Harrow Chronicle: The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs at the broadcaster in an attempt to reduce costs, which will be the biggest cut since 2011

The BBC is set to cut as many as 2,000 jobs at the broadcaster, as part of an effort to reduce costs. This will affect about 10% of the BBC’s 21,500 staff, and comes after the corporation announced a £600m cost-cutting plan in February. It represents the biggest round of BBC job cuts since 2011, when nearly 2,000 jobs were axed. The PA News Agency says employees were told the news of redundancies during an all-staff call at 3pm on Wednesday (April 15). A post shared by BBC News (@bbcnews) Job cuts are being set in motion before Matt Brittin takes over as director-general from Tim Davie. When the cost-cutting plan was announced back in February, Davie said the BBC would need to cut 10% of its approximately £6bn annual cost base over the next three years. Davie left the BBC on Thursday, April 2, having announced his resignation back in November. Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s interim director-general, will continue to head the corporation until Brittin arrives on Monday, May 18. In a note to BBC staff, Davies shared: "As you know, the BBC is facing significant financial pressures, which we need to respond to with pace. "Put simply, the gap between our costs and our income is growing. "This is being driven by a number of factors: production inflation remains very high; our licence fee and commercial income is under pressure; and the global economy remains turbulent. "To address this, we need to save an additional £500 million from our total annual operating costs of £5 billion over the next two years, with the bulk of the new savings required in 2027/28. "Inevitably, these plans will also mean reducing the number of jobs in the BBC. "While we still have to work through the detail, we anticipate that the overall number of jobs will fall by 1,800-2,000. "I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge. Who is the new BBC director-general? Former Google boss Matt Brittin, 57, has been confirmed as Tim Davie’s replacement, becoming the 18th director-general of the BBC. A former McKinsey consultant, he worked for Google from 2007, leaving in 2025 after being the head of their EMEA region for a decade. He was also selected as a member of the British Olympic rowing team in Seoul 1988 and won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in 1989. The Cambridge alumnus also rowed in the 1987, 1988 and 1989 Boat Races. He was made a CBE in the King’s New Year Honours list earlier this year for his services to technology and the enhancement of digital skills. Speaking about taking on the role, Brittin said: “Now, more than ever, we need a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complex, uncertain and fast-changing world. "At its best, it shows us, and the world, who we are. It’s an extraordinary, uniquely British asset, with over 100 years of innovation in storytelling, technology and powering creativity. "I’m honoured and excited to be asked to serve as director-general.”