BBC sets out vision for leaner future

The BBC is to become “significantly smaller than it is today”, cutting more than 2,000 jobs, quitting its west London home and reducing the size of its senior management body by more than half.

The entire BBC3 channel will move to Salford, the new BBC headquarters for northern Britain, and it will have a different role as a “nursery” for the main BBC1 channel. BBC2 will become more closely linked to BBC 4, which will provide more of its programming. Overall, the broadcaster is to cut 20 per cent from its spending by 2016/17, which assuming an inflation rate in the industry no higher than 4 per cent will meet the targets agreed with the government in October 2010 as part of its comprehensive spending review. The BBC Trust is to consult the public about the impact on services of a 6 per cent cut in the scope of the radio, television and online output. The rest of the savings will come from efficiency exercises, Mark Thompson, the director general, told staff. Lord Patten, the chairman of the Trust, said he believed that final decisions would be made at the beginning of 2012.