Beleaguered BBC Slashes Jobs

　　At 2 a.m. on Thursday in the English seaside town of Whitehaven, a transmitter tower that had broadcast British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programs to analog television sets since the 1950s switched off. The abrupt blackening was the first part of a nationwide program to make British television entirely digital by 2013. A few hours later, staff at the BBC felt another effect of this sea change in broadcasting, as the broadcaster announced plans to cut 1,800 jobs, sell its iconic London headquarters and reduce the number of original programs it makes by 10% in an effort to fund the move to digital and create an integrated, multi-media news service.

　　In an email to staff, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson said the job cuts — part of a six-year reform plan to cover a $4.8 billion funding shortfall — would be achieved primarily by integrating existing programming. Currently, separate journalists and producers from various radio and television stations often cover the same topic. BBC employees will soon be required to work across all media to help reduce this duplication. The BBC will close 2,500 job posts in the next six years while creating 700 posts, resulting in a net loss of 1,800 staff.


双语世界新闻：受困的BBC大量裁员
　　星期四凌晨2点，在英国的海滨城市怀特海温，一个上世纪50年代就开始向模拟电视机转播英国广播公司(BBC)节目的发射塔关闭了。信号的突然消失是英国到2013年实现全国电视数字化行动的第一部分。几个小时后，当播音员宣布计划裁员1800人、出售标志性的伦敦总部以及削减10%的原创节目数量以注资数字化转型和创立综合性的多媒体新闻节目时，BBC的员工感觉到了这次广播领域巨大变化的另一种效果。

　　在一封给员工的电子邮件中，BBC总裁马克·汤姆森说，裁员是6年[屏蔽]计划的一部分，目的是为了弥补48亿美元的资金短缺，并将主要通过整合现有节目的方式来进行。目前各电台和电视台分散的记者和节目制作人经常报道同一主题。BBC的员工不久将被要求跨越所有媒体进行工作以减少重复。接下来的6年中，BBC将裁减2500个工作岗位，新设700个工作岗位，这样将裁员1800人。