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BBC to axe 1000 staff

July 2, 2015

The BBC is set to cut 1,000 jobs as a result of a £150 million (211m) shortfall in licence fee income, Director General Tony Hall has confirmed.

Hall briefed staff at the corporation’s central London offices, informing them that they were adjusting to a reduction in the number of people watching live TV, meaning fewer viewers paying the annual charge.

Three layers of management are expected to be cut, while some of the BBC’s divisions will be reduced. Most of the jobs will go from the BBC’s professional and support services, as part of efforts to cut back on duplication of roles.

The current round of cuts is expected to save around £50 million, but the BBC has hinted there could be further job losses to come.

Hall told staff:  “A simpler, leaner, BBC is the right thing to do and it can also help us meet the financial challenges we face. We’ve already significantly cut the costs of running the BBC, but in times of very tough choices we need to focus on what really matters – delivering outstanding programmes and content for all our audiences.”

The announcement comes on the back of measures aimed at making £1.5 billion of savings a year by 2017 by reducing the amount of money spent on admin, property costs and sports rights.

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