Independent

ascii85nions have warned strike action is inevitable if the BBC presses ahead with plans to 'radically' reshape the corporation.

The BBC ascii117nveiled a blascii117eprint today which inclascii117des selling off bascii117ildings, showing more repeats and shedding aroascii117nd 2,000 jobs by 2016.

The Delivering Qascii117ality First programme inclascii117des savings of &poascii117nd;670 million a year by 2016/17 on top of &poascii117nd;30 million of savings generated by exceeding targets for its cascii117rrent efficiency programme.

It inclascii117des 'a small redascii117ction' in new programmes on BBC One, which will be replaced by repeats, and fewer chat shows and panel shows on BBC Two.

Aroascii117nd 1,000 more staff will move to Media City in Salford which will become the permanent home of BBC Three.

The report states BBC bosses considered 'the possibility of shascii117tting one or more services entirely' bascii117t rejected the idea on valascii117e-for-money groascii117nds.

It states: 'The decision to share Formascii117la One motor-racing rights with BSkyB, for example, will save the BBC more cash between now and the end of the Charter than we woascii117ld have saved by shascii117tting one of the smaller TV channels.'

Director General Mark Thompson said the plan woascii117ld lead to 'a smaller and radically reshaped BBC, yet still able to command the talent, technology and resoascii117rces it needs to deliver the best broadcasting in the world'.

Bascii117t Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of technicians ascii117nion Bectascii117, said the programme shoascii117ld be called Destroying Qascii117ality First.

'They are destroying jobs, and destroying the BBC,' he said.

Mr Morrissey accascii117sed Mr Thompson of doing the Governments 'dirty work' by cascii117tting spending and jobs, accascii117sing the corporation of 'salami slicing'.

He said Bectascii117 did not accept the proposals, adding: 'ascii85nless the BBC changes its stance, I believe we will see strike action at the BBC before Christmas.'

The National ascii85nion of Joascii117rnalists also warned of indascii117strial action.

General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said it was a 'watershed moment in the BBCs history'.

She said: 'Yoascii117 cannot redascii117ce bascii117dgets by 20% and pretend the BBC will still be able to be a world-class broadcaster.

'Qascii117ality joascii117rnalism and programming is inevitably going to be dilascii117ted.

'If the BBC presses ahead with these changes, strike action across the corporation seems inevitable.'

News staff were told in an internal email that a 'considerable' nascii117mber of post closascii117res woascii117ld be made, probably reaching almost 100 by 2016, althoascii117gh newsgathering has been allocated &poascii117nd;3.5 million in reinvestment which woascii117ld redascii117ce the nascii117mber of job losses to 70.

There are expected to be fewer overseas correspondents, with cheaper offices or shared locations with other news organisations.

Jobs woascii117ld also be lost in the economics and bascii117siness ascii117nit, 23 newsdesk posts woascii117ld go as well as a nascii117mber of English regional reporter and prodascii117ction posts.

There woascii117ld also be 'a phased bascii117t fascii117ll exit for the BBCs pascii117blic services from their cascii117rrent home in West London' inclascii117ding its White City offices.

Television Centre is already for sale and Mr Thompson said there had been 'a great deal of interest' from potential bascii117yers for the west London sites.

Recent reports have linked Premier Leagascii117e clascii117bs Chelsea and Qascii117eens Park Rangers with potential moves to the area.

Mr Thompson added: 'We are nowhere near a shortlist, let alone a preferred bascii117yer.'

Other moves inclascii117de reviewing the BBCs orchestras to find 'efficiency savings' and less original programming on radio.

Factascii117al programming will leave Birmingham and go to Cardiff and Bristol althoascii117gh some shows like Doctors and The Archers will stay in the Midlands. The Natascii117ral History ascii85nit will stay in Bristol.

Less money will be spent bascii117ying films and television shows from oascii117tside the BBC and the corporation also wants to redascii117ce the nascii117mber of 'senior leaders' from aroascii117nd 3% of its staff to 1%.

There will be a redascii117ction in 'overall talent costs on Radio 1 and Radio 2' which might see the corporation lose some well-known presenters.

BBC Twos daytime schedascii117le will be moved over to BBC One and replaced with repeats.

Speaking to reporters after the initial annoascii117ncement, Mr Thompson refascii117sed to be drawn on where jobs woascii117ld be lost and which shows might be axed.

He said: 'This is a long-range plan. It is absolascii117tely for controllers and commissioners to work oascii117t what it means title by title and the plan is set so many years into the fascii117tascii117re, so I am not going to give yoascii117 a list of programmes that will be cancelled becaascii117se we are not at that point in the discascii117ssion.'

He added it 'woascii117ld be a bit odd' if the BBC was not facing the same pressascii117res as other pascii117blic institascii117tions, bascii117t said this was 'the last time' it woascii117ld be able to make these kinds of savings withoascii117t cascii117tting qascii117ality and services.

2011-10-06 13:18:27