THE BBC has launched a voluntary redundancy scheme as it looks to cut 500 jobs – and £200 million from its budget.
The broadcaster’s chief operating adviser Leigh Tavaziva said it is making the changes to improve its premium video offering and digital capabilities.
It comes as the BBC is already attempting to save £500m as part of a plan announced two years ago.
In March, BBC director-general Tim Davie announced the further £200m in cuts, but the news was largely buried under comments Davie also made about reforming the licence fee.
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Tavaziva said “significant activity” is under way to make the corporation “more flexible”.
She said: “In March this year we announced a requirement for an additional £200m of savings and reinvestment plans to drive the continued transformation of the BBC.
“This will support greater investment into premium video content and further develop our digital capabilities.”
She added: “To further build our digital capabilities, whilst targeting efficiencies, over the next two years we will continue to close and transfer roles in some areas and create new roles in growth areas.
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“This will result in a forecast net reduction of 500 roles in the public service by March 26, with further growth in targeted areas planned in our commercial group.
“To support these changes we will today be launching a new voluntary redundancy scheme for staff.
“Our priority remains to protect and champion the BBC’s fighting role as the UK’s public service broadcaster, for all our audiences both local and global.
“I would like to thank all colleagues for their continued efforts and commitments over the past 12 months.
“I am immensely proud of the exceptional content creativity, delivery, and innovation that our teams both provide and support every day.”
In March, Davie said BBC Three, the channel which caters to younger audiences, will once again face changes after it was only reinstated in 2022.
Davie said the broadcaster is planning to focus all of its “commissioning, marketing and social media activity” on BBC iPlayer rather than through BBC Three’s linear channel in order to “deliver more value for younger audiences”.
He added: “The commercial arm can expand enormously … the critical thing is protecting the funding for the UK public service and the World Service to do something that is absolutely driven by the values I’ve talked about.”
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