Television news producer ITN is to shed 133 of its workforce. Management and television jobs will be lost as the company switches over to new digital technology next year, a company statement said today.
The company will begin a formal consultation with staff next week. There will be an opportunity to apply for voluntary redundancy, ITN said.
The company said the losses "are due to a number of factors, including the UK media recession, the increasingly competitive environment in which the company operates and ITN's reduced price for the ITV News contract".
The company had to pare down costs for its ITV service when it faced a rival bid for the contract from a consortium of broadcasters, including BSkyB.
ITN said the move to a fully digital operation will help ITN maintain the high quality of its broadcast news services whilst reducing production costs.
"A maximum of 133 jobs will be lost as a result, although this figure could be reduced to 80 depending on the outcome of negotiations for new broadcast news contracts," the company said.
"The company has pursued a strategy to protect its front line journalism and only ten journalists will lose their jobs at ITV News out of an ITV newsroom of 130," the company said.
Individual members of staff will be told if they have been affected before December 14th.
PA