The BBC has announced sweeping changes to its online portfolio, slashing half of its websites and 360 jobs.
According to the outgoing director of future media and technology, Erik Huggers, who is set to join Intel, the job cuts would be phased over the next two years, while the website closures will begin before the end of the year.
The BBC said it would halve the number of top level domains it runs, which currently stand at 400.
The function of some sites will be integrated into a more centralised service with five main editorial priorities – children’s content, news, TV and iPlayer, radio and music, and learning – which the BBC hopes will improve the way it delivers information online.
“Without the natural limitations of broadcasting spectrum it’s easy to lose focus,” said Huggers. “Couple this with the lack of a single unified, online strategy, you get sprawl – which amounts to patchy quality and a loss of identity.”
Although cuts affect all areas of the BBC’s online presence, some areas will see new services emerge, with a change to the way music is delivered to internet users.
“While BBC iPlayer has been a good home for online radio, the way audiences want to interact with radio and music online is different to TV. Radio and music will come out of BBC iPlayer, and we’ll develop a new stand-alone product,” said Huggers.
“All radio station sites, music events, podcasts and programme pages will be integrated to focus on highly interactive live radio, quick and seamless access to programming, support for new music and personalisation – on whatever internet-connected device you happen to have.”
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