Zimpapers Logo

LONDON.  – The BBC is to axe 500 jobs over the next 20 months in a bid to save £200 million (US$258 million) and become a “leaner, more agile organisation,” the British public service broadcaster announced yesterday.

The redundancies, to be achieved by closing and transferring some roles and creating others in “growth areas”, are the latest lay-offs as the BBC copes with squeezed funding and inflationary pressures.

The broadcaster, which relies heavily on an annual £169,50 licence fee paid by every UK household watching live channels on a television, is also grappling with wider changes in media consumption such as streaming and on-demand services.

It will shed the 500 jobs by March 2026, after already reducing its headcount by 10 percent in the last five years — a reduction of almost 2 000 roles.

Detailing the changes in its annual report published yesterday, the BBC said the move was part of “accelerating our digital-first approach to reach audiences where they are”.

In his review of the past year, director-general Tim Davie said years of below-inflation licence fee settlements had “chipped away” at its income and put “serious pressure on our finances”. – AFP