This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/mar/27/bbc-news-cuts
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| BBC News cuts: 140 posts to go | BBC News cuts: 140 posts to go |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| BBC News journalists have been told that about 140 posts are to go in the next year, and programmes including Radio 4 current affairs output will be cut, as part of the "Delivering Quality First" cost savings. | BBC News journalists have been told that about 140 posts are to go in the next year, and programmes including Radio 4 current affairs output will be cut, as part of the "Delivering Quality First" cost savings. |
| BBC2's Newsnight and the BBC News Channel will be affected by the cuts, which will also see the corporation set up a combined UK and world newsgathering operation in the corporation's Broadcasting House newsroom in London. The BBC also confirmed as part of the cuts that Newsnight will no longer be co-presented from the party conferences. | BBC2's Newsnight and the BBC News Channel will be affected by the cuts, which will also see the corporation set up a combined UK and world newsgathering operation in the corporation's Broadcasting House newsroom in London. The BBC also confirmed as part of the cuts that Newsnight will no longer be co-presented from the party conferences. |
| Shows that face the axe in a bid by BBC radio current affairs to save £500,000 a year include Radio 4's Taking a Stand, fronted by Fergal Keane, and political show Beyond Westminster. | |
| Radio 4 shows In Business and Law in Action may face similar treatment, while three reporter posts will go across key programmes including Today and The World at One. | Radio 4 shows In Business and Law in Action may face similar treatment, while three reporter posts will go across key programmes including Today and The World at One. |
| BBC News director Helen Boaden, head of newsgathering Fran Unsworth and multimedia newsroom boss Mary Hockaday laid out the plans in emails to staff on Tuesday. | BBC News director Helen Boaden, head of newsgathering Fran Unsworth and multimedia newsroom boss Mary Hockaday laid out the plans in emails to staff on Tuesday. |
| Of the 140 BBC News posts going by April 2013 in the first phase of DQF, 28 will go in the newsroom, 70 in news programmes and the remainder from newsgathering and political programmes. | Of the 140 BBC News posts going by April 2013 in the first phase of DQF, 28 will go in the newsroom, 70 in news programmes and the remainder from newsgathering and political programmes. |
| In total, across the BBC News and BBC English regions division it is expected, but not yet confirmed, that by the time DQF is completed there will be about 500 post closures. | In total, across the BBC News and BBC English regions division it is expected, but not yet confirmed, that by the time DQF is completed there will be about 500 post closures. |
| Unsworth said that her department wants to save money by ensuring London news teams have closer relationships with the English regions, concentrating on breaking news on the BBC News Channel and bringing specialist journalists together in Broadcasting House. Posts going include four from the reporter/correspondent/special correspondent team in the world affairs unit. | Unsworth said that her department wants to save money by ensuring London news teams have closer relationships with the English regions, concentrating on breaking news on the BBC News Channel and bringing specialist journalists together in Broadcasting House. Posts going include four from the reporter/correspondent/special correspondent team in the world affairs unit. |
| Hockaday said there will be 28 posts closed in her division by April 2013. | Hockaday said there will be 28 posts closed in her division by April 2013. |
| She also said that the BBC News Channel will focus its "budget on covering the main stories of the day and on breaking news. The channel will be supported in this by the new breaking news priorities, where filing breaking copy is the first task for all our newsgatherers. Money spent away from core coverage will be pared back." | She also said that the BBC News Channel will focus its "budget on covering the main stories of the day and on breaking news. The channel will be supported in this by the new breaking news priorities, where filing breaking copy is the first task for all our newsgatherers. Money spent away from core coverage will be pared back." |
| Non-rolling news programmes will have less priority, with one, On The Road With..., being axed. | Non-rolling news programmes will have less priority, with one, On The Road With..., being axed. |
| Some news editing posts will go, including one on Newsnight and a newsroom editor, while six posts will go in online and three studio technicians and a supervisor will be cut. | Some news editing posts will go, including one on Newsnight and a newsroom editor, while six posts will go in online and three studio technicians and a supervisor will be cut. |
| Hockaday said: "What I can say is that if we do not have enough volunteers for redundancy we will work very hard, as we always have, to find redeployment opportunities for affected staff." | Hockaday said: "What I can say is that if we do not have enough volunteers for redundancy we will work very hard, as we always have, to find redeployment opportunities for affected staff." |
| Boaden said she realised the cuts were not "painless" or "easy". | Boaden said she realised the cuts were not "painless" or "easy". |
| She told staff: "Today we are announcing further details of the BBC News Group's Delivering Quality First proposals in network news for year one, 2013/14, which regrettably will result in the closure of around 140 posts by April next year. | She told staff: "Today we are announcing further details of the BBC News Group's Delivering Quality First proposals in network news for year one, 2013/14, which regrettably will result in the closure of around 140 posts by April next year. |
| "We are currently working through our savings plan for future years and we will come back to you at a later date with more detail, along with our final proposals for local radio and regional current afairs and the Asian Network, once the trust has published its conclusions." | "We are currently working through our savings plan for future years and we will come back to you at a later date with more detail, along with our final proposals for local radio and regional current afairs and the Asian Network, once the trust has published its conclusions." |
| The BBC Trust has not yet signed off the final DQF proposals but is expected to do so within the next month. | The BBC Trust has not yet signed off the final DQF proposals but is expected to do so within the next month. |
| The National Union of Journalists described the cuts as threatening the corporation's position as a leading broadcaster. Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said: "Mark Thompson's shabby, behind closed doors deal with the government is the direct cause of these job cuts. | The National Union of Journalists described the cuts as threatening the corporation's position as a leading broadcaster. Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said: "Mark Thompson's shabby, behind closed doors deal with the government is the direct cause of these job cuts. |
| "His decision to agree to freeze the licence fee until 2017 means that the corporation faces these cuts as well as taking on an extra £340m in new financial responsibilities, such as the World Service and the rollout of fast broadband. The top quality journalism we expect from the BBC is under severe threat. There will be fewer original news packages and more repeats." | "His decision to agree to freeze the licence fee until 2017 means that the corporation faces these cuts as well as taking on an extra £340m in new financial responsibilities, such as the World Service and the rollout of fast broadband. The top quality journalism we expect from the BBC is under severe threat. There will be fewer original news packages and more repeats." |
| Stanistreet added that the NUJ would urge Thompson's successor to reconsider the cuts. "When times are tough, the money should be used to protect creative content and quality news journalism," she said. | Stanistreet added that the NUJ would urge Thompson's successor to reconsider the cuts. "When times are tough, the money should be used to protect creative content and quality news journalism," she said. |
| Sue Harris, the NUJ broadcasting organiser, described the cuts as leaving Thompson with a "potentially devastating" legacy. | Sue Harris, the NUJ broadcasting organiser, described the cuts as leaving Thompson with a "potentially devastating" legacy. |
| • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". |
| • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook | • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook |