BBC to cut nearly 2,000 jobs by 2016

Unions have warned strike action is inevitable if the BBC presses ahead with plans to "radically" reshape the corporation.

The BBC unveiled a blueprint today which includes selling off buildings, showing more repeats and shedding around 2,000 jobs by 2016.

The Delivering Quality First programme includes savings of £670 million a year by 2016/17 on top of £30 million of savings generated by exceeding targets for its current efficiency programme.

It includes "a small reduction" in new programmes on BBC One, which will be replaced by repeats, and fewer chat shows and panel shows on BBC Two.

Around 1,000 more staff will move to Media City in Salford which will become the permanent home of BBC Three.

The report states BBC bosses considered "the possibility of shutting one or more services entirely" but rejected the idea on value-for-money grounds.

It states: "The decision to share Formula One motor-racing rights with BSkyB, for example, will save the BBC more cash between now and the end of the Charter than we would have saved by shutting one of the smaller TV channels."

Director General Mark Thompson said the plan would lead to "a smaller and radically reshaped BBC, yet still able to command the talent, technology and resources it needs to deliver the best broadcasting in the world".

But Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of technicians' union Bectu, said the programme should be called Destroying Quality First.

"They are destroying jobs, and destroying the BBC," he said.

Mr Morrissey accused Mr Thompson of doing the Government's "dirty work" by cutting spending and jobs, accusing the corporation of "salami slicing".

He said Bectu did not accept the proposals, adding: "Unless the BBC changes its stance, I believe we will see strike action at the BBC before Christmas."

The National Union of Journalists also warned of industrial action.

General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said it was a "watershed moment in the BBC's history".

She said: "You cannot reduce budgets by 20% and pretend the BBC will still be able to be a world-class broadcaster.

"Quality journalism and programming is inevitably going to be diluted.

"If the BBC presses ahead with these changes, strike action across the corporation seems inevitable."

News staff were told in an internal email that a "considerable" number of post closures would be made, probably reaching almost 100 by 2016, although newsgathering has been allocated £3.5 million in reinvestment which would reduce the number of job losses to 70.

There are expected to be fewer overseas correspondents, with cheaper offices or shared locations with other news organisations.

Jobs would also be lost in the economics and business unit, 23 newsdesk posts would go as well as a number of English regional reporter and production posts.

There would also be "a phased but full exit for the BBC's public services from their current home in West London" including its White City offices.

Television Centre is already for sale and Mr Thompson said there had been "a great deal of interest" from potential buyers for the west London sites.

Recent reports have linked Premier League clubs Chelsea and Queen's Park Rangers with potential moves to the area.

Mr Thompson added: "We are nowhere near a shortlist, let alone a preferred buyer."

Other moves include reviewing the BBC's orchestras to find "efficiency savings" and less original programming on radio.

Factual programming will leave Birmingham and go to Cardiff and Bristol although some shows like Doctors and The Archers will stay in the Midlands. The Natural History Unit will stay in Bristol.

Less money will be spent buying films and television shows from outside the BBC and the corporation also wants to reduce the number of "senior leaders" from around 3% of its staff to 1%.

There will be a reduction in "overall talent costs on Radio 1 and Radio 2" which might see the corporation lose some well-known presenters.

BBC Two's daytime schedule will be moved over to BBC One and replaced with repeats.

Speaking to reporters after the initial announcement, Mr Thompson refused to be drawn on where jobs would be lost and which shows might be axed.

He said: "This is a long-range plan. It is absolutely for controllers and commissioners to work out what it means title by title and the plan is set so many years into the future, so I'm not going to give you a list of programmes that will be cancelled because we're not at that point in the discussion."

He added it "would be a bit odd" if the BBC was not facing the same pressures as other public institutions, but said this was "the last time" it would be able to make these kinds of savings without cutting quality and services.

PA