$4B Crunch Threatens BBC Jobs

A massive funding shortfall at the British Broadcasting Corporation could trigger unprecedented job cuts, reports the Independent. As many as 2,800 people—about 12% of the BBC's labor force—could lose their jobs. Officials at the BBC, which is financed by a $270 license fee paid by viewers, project a shortfall of up to $4 billion.

"We are braced for savage cuts," said one union leader. "The BBC has been clear that every area has to make savings, so program-making as well as newsrooms could be affected." Public television programming in the US and popular cable co-productions like Discovery's Planet Earth that rely on BBC content could be hurt by the cuts. (More BBC stories.)