The BBC is cutting roughly 2,000 jobs, or about 10% of its entire workforce, in what amounts to the broadcaster’s most significant downsizing effort in over fifteen years.
The goal: £500 million (approximately $677 million) in savings over the next two years.
What the BBC is actually doing
Interim Director General Rhodri Talfan Davies broke the news to staff on April 15, outlining a plan that will affect between 1,800 and 2,000 positions across the organization. The BBC currently employs around 21,500 people, meaning roughly one in ten roles is on the chopping block.
Every department is being asked to cut about 10% of its costs. BBC News is absorbing a 15% cost reduction, the steepest of any division — 50% more than the average cut being imposed elsewhere in the organization.
