Business

The BBC will cut 2,500 jobs in the next 5 years
by Corina Ciubotaru

The BBC, Britain's national broadcasting company, has announced major staff cuts due to its need to adapt to the new digital side of entertainment. The cuts amount to 8 percent of staff or 2,500 jobs that would be lost in the course of five years, especially in the news and current affairs departments. Over these five years, a number of 700 jobs will be created to suit areas like online television, which appeals much more to young viewers. Also regarding the Internet part of the business, an additional site, bbc.com will be created apart from bbc.co.uk, to carry advertising to users outside of Britain, while the company's currently separated television, radio and online departments will merge. BBC union members threatened to call a strike unless management stop sending letters requesting voluntary redundancy, and already presenters like Bill Oddie and Dermot Murnaghan have found themselves useless in the new scheme; Murnaghan has announced he is leaving for Sky. Director general Mark Thompson's plans for a radical reform in the BBC also benefit from the support of taxpayers' association, the BBC Trust. The company is funded by taxes on every television owner, which amount to 135.5 pounds yearly and the director thinks payers deserve what's best for their money. The creation of original-content shows will also be reduced by 10 percent as the BBC will now be more focused on the quality of their programs. The company also plans to sell its West London headquarters by the end of financial year 2012/13.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071018/tuk-uk-britain-bbc-fa6b408_5.html

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

posted by Blog TechSource @ 3:34 PM