The BBC has invited staff to apply for voluntary redundancy as it attempts to make £125million in savings this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The broadcaster has asked its public service staff – not those in its commercial subsidiaries – to make a voluntary redundancy expression of interest. It is feared that thousands of jobs may go as the corportation looks to make the saving after the pandemic left a huge hole in its budget. The BBC has 19,231 staff working in these broadcasting roles, its most recent annual report says, and they now have a six-week consultation period for redundancies. Director General Lord Hall said in an internal message to staff that delaying means-testing of the free TV licence for over-75s would be costly. He said it would be a ‘significant sum at a time when revenue from the licence fee is also down’ because of the broadcaster’s ability to collect the fee during lockdown. The Oxford graduate, who has been at the helm of the BBC since 2013, added: ‘Our commercial operations are also severely affected.’
The BBC suspended plans to cut around 450 jobs in BBC News because of the demands of covering the coronavirus pandemic but the cuts will still take place at a later date.
The £125million is in addition to the efficiency savings the broadcaster has committed to – £800million by 2021/22. James Purnell, director of radio and education, recently told MPs the BBC would have to air repeats and the pandemic’s effect on schedules would be starker in 2021.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The impact of the coronavirus pandemic means the BBC needs to make £125million of savings this financial year, in addition to the considerable efficiency savings the corporation had previously committed to and planned for.
The BBC’s challenge is to keep delivering programmes and services for the whole country while continuing to adapt and change. The BBC is therefore inviting public service staff to express an interest in voluntary redundancy.’
Tim Davie is set to replace Lord Hall as the broadcaster’s next director-general in September after being awarded the job this month.
He has been warned he could become one of the shortest occupants of his post if he fails to reform the embattled corporation. Senior Government sources say Mr Davie could be fired when the Government appoints a new chairman in February if he fails to address No 10’s concerns about anti-Tory bias at the BBC.
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