The BBC to Axe Half Its Website and Two Radio Stations
According to a report in the Times, the BBC will undergo a strategic review which will see a 25% reduction in staff numbers and the closure of half its website. Its £112m budget for online operations will also be cut by 25%.
BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, is set to announce next month that the Corporation must make the moves to help its commercial rivals operate. The BBC is pledging to include more links to newspaper articles to drive traffic to rival publishers' websites.
In November, Mr Thompson said the BBC would be cutting back on areas of its output after the analogue switch-off in 2012. He commented, "Expect to see reductions in some kinds of programmes and content - look, for example, at the current scope of our website - and a close examination of the future of our service portfolios once switchover has been achieved."
This speech by Thompson followed the BBC Trust revealing details about its strategic review to "streamline" the BBC's online services.
