The BBC announced Wednesday that it plans to eliminate up to 2,000 jobs over the next two years as part of an effort to cut 10%—about £500 million ($677 million)—from its annual budget. The layoffs, revealed during a staff call, mark the broadcaster’s largest workforce reduction in more than a decade.
In an email to employees, interim Director-General Rhodri Talfan Davies acknowledged the uncertainty the decision creates but said transparency was important. He explained that the cuts are being driven by inflation, pressure on license fee and commercial revenues, and broader global economic instability.
Earlier this year, the BBC warned it was facing significant financial strain and aimed to reduce roughly a tenth of its budget by 2029, with most of the cuts expected in the fiscal year starting April 1, 2027.
The restructuring comes as former Google executive Matt Brittin prepares to take over as director-general next month, following the departure of Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
Their exits came after controversy over a misleading edit in a documentary about U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech ahead of the Capitol riot. Trump has since filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
Long regarded as a cornerstone of British culture, the BBC is funded primarily through an annual license fee—recently increased to £180 ($244)—paid by households that watch live TV or access BBC content. However, criticism of the fee has intensified in the streaming era, as audiences move away from traditional television and competitors challenge the model.
