BBC boss faces barrage of staff criticism over job cuts in junior ranks

At a BBC staff meeting, director general Matt Brittin was challenged over job cuts, with employees questioning whether junior and frontline workers were bearing more of the impact than senior managers.

One employee described the organisation as top-heavy and said operational staff were being cut. Staff also criticised the reversal of a jobs commitment to a group of apprentices who now face redundancy.

Brittin acknowledged that uncertainty affects employees but rejected the idea that poor morale describes the whole workforce. Radio 4 presenter Anna Foster, who chaired the meeting, asked him to address concerns that cuts were falling disproportionately on junior staff.

Redundancies have been announced in areas including news, local content and media technology, with further announcements expected in the coming days. Employees have described being worn down by the gradual rollout of the plans since summer.

Brittin also presented possible iPlayer changes, including recommendations assisted by artificial intelligence. He said the BBC should be visible on platforms such as YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime; the service, launched more than 20 years ago, is now seen by him as outdated.