BBC journalists walked off the job on Feb 18,2013 Monday in a 24-hour strike to protest job cuts at the broadcaster.
Staff mounted picket lines outside of the BBC's studios in central London and around the country. Programs went on, but many shows were canceled, including the flagship morning news radio program "Today."
Michelle Stanistreet, the National Union of Journalists general secretary, says poor decisions taken by the BBC leadership are leading to quality journalism being compromised. The union says 2,000 jobs are at risk and that 7,000 jobs have been cut since 2004. It says members across the BBC, including the World Service, are at risk of compulsory redundancy.
The BBC said in a statement that it was disappointed by the union's actions. It said it had no choice but to meet savings targets that will require job cuts.
The BBC is funded mainly by a mandatory 145.50 pounds ($228) annual levy on all households with color TVs. Britain's government froze the fee in 2010, and the corporation has been forced to make cuts.
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