BBC could scrap channel and station structure to be 'content first'
The BBC is reportedly weighing up a number of options to reduce bureaucracy that are said to include scrapping its historic television channel and radio station structure to better reflect how people consume its content.
The ‘content first’ strategy would focus resources on programming rather than managing particular channels in a bid both to save an additional £550m a year and restructure operations to be more in tune with the way people now view content, which tends to be scattergun on iPlayer rather than rigidly confined to a linear broadcast.
Even assuming such radical measures are implanted they would not mean an end to the likes of BBC One or Radio 2, but rather the back office functions which run behind their operation.
Speaking to the Guardian a BBC spokesperson said: “Everyone knows we are looking at the BBC’s structure to make sure we are fit for the digital age. There has already been a lot of speculation about our future shape and there will no doubt be plenty more, but when we’ve got something to announce we’ll do so.”
The public service broadcaster has already scrapped the BBC 1 and BBC 2 controller roles after elevating BBC 1 chief Charlotte Moore to oversee all TV output in a sign of the BBC’s changed thinking.