BBC to cut more than 1,000 jobs to save £150m
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Thursday announced it would cut 1,000 jobs in a bid to save £150m in costs by 2016-17.
Cuts will be focused on professional and support areas such as IT, human resources and engineering.
The corporation currently has about 18,000 staff, with cuts representing more than 5% of its workforce.
BBC director general Tony Hall said the BBC was facing "difficult choices" because of the tough financial climate and the increasing number of spectators switching to online viewing.
“A simpler, leaner, BBC is the right thing to do and it can also help us meet the financial challenges we face,” Hall wrote in an email addressed to staff.
a new financial challenge means additional savings must now be found
"Despite the progress already made, and the realities of the licence fee being frozen for seven years, a new financial challenge means additional savings must now be found."
BBC and BBC Worldwide will be also merged in the corporation's effort to cut costs, and management levels will reduced from 10 to 7.
The number of senior positions will be also reduced, and procedures in professional areas including legal, marketing and finance will be simplified.
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