The BBC’s interim director general, Rhodri Talfan Davies, has expressed frustration after news of major job cuts was leaked to the media before staff were officially informed.
Speaking to employees on Wednesday, he said he was “incredibly frustrated” that details of around 2,000 layoffs appeared in the press before being communicated internally. He added that the early briefings had “undermined” his plan to properly explain the BBC’s $678 million cost-saving strategy.
The reaction inside the BBC has been tense. Many employees were upset by the leaks and raised concerns during an all-staff call where the job cuts were discussed. Staff submitted written questions, asking how such sensitive information reached the media before them.
According to internal messages seen by Deadline, one insider pointed out that BBC News had already begun reporting on the redundancy plans before employees were officially informed.
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The leaks appear to have shaken confidence within the organization. One staff member said, “It has a bad impact on staff to be that low in the senior management priorities,” highlighting frustration over how communication was handled. Another insider told Deadline, “Everyone is absolutely fuming.”
Responding to the anger, Talfan Davies told employees that such actions were unacceptable. “It is not right that information that is shared confidentially is then given out to news organizations. It’s incredibly frustrating,” he said.
Audio from the all-staff meeting, obtained by Deadline, shows the extent of his concern. He said, “If you are briefing colleagues, and one colleague decides that they want to use the power of that information to share it with a journalist, I don’t know what you can do.”
He added, “It’s one of the frustrations I have with the BBC. We share information in confidence for a reason, not because we want to hoard it, but because we want the right people to hear it at the right time, and hear it first from their leaders. And these sorts of leaks undermine that.”
Talfan Davies also told staff that between 1,800 and 2,000 roles will be cut over the next two years. He said more details will be shared from September, leaving many employees facing an anxious wait to learn if their jobs are at risk.
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He said the BBC will open a voluntary redundancy scheme, but made it clear that compulsory layoffs are likely.
Alongside the job cuts, the BBC said it is introducing “immediate cost control measures” across areas such as recruitment, travel, consultancy spending, and costs linked to awards and events.
During the internal call, a presentation stated that the BBC will be “recruiting only for essential roles with robust approvals,” effectively putting a near hiring freeze in place.
The move follows an earlier announcement in February, when the BBC said it plans to cut costs by about $678 million over the next three years, adding to an existing savings target of around $2.03 billion.