THE BBC IS TO AXE JOBS AT MEDIACITYUK AS IT TIGHTENS ITS PURSE STRINGS AND MODERNISES SERVICES TO SAVE £80M BY 2022

Staff from the BBC's popular Radio Five Live station which is based out of MediaCityUK are to faced with being axed as the Broadcaster looks to make cuts in order to streamline and modernise its services.

The reason is being stated as being due to the changing listening habits of the audience and increasing demand for digital content.

Overall up to 450 jobs will be cut across the Corporations News Division with 12 of those coming from MediaCity as it seeks to make savings of £80m per year, although the Beeb will reportedly be looking to recruit 2 'digital journalists' which would bring the total of net losses to 10 or 9 if you take into account one of the positions lost is actually more London based.

In contrast MediaCity is currently home to some 4,000 BBC staff members, many of which made the move North when the BBC shifted its operations to Salford.

It is not all doom and gloom though as the BBC has also recently announced its intentions to move its BBC Sounds digital platform up North to its new Salford base.

Director of News and Current Affairs Fran Unsworth said:

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“The BBC has to face up to the changing way audiences are using us. We have to adapt and ensure we continue to be the world’s most trusted news organisation, but crucially, one which is also relevant for the people we are not currently reaching.

“We need to reshape BBC News for the next decade in a way which saves substantial amounts of money. We are spending too much of our resources on traditional linear broadcasting and not enough on digital.

“Our duty as a publicly funded broadcaster is to inform, educate, and entertain every citizen. But there are many people in this country that we are not serving well enough.

“I believe that we have a vital role to play locally, nationally and internationally. In fact, we are fundamental to contributing to a healthy democracy in the UK and around the world. If we adapt we can continue to be the most important news organisation in the world.”

 

She went on to say that there would be a reorganisation of the newsroom along a ‘story-led’ model, with journalists working cross-platform.

The are to be more journalists based outside London with a new version of the BBC News app, which will be “more intuitive, more visual, and with increased personalisation”.

A review of presenter numbers and how they work as well as changes to its World Update service and Asian language services.

In the past year the BBC has been slammed for its extravagant wages paid out to its stars so news of jobs cuts will no doubt be met with anger.

Photo: SM