments and its core mission to inform, educate, and entertain. The BBC cannot provide quality journalism without the talented and experienced workers who make it possible.
“Our members are already being asked to produce more with fewer resources, leaving workers across newsrooms at risk of burnout. Previous rounds of cuts have resulted in unmanageable workloads, low morale, loss of staff, and fewer opportunities for freelances or career progression.
“This constant cycle of cuts and cost-saving must end. With Charter Renewal underway, the BBC and government should instead be focussing on securing positive reforms that guarantee a bright future for our public broadcaster.”
