EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has revealed that it will cut its television originals budget by close to £100M ($123M) over the next 12 months as its funding freeze bites.
The British broadcaster disclosed the figure to Deadline after it was not included in its annual plan, which was published earlier on Thursday and laid bare the scale of the cuts to come.
The BBC’s TV budget will decline by £96M from £1.84B to £1.75B over the coming year. The corporation is, however, planning to divert more resources into radio and online content, with the services benefiting from budget increases of £13M and £27M respectively.
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Below is a full breakdown of the BBC’s content budget for the next 12 months. The table on the left was not included in the annual plan, but was shared with Deadline following a request for further detail.
Earlier on Thursday, the BBC said it was raising its overall annual savings target by 40% to £400M. The broadcaster said it would have to make difficult choices as it cuts 1,000 hours worth of shows.
The savings plan follows the BBC license fee being frozen last year, resulting in a real-terms cut in the corporation’s funding amid rampant inflation. The compulsory household levy is the BBC’s main source of income, generating £3.7B of revenue.
“There will be more of these difficult choices to come this year, but we will make them with audience value at the forefront of our thinking,” the BBC said.
The BBC finds it difficult to cancel shows and services, with decisions often the subject of backlash from audiences and creatives. Only last week, the BBC reversed a plan to shut down the BBC Singers choir after a full-throated public outcry.
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