The BBC has revealed plans to cut 20 per cent of staff at the Mailbox working on prime-time shows such as Gardeners World, Coast and Hairy Bikers.
Twenty-six of the 121 employees in its factual programming department in Birmingham are to go across roles including producers, assistant producers and researchers.
The move follows a year-on-year reduction in the BBC’s budget and a freeze in licence fee income.
The factual department works on shows such as Chelsea Flower Show, Sky at Night as well as one-off documentaries like the recent BBC3 programme Kara Tointon Don’t Call me Stupid.
The BBC’s operations in Bristol are also affected by the cutbacks, including the Natural History Unit (NHU) in the city, but London’s factual productions and Manchester’s religion and ethics programming will escape job losses.
The move comes as the BBC presses ahead with its transfer of 2,300 jobs across departments such as sport and children’s programming out of London to Manchester.
Birmingham MP Gisela Stuart (Lab, Edgbaston) said the decision to cut jobs at The Mailbox undermined the BBC’s commitment to regional broadcasting.
“What’s going on in the BBC is nothing to do with public sector cuts,” she said.
“This is a service that is funded by UK plc’s licence fee payers, and it also has a regional remit and a commitment to regional programming and broadcasting.”
* Read more in this week’s Birmingham Post
