Around 382 posts will be closed as the BBC accelerates plans to move BBC World Service towards a “digital first service”.
The BBC says the combination of high inflation, soaring costs, and a cash-flat Licence Fee settlement have led to tough choices across the BBC.
International services need to save £28.5 million, as part of the wider £500m of annual savings, while audiences are accessing content in different ways.
Since 2010, World Service has been funded from the Licence Fee; prior to this it was funded through a grant from the Foreign Office.
Under the plans some TV and radio programmes will stop, including BBC Arabic radio and BBC Persian radio, which in part reflects a change in political circumstance.
The World Service says it will “continue to serve audiences during moments of jeopardy” and ensure audiences in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan have access to vital news services, using appropriate broadcast and distribution platforms.
For example, at the start of the Ukraine crisis, the BBC reactivated short wave transmitters covering the area, counter to Digital First.
“The BBC is trusted by hundreds of millions of people for fair and impartial news, especially in countries where this is in short supply. We help people in times of crisis. We will continue to bring the best journalism to audiences in English and more than 40 languages, as well as increasing the impact and influence of our journalism by making our stories go further,” said Liliane Landor, Director, BBC World Service.
A new centralised digital-first Commissioning and Newsgathering Content Production Hub will create content for distribution across all non-English language services.
World Service English will continue to operate as 24-hour broadcast radio, available around the world. Some new scheduling, programmes and podcasts will be set out in due course.