Job cuts at the BBC have had a “very strong effect” on staff and are a real concern across the country, the Culture Secretary has said.
Employees were told that up to 2,000 jobs are to be cut as bosses at the corporation are trying to reduce costs by 10% over the next three years.
The biggest round of BBC job cuts in almost 15 years are being set in motion as former Google boss Matt Brittin prepares to take over as director general next month.
In the Commons, Lisa Nandy said she met with Mr Brittin on Wednesday and they discussed “how we put the BBC on its own financial footing going forward”.
Speaking on Thursday, she said: “Colleagues will know that yesterday, the BBC interim director general announced that there will be significant cuts to staffing, which I know have had a very, very strong effect on the staff themselves and are of real concern to people out in the country.”
The redundancies were announced during a call at 3pm on Wednesday but employees were not given details of who will be affected, the Press Association understands.
One staff member, who was on the call, told PA it was “savage”, adding it has “caused huge panic”.
