BBC targets 140 journalist jobs in cuts

Around 140 BBC journalists will lose their jobs in the next 12 months as part of a round of cost-cutting measures designed to save the corporation millions of pounds.

They are among 500 job losses across BBC News and the English Regions in the next five years as part of what the corporation calls Delivering Quality First (DQF).

BBC News Director Helen Boaden said the move would “result in the closure of around 140 posts by April next year”.

Staff at BBC Scotland have already been told to expect 30 job losses in the news division over the next five years.

In an email sent to staff yesterday, Ms Boaden said: “We will work extremely hard to avoid any compulsory redundancies.”

The BBC in-house newspaper said job losses will include: “Three Newsnight reporters, three Radio 4 news reporters and 17 posts across Radio 1”.

Radio 4 shows Taking a Stand and Beyond Westminster will also be cut.