“We were NEVER asked to grow the linear Tv audience. Ever. We were asked to grow our digital audience – we did – our digi figures are huge,” Derbyshire tweeted. Unsworth told staff that cancelingwas a “really difficult” decision, while the BBC has said that it aims to continue producing “the kind of journalism the show has been making.”
Paul Siegert, the National Union of Journalists’ national broadcasting organizer, said the pooling of resources could “lead to a fall in quality” and will put remaining staff under “more strain.” He added: “The NUJ remains opposed to any compulsory redundancies and urges the BBC to work with the unions in ensuring the staff who are at risk can be redeployed.”
The job cuts are part of the news division’s £80M contribution to the BBC’s overall savings target of £800M by March 2022. In June last year, the corporation said it had achieved just under half of this savings goal, but it has warned that it will be impossible to protect content and services from further cuts.
And it all comes against the backdrop of an uncertain time for the BBC. Director general Tony Hall has announced plans to resign over the summer, while the broadcaster is bracing for tough talks with the government, which is threatening to decriminalize non-payment of the licence fee — a move that the BBC predicts would give it £200M less to spend on content. The BBC is also facing unprecedented competition from U.S.
Michelle Stanistreet, the general secretary of the NUJ, said the BBC faces an “existential threat” over the coming months and years. This echoed a sentiment from Unsworth, who told staff that she can’t remember a time in her career when the BBC has not been more under threat from outside forces. “The BBC’s detractors and competitors in the media are scenting blood,” Stanistreet said.
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