The BBCtoday confirmed plans to cut 2,900 jobs over the next three years under moves to make savings of £320 million sterling.
Employees seen at the BBC headquarters in London, England.
In a message to staff, director general Mr Mark Thompson said 2,500 jobs will be cut in human resources, finance, marketing, training, legal services and other non-programme-making departments.
A further 400 posts will be cut in the corporation's factual and learning departments.
Mr Thompson, who famously described the Britain's publicly funded broadcaster as "basking in a Jacuzzi of spare public cash" when he ran rival broadcaster Channel 4, announced the cuts in a presentation to staff today.
The plan is part of Mr Thompson's strategy for safeguarding the licence fee - a tax on UK television-owning households that brings in some £2.8 billion per year for the BBC - and preparing the broadcaster for Britain's switchover to digital television.
Around 1,800 workers will be moved to a new regional centre in Manchester over the next five years, Mr Thompson announced.
Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport, and children's channels CBBCand CBeebiesare among the departments leaving London.
Mr Thompson said the changes were "necessary", pledging that more money will be put into programme making. Further job cuts in other BBC departments, including news, are expected next March.
Union leaders warned today of possible industrial action if any of the redundancies were compulsory. They have pledged to fight any moves to force workers to leave the corporation or relocate against their will.
BBC insiders said today that managers are preparing themselves for possible strikes next year over the job cuts.