Cutbacks may translate into BBC office job losses

Adam Hewitt • Published 13 Jul 2010 17:00 2 Comments

THE future of the Reading-based BBC Monitoring Service could be in doubt as funding cuts bite.

Most of the media translation and analysis service's 450 global staff are based at its Caversham Park headquarters and reports this week say staff have been told the "situation is grim" financially and it could even close down.

It is funded by the Government and also makes money be selling its services, but has already been told to cut £1.4m from its budget this year, on top of savings already made, and £1.8m next year. There could be further cuts thanks to the Government's strategic defence review, since £25m of BBCM's £29m income comes from a direct Cabinet Office grant. This year it is spending £15.5m on staff costs.

The service, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, moved to Caversham Park in 1943 after buying the building from The Oratory School for £55,000.

In 2006 and 2007, 90 Caversham-based staff lost their jobs in a £2m cost-cutting exercise, which was 25% of posts at the time, according to BBC Monitoring's official history.

Director Chris Westcott, in his annual report earlier this year, admitted it was an "uncertain time" for BBC Monitoring but added: "Our continued record of successfully controlling costs by making savings of more than 7% on average since 2001 has demonstrated once again that we are good custodians of public money."

According to the organisation's most recent annual review, it monitors 3,000 media sources in 150 countries in 100 languages, with its translations and analyses then used by the BBC, Government, businesses and academics.

A BBC spokesman said: "Like all publicly funded bodies, BBC Monitoring is trying to evaluate the likely impact of the unprecedented public spending cuts on its operations and services.

"While we can approach the forthcoming Spending Review and the Strategic Defence Review with the vigour and confidence of knowing BBC Monitoring is highly valued by our stakeholders; we are also acutely aware that the prevailing economic climate will bring huge challenges and tough choices."

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• 

  TV LICENCE PAYER
  Unregistered User
  Jul 15, 13:38
  Report comment

  GEEZ !! WHAT A SHAME !! THAT MUST BE THE SECOND MOST SOFTEST JOB IN READING AFTER THAMES CONSERVANCY !! ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END !!!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Sam_Chatterton
  Unregistered User
  Jul 15, 20:01
  Report comment

  I hope people are as sympathetic if you ever face losing your job - if you have one, commenting on web stories in the middle of the afternoon! how many languages do you speak?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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