London
The BBC will lay off more than 3,000 reporters, editors, researchers, and administrative staff starting next year, the company said this week. BBC director Mark Thompson said the broadcaster had to cut back if it was to remain “the greatest force for cultural good on the face of the earth.” The company, which is funded by the British government and an annual tax on British TV owners, has 27,600 employees and broadcasts worldwide. The network has been considering a restructuring since last year, when it was sharply criticized for an incorrect report claiming that Tony Blair’s government had knowingly falsified data on Iraq’s weapons programs.
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