The BBC commenced a redundancy process within its television and streaming divisions, according to reports. Director general is expected to inform staff on Wednesday regarding a plan to save £500m and eliminate up to 2,000 jobs.
Matt Brittin is expected to announce the closure of the BBC Three and BBC Scotland channels next week. Sources suggest the BBC is preparing to make the two channels available online only.
Dan McGolpin called for department staff to submit expressions of interest for voluntary redundancy. BBC Three previously moved to an online-only format in 2016.
Financial pressures recently caused BBC Three to cancel the show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. In 2023-24, BBC Three's cost per user hour stood at 26p.
The cost per user hour for BBC Three is projected to drop to 18p in 2024-25. BBC One's cost per user hour was recorded at 10p for 2024-25.
BBC Two's cost per user hour was 9p in 2024-25. BBC Four's cost per user hour was 6p in 2024-25.
BBC Scotland, which launched in 2019, has received approximately £250m in funding since its debut. Of the adult population in Scotland, 54% consume BBC Scotland content every week.
The BBC announced plans in June to cut 60 jobs in Scotland, aiming to save £10m. Brittin stated that assessing value alongside cost is necessary due to the rise of on-demand viewing.
Radio services, including the axing of the World Tonight after more than 50 years, could face cuts, Brittin suggested.
