BBC steps up cost-cutting drive with 100 more job cuts and channel closures

The latest reductions come as the broadcaster targets up to 2,000 job cuts, while BBC Three and BBC Scotland will move online as audiences increasingly shift towards digital platforms.

BBC is set to cut a further 100 roles, on top of the 200 already announced in its news division, as part of a wider cost-reduction drive aimed at delivering £500mn in savings over the next two years.

The latest reductions are expected to generate around £5.5mn in savings at BBC News. They come as the wider organisation targets between 1,800 and 2,000 job reductions in response to financial pressures and changing audience habits.

Rachel Jupp, newly appointed Director of BBC News, was cited as saying that the broadcaster will “work closely with colleagues and trade unions throughout the consultation process”. She added that the BBC would do everything it could to “minimise the need for compulsory redundancies”.

The restructuring will also see the linear broadcast services of BBC Three, BBC Scotland, and Radio 4 Extra close in spring 2027.

The changes do not mean the services will disappear entirely. BBC Three programming will remain available through BBC iPlayer and other platforms, including YouTube, while BBC Scotland will continue on iPlayer, with some content also appearing on BBC One and BBC Two in Scotland. Programmes from Radio 4 Extra will continue to be available through BBC Sounds.

Matt Brittin, Director-General of the BBC, said the organisation needed to “make every pound work harder for audiences as we respond to the immediate cost pressures and reinvent the BBC for a changing world”.

The move also reflects changing consumption habits as more audiences turn to on-demand and digital services. BBC Three, which caters to younger audiences, previously moved online in 2016 before returning as a linear television channel in 2022.

However, the latest measures represent only part of the BBC’s broader savings drive. Reports indicate that around £200mn in savings have been identified so far, leaving approximately £300mn still to be found against the £500mn target.

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