Huw Edwards this morning laughed off the BBC sending redundancy letters to a few of its most well-known information presenters, dismissing it a ‘customary HR train’ as he raised a glass.
The veteran broadcaster, 61, who’s paid between £410,000 and £414,000 signalled little concern over the message despatched him, Reeta Chakrabarti, Clive Myrie and Sophie Raworth.
Ms Raworth confirmed her settlement along with her colleague by retweeting the publish.
Money-strapped Company chiefs try to save lots of prices by restructuring its information division and have has written to all its senior TV and radio presenters asking them to think about voluntary redundancy.
Their radio colleagues Nick Robinson and Justin Webb, who host the station’s flagship In the present day programme, have additionally acquired them.
Posting an image of him sipping a drink along with his mom Aerona Protheroe he declared on-line: ‘Actuality verify. A normal HR train by BBC Information (one in all many over time) is simply that.
Huw Edwards, 61, raised a glass along with his mom as he dismissed the redundancy letters
Six presenters and journalists are identified to have acquired the voluntary redundancy notes
‘A normal invitation to think about making use of for voluntary redundancy. Nothing extra. As my mam says, do not imagine all the things within the papers.’
The voluntary redundancy letter is known to have come from Philippa Busby, the interim managing editor of stories and present affairs.
Figures printed beforehand by the BBC confirmed the six named presenters at present earn as much as £1,722,996 between them.
Its 2022 annual listing of highest paid stars – which reveals quantities in bands, not actual pay – confirmed Mr Edwards, who presents each the six o’clock and ten o’clock bulletins on between £410,000 and £414,000.
Ms Raworth acquired £305,000 to £309,999, whereas Mr Myrie was within the £255,000 and £259,000 bracket.
Elsewhere the listing mentioned Ms Chakrabarti was on between £200,000 and £204,999.
Radio stars Nick Robinson and Justin Webb have been on £270,000 to £274,999 and £255,000 to £259,999 respectively.
The BBC has despatched redundancy letters to a few of its presenters, together with Huw Edwards (pictured)
Reeta Chakrabarti (pictured) can be amongst those that have acquired redundancy letters
There are different journalists or information presenters who’re paid massive salaries who are usually not but identified to have acquired the letters.
They embody Stephen Nolan, who’s paid between £415,000 and £419,999, Fiona Bruce, who will get £410,000 to £414,999 and Amol Rajan who’s on £325,000 to £329,999.
The redundancy letters have been linked to cost-cutting measures introduced by Director-Basic Tim Davie final yr.
As a part of these plans, the Company has already merged the BBC Information channel and its worldwide counterpart BBC World Information to create a brand new, extra digitally targeted channel.
As a part of that transfer, broadcasters have been invited to compete for a handful of chief presenting roles. Ten senior jobs have been axed, with high-profile stars together with Joanna Gosling selecting to give up.
Ms Busby’s letter – a replica of which has been seen by The Mail on Sunday – states: ‘As you’ll be conscious, in 2022 we introduced a lot of modifications throughout BBC Information which have meant that some colleagues have been positioned vulnerable to redundancy, together with some colleagues in presenter roles.’
The letter, which was despatched out originally of this month, asks employees who ‘want to take into account probably leaving the BBC underneath voluntary redundancy’ to rearrange a gathering with senior HR government Tim Burden.
A supply within the newsroom, who requested to not be named, mentioned: ‘The e-mail is addressed to all senior information presenters and presenters on the band instantly beneath. Everybody acquired it on the identical day.
‘Senior figures in TV information, together with Huw Edwards, Sophie Raworth, Clive Myrie and Reeta Chakrabarti, have acquired the letter. It is also been despatched to the primary presenters on Radio 4’s In the present day programme.’
The Mail on Sunday understands that the letter from Philippa Busby, the interim managing editor of stories and present affairs has been despatched to presenters similar to Sophie Raworth (pictured)
The BBC, which hopes to keep away from having to make obligatory redundancies, gave the presenters till final Friday to register their curiosity. Insiders say that it’s unsure if anybody has volunteered, not least as a result of BBC redundancy funds are capped at £150,000.
Such a sum is unlikely to attraction to a few of its highest-paid workers. Figures printed by the Company final yr present that Mr Edwards, who presents each the six o’clock and ten o’clock bulletins, earned between £410,000 and £414,000, though that represented a minimize on the earlier yr.
The identical figures confirmed that Ms Raworth was on between £305,000 and £309,999, and Mr Myrie on between £255,000 and £259,000.
One insider, who requested to not be named, mentioned: ‘Busby’s e mail has a hyperlink to phrases and situations which incorporates the rule about redundancy funds being capped at £150,000.
‘For most individuals that could be a appreciable amount of cash. However in case you are in your early 50s and you might be incomes that every yr – which most of those presenters are – it is not such a pretty proposition.
‘That’s significantly the case when the prospect of discovering employment in the identical form of place is absolutely troublesome. The place would these individuals go?’
Mr Edwards, 61, acquired the letter regardless of not too long ago signing a brand new three-year deal. Previous to this, there had been hypothesis he was planning to depart the BBC. Nobody inside BBC Information expects him to simply accept voluntary redundancy.
One BBC journalist, who additionally requested to not be named, described the redundancy letters as ‘miserable’ and mentioned they added to the final environment of ‘chaos’. Linking the letters to the reorganisation of the information channels, the supply added: ‘Nobody is aware of if the brand new channel will final a month or a yr.’
A BBC spokesperson mentioned: ‘This isn’t about any new job cuts – it’s an ordinary HR train referring to financial savings we’ve introduced beforehand – and it’s not concentrating on any people; we’ve to ship it to everybody who’s on the similar grade. We’re on the lookout for expressions of curiosity in redundancy, not providing it, and it’s not the case that any or everybody who got here ahead could be accepted.’