The BBC is preparing to reduce its workforce as part of efforts to close a growing gap between costs and income.
Up to 2,000 roles could go as the organisation looks to secure an additional £500 million in savings over the next two years, on top of existing cost reductions, from its £5 billion annual operating budget.
In a message to staff, Rhodri Talfan Davies said the broadcaster is facing ongoing financial pressure from rising production costs, a constrained licence fee settlement and wider economic conditions affecting the media sector.
Immediate steps include tighter controls on recruitment and travel, reducing the use of management consultants, and cutting spending on conferences, awards and events.
Teams across the BBC are now working on plans for the 2027 to 2028 financial year, with a focus on removing duplication, stopping some activities and prioritising content and services that deliver the greatest audience impact.
Rhodri said: “We anticipate that the overall number of jobs will fall by 1800–2000… we wanted to be open about the challenge.”
Further detail on how individual divisions will be affected is expected by September, with most of the savings due to take effect from 2027 onwards.
The latest proposals follow several rounds of restructuring in recent years, as the BBC continues to respond to changing audience behaviour and ongoing financial pressures.
