BBC Wales to cut 45 jobs as part of £500m savings plan
Several long-running radio programmes have also been dropped by the corporation from its Welsh language radio station, Radio Cymru.
This includes the daily news and current affairs programme Dros Ginio and the Saturday morning edition of the news programme Dros Frecwast.
One of the station’s longest running programmes, Ar y Marc will also be cut in the latest cost-saving measures. The football discussion programme has been on the air for 35 years.
Presenter John Hardy’s departure from BBC Radio Cymru will see Radio Cymru 2 fill the morning gap leading up to 07:00, when Dros Frecwast goes on air.
Radio Wales’ budgets will reduce by a similar amount to Radio Cymru, with the Sunday schedule being “simplified” following Roy Noble’s announcement he will be leaving the station in the spring.
Lynn Bowles’ Sunday programme will also end, and the volume of commissioned programmes will be reduced.
Public tours of BBC Central Square in Cardiff will stop in line with other BBC centres.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cymru’s Dros Ginio on Friday, Garmon Rhys, BBC Wales’ interim director, said changing the licence fee model was “absolutely necessary”.
“We’re now in a situation where 94% of people in Britain use BBC services every month, but only 80% of households pay for the BBC.”
He said the corporation had been putting greater emphasis on growing its digital platforms as audiences change the way they access BBC content.
Rhys added that the fundamental challenge was that the licence fee model was “rooted in another world”.
“Changing the licence fee model is absolutely necessary,” he said, predicting that the number of households paying would continue to fall and that “the BBC will continue to face financial challenges”.
Rhys did not rule out further cuts in future, saying: “We have to continue looking at our budgets and continue assessing them.”
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called for UK government intervention over the cuts.
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said the cuts were “devastating and demoralising”.
“The latest wave of cuts piles on the misery already being felt,” she said.
“BBC local radio attracts millions of listeners around the country each week.
“It is the BBC’s dedicated workforce that has made it a success, and the broadcaster will not be able to continue providing quality journalism and original programming without them.
“The more cuts the BBC makes, the more its services suffer.”
She added: “This is where the UK government must step in. The BBC has been undermined by years of underinvestment and interference.”
