BBC News division facing larger cuts than expected

BBC News is warning staff that its division will face larger cost-cutting efforts than expected, which will force layoffs.

The division is facing a 15% cost-cut, which was more than expected. While cost savings will come largely from eliminating jobs, additional expense reductions are expected as well. 

BBC News accounts for about 25% of all of the British broadcaster’s headcount.

The cuts are part of a broader effort to cut around £600 million (about $813 million U.S.) from its overall budget. 

Originally, the broadcaster said it would cut, on average, around 10% of it expenses across various departments and divisions. These cuts could include eliminating jobs or operating expenses, but the broadcaster also indicated some areas have roles and costs that can’t be easily eliminated, which led to the newsroom facing that higher 15% reduction.

With a current count of 21,500 employees across all divisions, the BBC said it would cut around 2,000 positions.

More specific details about the cuts are expected in June 2026, with affected employees being notified in September 2026.

It’s not clear how many on-air jobs will be affected, though one executive indicated the 15% cut will affect most areas of the news division fairly consistently. 

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The BBC spends around £140 million, or $190 million, on talent salaries, according to previous financial reports. It also has 237 roles classified as “senior leadership” where staffers are paid more than £100,000 ($135,000) to more than £350,000 ($474,000) per year. There was no indication if the BBC may cut more heavily from higher-paying positions in favor of saving lower-level roles. 

The announcements come as the BBC prepares to welcome Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, May 18, 2026. Brittin replaces Tim Davie as director general.

Davie resigned in November 2025 after he was accused of bias (Davie denied those claims and they were never formally proved).