BBC to cut costs by 10% as ‘financial pressures’ bite

LONDON - The BBC said on Feb 12 it expects to make further savings of around 10 per cent of its costs over the next three years in answer to “substantial financial pressures”.

The British broadcaster did not specify the amount it aims to save, but other British media reported it was up to £600 million (S$1.03 billion) and would involve job losses and some programming cuts as it copes with squeezed funding.

“In a rapidly changing media market, we continue to face substantial financial pressures,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement.

“As a result we expect to make further savings over the next three years of around 10 per cent of our costs,” the statement added, noting “this is about the BBC becoming more productive and prioritising our offer to audiences”.

The funding shortfall has been exacerbated by fewer people opting to pay the annual licence fee, which is mandatory for every UK household watching live television channels.

The yearly fee, on which the BBC relies heavily, is currently £174.50.

The broadcaster collected £3.8 billion from over 23 million licences in 2024-2025, but 3.6 million households declared they did not need one, according to a recent parliamentary committee report.

More than £1.1 billion was lost in revenues over the same period as people legitimately refused or dodged the fee, it found.

The BBC is also grappling with wider changes in media consumption, such as streaming and on-demand services.

The latest cutbacks – following more than half a billion pounds worth of savings over the last three years – come against the backdrop of turbulence sparked by the misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump has

filed a US$10 billion (S$12.63 billion) defamation lawsuit

against the BBC in Florida, and a federal judge there on Feb 12 set a February 2027 trial date.

The furore around the edit forced outgoing director-general Tim Davie to announce he would step down, with his last day slated for April 2. AFP