Broadcast channels under review and 10% of senior leaders to go as part of drive to cut £500m in costs

Entire BBC programmes will be scrapped and compulsory redundancies will be necessary as part of sweeping cuts at the corporation, the new director general, Matt Brittin, has told staff.

The former Google executive also announced he was reviewing the BBC’s broadcast TV channels and radio network, as audiences continue to switch to online content.

All departments will be affected but biggest cuts are in news, with job losses expected to run into the hundreds

BBC News is braced for a major round of job cuts to be revealed within days, in an announcement that will kick off a brutal cost-saving drive designed to save £500m across the corporation.

The cuts could come as soon as Wednesday, with staff already told to expect a high number of redundancies. Job losses could run into the hundreds.