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BBC Scotland announces job cuts |
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Friday, 19 October 2007 |
BBC Scotland is to cut 210 posts over the next five years to save money, it has been announced, although it has proposed that 130 new jobs will be created over the same period, resulting in a net loss of 80 posts.
The National Union of Journalists has voiced shock at the scale of the cuts and called for "maximum consultation", while First Minister Alex Salmond described the cuts as "drastic".
Director General Mark Thompson said about 2,500 cuts were being made across the UK as the BBC attempts to plug a £2bn funding shortfall, and the cuts are on top of 32 posts which will go in Scotland over the year as part of current value for money plans.
The new posts will be created following investment in news and current affairs and a significant expansion of web-based content, while BBC Scotland also hopes to co-launch a new Gaelic service.
A less than expected licence fee settlement has resulted in BBC Scotland looking for 3% annual savings over the next five years, in line with the rest of the BBC.
Staff in Scotland were told of the changes by controller Ken MacQuarrie at the broadcaster's new Scottish headquarters at Pacific Quay, Glasgow.
MacQuarrie said: "At the end of the five-year period, BBC Scotland will be smaller, but more efficient - and offer better value to licence fee payers. This is a tough and challenging period - but we're better placed than ever to produce the distinctive, high quality programming for audiences, wherever and whenever they want it."
Salmond said: "These are drastic cuts affecting the BBC.
“They are particularly difficult in Scotland as the job losses are from a much lower staffing base compared to programmes centred in London.
"The danger is that BBC Scotland will have a shiny new battleship of a building in Pacific Quay but nobody manning the boiler-room."
Commenting on the announcement, SNP Westminster Media Spokesperson, Pete Wishart, also condemned the cutbacks, adding: “This situation underlines the importance of the Scottish Government’s Broadcasting Commission. We need to explore all the issues of broadcasting in Scotland and take the right decisions to grow our broadcasting infrastructure and skills.”
One person has commented on this article. 1. BBC job cuts
Dave Rushton, Unregistered MaQuarrie said ".. but we're better placed than ever to produce the distinctive, high quality programming for audiences, wherever and whenever they want it."
From the recent past, BBC Scotland’s Journalism Review (2003) provides evidence of the demand for local television news “across the board [from viewers] for 5–10 minutes of local television news within the 6-7pm news hour on BBC1 (81% interested, only 8% not interested)”. (BBC, 2003:13) But instead of BBC Scotland addressing the viewer’s requirement in the interim the BBC has proposed examining “how it might provide a stronger regional news service considering the options for all services – radio television and online”. (Peat, BBC Annual Review 2005/2006 :13). Begging the question of whether the BBC understands that a region in Scotland is sufficiently ‘local’ or that TV is 'TV' and no radio or broadband. So much for ... wherever and whenever they want it!
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