BBC Online Slashing Budget & Trimming Staff

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe British Broadcasting Corp. is targeting 2013 as the date of a major reorganization of BBC Online that will mean a 25 percent budget reduction and the loss of as many as 360 posts, according to Web site PaidContent.org (http://paidcontent.co.uk).

BBC Online will reduce its service budget by 34 million pounds ($54,386, 653) to 103 million pounds ($164,777,630) from 137 million pounds ($219,170,246) and phase out 360 posts over the next two years.  BBC Online's reconfiguration will focus on 10 areas: sports, weather, news, knowledge & learning, radio & music, tv & iPlayer, CBBC, CBeebies, homepage and search, according to paidcontent.org.

BBC Online has no plans to launch its own social network or to publish local listings. The cutbacks are part of the public broadcaster's Putting Quality First strategy.