BBC Scotland to axe 35 posts including 17 in News and Current Affairs in latest round of staff cuts
BBC Scotland has announced to staff the latest round of cuts, continuing its bid to shed up to 120 posts by 2017. The cuts hope to reduce the BBC's budget by 16 per cent and save the broadcaster £16.1 million.
The BBC confirmed to The Drum that 17 posts are set to go from its News and Current Affairs department, with twelve of those being journalists. In January of this year, The Drum reported that one-third of BBC Radio Scotland news staff would be lost and two programmes dropped in a wave of cost cutting activity. This time a total 35 posts will be lost across BBC Scotland to achieve the required savings for 2013-2014.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that more than one thousand BBC staff, both national and regional, were made redundant.
Last year the BBC released a Delivering Quality First (DQF) cost-cutting plan to make further savings of 20 per cent by 2017, and the NUJ have already expressed concerns over the number of cuts to staff the BBC are proposing.
In an email sent to staff this afternoon by director of BBC Scotland, Ken MacQuarrie, confirmed: "By March of next year we expect to close around 35 posts to achieve the required savings for 2013-2014.These are in the following areas: Radio Scotland - eight posts, Gaelic - two posts, News and Current Affairs - 17 posts, Marketing, Communications and Audiences - six posts, and New Media, Learning and Outreach - two posts.
"We will do all we can to support staff affected by today’s announcements throughout the process and, as always, will be seeking to manage any post losses through voluntary redundancy and redeployment, so avoiding compulsory redundancy wherever possible.
"We don’t underestimate how hard it is to achieve these savings plans and how difficult it is for those facing the prospect of losing their jobs. We would, however, like to underline our track record of success in delivering great content to our audiences and of significant investment in BBC Scotland over recent years. Our aim remains to provide high quality and distinctive programmes, content and services for audiences in Scotland and in the rest of the UK. Our proposals will ensure that we deliver those aims and respond to the demands of an ever-changing industry.
"This story of sustainable growth, opportunity and skills development will continue over the period up until Charter Renewal."
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