BBC budget cuts to affect BBC Shropshire
BBC Radio Shropshire could share programming with other BBC local radio stations in the Midlands during off-peak slots as the corporation seeks to save £670m, it was revealed today.
Weekday afternoon, Sunday afternoon and evening programmes will be shared with other local stations such as BBC Hereford & Worcester and BBC Stoke under the plans outlined by Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC.
Up to eight jobs could be lost at the station which broadcasts to Shropshire from studios in Shrewsbury and has an office in Telford town centre. The weekday early breakfast show would also be repleaced with an extended feed of 5live.
Across the BBC as a whole, around 2,000 jobs will go by 2017 as part of the plans to save £670m a year. A thousand more will move to BBC North in Salford, including TV channel BBC Three, with the corporation eventually planning to leave its West London base altogether.
The BBC said today's proposals – the result of its nine-month "Delivering Quality First review" – would lead to a smaller and radically reshaped BBC.
The key proposals include:
- The elimination of BBC Two's daytime budget
- A 15% reduction in BBC Sport budget
- A reduction of 3% in BBC One's budget
- Small reduction in scope of BBC News
- Reduction in entertainment and acquisitions
- Extra investment in children's channels
- BBC Radio 4's underlying programme budget being protected
- Reduced spend in off-peak programming, particularly overnight shows
The proposals, along with extra efficiency savings of £30m a year, will result in total savings of 20% of the BBC's budget. About 4% of the savings will be reinvested into programming.
The cuts are required due to the BBC's new licence fee settlement agreed with the government a year ago, which froze the TV licence fee at £145.50 until 2016-17, effectively cutting the corporation's income by 16% in real terms.
Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, said: "The BBC is far from perfect but it is a great institution and, at its best, a great broadcaster. We have a tough and challenging new licence fee settlement, but it should still be possible to run an outstanding broadcaster on £3.5bn a year."
A BBC Trust consultation has begun on the proposals from management, with a closing date of 21 December.
