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BBC job cuts expected to reach over 2000

By Press Gazette

The BBC is poised to cut at least 12 per cent of its workforce, with the brunt of over 2000 redundancies falling in factual programming, according to reports.

The Financial Times, which reported the figures this morning, has said the total tally could approach 2,800.

There had been speculation that the cuts could mean between 500 and 600 redundancies within BBC News. The cuts are subject to approval by the BBC Trust.

BBC Director General Mark Thompson is expected to present the plans to the Trust on Wednesday 17 October and announce the details to staff the following day.

The Trust wants the corporation to make three per cent cuts over each of the next five years to plug a £2 billion funding gap.

The BBC newsroom, which is expected to be integrated as part of the plans, could be asked to consider cuts of five per cent over the next five years, with Newsnight to cut its budget by four per cent.

Strike action is now looking increasingly likely at the corporation. Last week, reports surfaced that BBC staff could have to write a 200-word memo justifying why they should keep their jobs in the light of cutbacks.

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The move follows the last round of job cuts in March 2005, in which 3,750 staff lost their jobs at the BBC.

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