Andrew Neil and journalism job cuts
THE Andrew Neil Show will be axed as part of cuts to the BBC’S news operation revealed yesterday. The end of the political discussion programme, which had already been off the air during the Covid-19 crisis, came to light when the broadcaster announced that 520 jobs will go.
What is being cut?
The 520 jobs come from a workforce of around 6000 people. It also includes 450 job cuts which were announced as part of an £80million savings drive in January and put on hold because of Covid-19.
Most of the job cuts will come from behind the scenes – in short, fewer journalists in the newsroom – but the broadcaster confirmed that Radio 4 programme In Business will close, as will the Business Live page on the BBC News Website, while bespoke business news bulletins on the BBC News channel will be reduced.
On BBC World Service, World Update and The World This Week will end, while daily current affairs show Newsday will shorten in length.
One of Mr Neil’s former programmes, lunchtime TV show Politics Live, will return four days a week after being rested during the pandemic.
What’s the reaction?
Other than the usual egregious glee on Twitter and disdain for the BBC, the trade unions wish to avoid compulsory redundancies.
“In an era of fake news and during an unprecedented health crisis this trust in a public service broadcaster is critical,” said Philippa Childs, head of broadcasting union Bectu .
“The Government needs to take back responsibility for free licence fees for the over-75s, providing precious resources that would allow BBC News to continue to provide its world-leading range of news broadcasting.”
What about The Guardian? Yesterday The Guardian newspaper said that 110 jobs are expected to be lost in its commercial departments such as advertising, jobs listings, marketing and events.
Around 70 editorial jobs are also expected to be lost.
The paper’s editor-in-chief, Katherine Viner, said in a joint statement with the group’s chief executive Annette Thomas that the pandemic had created an “unsustainable financial outlook.”
Are these cuts widespread across journalism?
Yes. It would be easier to identify a newsroom that isn’t facing job cuts right now.
Earlier this month Reach, publishers of The Mirror and the Daily Record, announced plans to cut 550 staff (around 12% of its workforce).
The National Union of Journalists has said that figure is now up to 580 jobs and as many as 325 editorial and circulation staff are at risk.union members passed a vote of no confidence in senior management over their handling of the cuts.
Newsquest, which publishes The Herald, announced an unconfirmed number of Uk-wide editorial cuts last month, including 14 roles in Scotland. CEO Henry Faure Walker told employees the company was “unable to support” the staffing levels it had pre-lockdown.