BBC Pauses Plans To Slash 450 News Jobs Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

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The BBC has shelved plans to ax 450 jobs under a radical restructuring of its news division, as it battles to keep services on-air amid the spiraling coronavirus pandemic.

BBC director general Tony Hall told staff Wednesday that the planned £80 million ($94 million) in cuts will be paused after being announced in January. The changes involve the BBC cutting duplication by centralizing its resources so journalists serve different programs and platforms, including TV, radio and online.

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But with journalists putting themselves in harm’s way to report on the coronavirus pandemic, and the BBC admitting that services could go dark amid the crisis, the corporation is keen to keep morale as high as possible.

It is not clear when the BBC will revisit the savings plan, but its financial constraints mean that the cuts cannot be abandoned completely. The broadcaster must save £800M by March 2022 and it is only around halfway towards meeting the goal.

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