British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced the mass retrenchment of nearly 382 staff in different posts across the globe.
Through a statement dated Thursday, September 29, the international media house noted that it was accelerating its move to digital platforms to increase its impact on audiences.
BBC attributed its decision to lay off hundreds of its staff to inflation pressure that affected its licencing fees, among other essential services.
"The way audiences are accessing news and content is changing and the challenge of reaching and engaging people around the world with quality, trusted journalism is growing," BBC World Service director Liliane Landor explained.
Reacting to the new changes announced by the British broadcaster, CNN's Larry Madowo noted that several journalists he had trained were set to be affected.
"I’m heartbroken for the 382 former colleagues losing their jobs at the BBC World Service.
"I’m especially thinking of all the fine journos at BBC Africa, a few of whom I hired and have been proud of their work even after I left. It’s a terribly sad day for our business," Madowo who served as BBC's North America Correspondent before joining CNN lamented.
Changes to be Effected
The proposal by the British broadcaster will see seven more language services move to digital, meaning that nearly half of all 41 language services will be digital only.
The BBC World Service will continue to operate in all the languages and countries where it is currently present, including the new languages added during its expansion in 2016. No language services will be closed.
"The World Service will continue to serve audiences during moments of jeopardy and will ensure audiences in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan have access to vital news services, using appropriate broadcast and distribution platforms."
"World Service English will continue to operate as 24-hour broadcast radio, available worldwide. Some new scheduling, programmes and podcasts will be set out in due course," the broadcaster added.
However, in the new changes, Focus On Africa TV bulletin will shift its broadcasting to Nairobi.
More Proposed Changes
BBC intends to focus on the new digital platform while at the same time reducing the volume of syndicated TV and radio content. The digital shift will also see the media company tailor its content to be more impact orientated than reach.
The shift will bring together long-form content activities such as investigations and documentaries made by Africa Eye, the Investigations Unit and BBC Arabic documentaries to ensure a more collaborative approach across our platforms and services to enable stories to travel further across the world, as well as in the UK.
In the proposal, BBC intends to create a China Global Unit based in London to tell the global story of China to the world.
"Creating a dynamic Africa content hub that commissions and delivers original, distinctive and impactful digital-first content for all 12 African language services, digital, TV/Radio, plus coverage of the continent for the rest of the BBC," the broadcaster announced.
In July 2022, the media house had announced plans to merge BBC World News television and its domestic UK equivalent into a single channel. The new changes were to be rolled out in April 2023.
