BBC Sport begin redundancy plan after damning memo sent to staff amid ‘major concerns’
Redundancies are now under way at BBC Sport, according to an internal memo from director Alex Kay-Jelski.
The department-wide email, sent on Friday, reveals the BBC plans to scrap 27 jobs as part of ongoing reforms.
Kay-Jelski confirmed in the memo that management has “accepted some voluntary redundancy requests” and is “working through a few more with other interested people”.
The update comes after most staff were offered voluntary redundancy in March.
A staff survey detailed in the memo revealed that 88 per cent of BBC Sport employees understand why the corporation “needs to transform and change”.
The results also showed that 85 per cent believe they have “a manager who genuinely cares about your wellbeing”.
However, only 56 per cent of staff believe teams collaborate well within the department.
Even more concerning, just 40 per cent of employees believe “we hold ourselves and our team members accountable for results”.
These collaboration concerns appear to be a key focus of the planned reforms.
Kay-Jelski acknowledged the difficulties facing staff in his memo, writing: “I can see and hear and feel how hard the uncertainty and change is for many of you.”
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He justified the changes as necessary “to protect ourselves and the future of the BBC”.
The director specifically addressed the collaboration concerns revealed in the survey.
“Our changes are specifically aimed at addressing these issues and I’d hope to see these figures improve,” Kay-Jelski wrote in the email seen by Telegraph Sport.
The reforms come during a turbulent period for the department, which will see Gary Lineker step back from Match of the Day duties this summer.
Despite the job cuts, Kay-Jelski’s memo outlined plans to modernise the department.
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“We’ve also managed to work with some teams to change and modernise their roles so they can have an even bigger influence on BBC Sport,” he wrote.
The director has brought in several respected figures from Fleet Street as part of the transformation.
New jobs within the department will go live on Tuesday as part of the ongoing reforms.
These changes appear to be part of a dual strategy of reducing headcount whilst simultaneously refreshing talent and approaches.
The changes at BBC Sport reflect wider uncertainty affecting Britain’s biggest sports broadcasters.
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Sky Sports News presenters and some reporters are also at risk of redundancy in a channel reboot.
Sky insiders described their consultation period as part of efforts to become “more agile and better equipped to serve audiences”.
Both broadcasters face significant pressure as viewing habits evolve in the digital age.
The industry-wide changes highlight the challenges traditional sports media faces in adapting to shifting audience preferences.