BSkyB IT staff in Murdoch's firing line

IT staff at BSkyB are facing the axe as part of a company-wide cost-cutting review which is likely to see hundreds of redundancies.

Reports at the weekend claim CEO James Murdoch is targeting seven departments for redundancies following an "effectiveness review" which will be finalised next month.

Along with the likes of HR, finance and marketing, the IT, engineering platform technology and Sky interactive departments have all been singled out.

A spokesman for BSkyB told silicon.com: "The IT department is one of those currently under review but no decisions have yet been taken."

But he dismissed speculation that up to 10 per cent of the company's 10,000 staff could be axed, saying the number of any job cuts would be "substantially less".

The review is expected to be finalised in the next two weeks and it is likely to outline plans for increased investment in some areas of the business as well as cost reduction in others.