BBC warns of ‘unprecedented’ issues after £1bn drop in income
The corporation issued the warning after two years when the licence fee was frozen.
The BBC’s income has fallen by £1 billion in real terms compared with 2010, the corporation’s annual plan for 2025/26 has revealed.
The corporation said it is “no longer sustainable” to cut more staff to plug financial issues after axing 2,000 roles over the last five years.
The BBC has been increasingly cash-strapped in recent years after two years when the licence fee was frozen and inflation rising.
The annual report said: “Despite strong growth from BBC Commercial, the BBC faces an unprecedented content funding challenge, as co-production partnerships with global streamers and media companies have reduced across the sector.
“Without intervention, it will be difficult to maintain the current ambition and volume of UK content.”
It also said it will “continue our ambitious programme of transformation to ensure the BBC is in the best shape to meet the challenges of a fast-changing media environment”, after having “a smaller, leaner workforce following an aggressive savings programme”.
It will continue to put out the investigative series Panorama on the morning of its evening broadcast, and “build on success” of having live broadcasts of current affairs programme Question Time on iPlayer.
Episodes of children’s news show Newsround, which is staying on CBBC and iPlayer, will be made available on YouTube for the first time.
The BBC is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI), while being wary of the technology’s “many risks”.
In the report, the corporation said it was “trialling” using AI to help its journalists create live text pages from football broadcasts, “which could enable us to cover many more games as live text pages, and using AI to create automatic subtitles for BBC Sounds”.
It also said the BBC World Service will develop pilot services in new languages, as well as “enhance our efforts to counter disinformation in response to the increasing threat and in light of others withdrawing from the fact-checking ecosystem”.
BBC chairman Samir Shah said: “The BBC’s role has never been more important, both here in the UK and around the world, to deliver trusted, impartial news in a world of disinformation; develop and promote the most compelling homegrown content; and be the place where people come together for unforgettable shared moments.
“The BBC board fully endorses this plan, as we plot the long-term future of this marvellous organisation and deliver for audiences for generations to come.”
The corporation promised to publish the findings of an independent review of its workplace culture after several controversies involving high-profile presenters and TV shows.
BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “We are focused on our mission to deliver value for all, through our journalism, our storytelling and our unique ability to bring people together.
“The UK’s creative industry continues to change rapidly, as does the world around us. This plan sets out how the BBC continues to evolve for audiences, both on and off air, but also how we will support and invest in the wider industry.”
