BBC boss warns of compulsory redundancies as first phase of cuts revealed

Entire BBC programmes will be scrapped and compulsory redundancies will be necessary as part of sweeping cuts at the corporation, its new director general, Matt Brittin , has told staff. The former Google executive also announced he was reviewing the BBC’s broadcast TV channels and radio network, as audiences continue to switch to online content. Its UK-wide channels include BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, the BBC News channel and BBC Parliament, as well as two children’s channels. Brittin said 10% of “senior leaders” would go as part of the cuts. About 700 roles are expected to go across its corporate divisions. The broadcaster’s news, nations and content divisions are to lose 550 staff members as part of a cost-cutting programme that will save £160m among them this financial year. The divisions are the first to reveal the first phase of the cuts programme, the biggest at the BBC for more than a decade. Overall, as many as 2,000 jobs will be lost over the next three years, with a savings target of £500m. Brittin told staff: “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 said: “We will also have to close some programmes.” He set out three principles behind the cuts. The first was to sustain output with the “highest audience value and impact”. …