The Stage

BBC staff face job cuts after educational service Jam closes

Published Monday 14 May 2007 at 17:40 by Matthew Hemley

Around 200 posts will be axed by the BBC following the suspension of its online interactive learning service BBC Jam.

The Corporation said some of those who had been working on BBC Jam in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast have already left and added others could be redeployed.

BBC Jam was suspended on March 20 following complaints from commercial educational software suppliers that it was damaging their interests.

Liz Cleaver, controller of BBC learning, confirmed the job cuts in a meeting with staff today.

She said: “We have tried as hard as possible to minimise the number of post closures when making changes to staff numbers and, in particular, to avoid compulsory redundancy by seeking volunteers or redeploying staff.”

Cleaver also announced a reorganisation of the BBC’s Formal Learning department and said that 13 new posts would be created as a result.

Following the termination of freelance and project-related contracts and the effect of the restructure, the net loss of jobs is expected to be 31, of which 25 will be in London.