Staff warned news operations face 15% cut, above BBC-wide 10% target, as corporation pushes through £600m savings plan

The BBC’s news operation is to cut costs by a steeper-than-expected 15%, with staff told to expect heavy redundancies.

The division, home to about a quarter of all BBC staff, is being saddled with one of the highest cost-cutting targets as the corporation attempts to cut as many as 2,000 jobs in the biggest downsizing of the public service broadcaster in 15 years.