Deutsche Welle to cut 160 jobs after funding hit

German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) will shut down its Greek-language service, merge parts of its German programming and cut about 160 full-time positions after a reduction in federal funding for 2026.

The decision was approved during a joint special meeting of DW’s Broadcasting Council, Administrative Board and management, which endorsed a broad cost-cutting package aimed at closing a significant budget gap, News.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Under Germany’s 2026 federal budget, DW’s state subsidy was reduced by €10 million ($11.8 million), bringing total funding to €415 million. The broadcaster said an additional €11 million shortfall, driven by collective wage increases that were not fully compensated, raises the total required savings to €21 million.

DW said numerous positions across the organization will be eliminated and investment funds significantly reduced. In purely numerical terms, around 160 full-time roles are affected, though the final figure could change. The broadcaster added that no layoffs are planned.

As part of the restructuring, DW will discontinue its Greek-language service after more than six decades on air. The company said the move reflects Greece’s status as a stable European Union democracy with a diverse media environment, making the service a lower priority compared with more restricted media markets.

DW Broadcasting Council Chair Karl Justen warned the funding cuts come at a sensitive time for global media competition.

“DW must remain a strong voice for freedom, especially in restricted media markets such as Russia and Iran. To do that, it needs reliable, long-term funding,” Justen said, adding that the cuts could lead to significant losses in audience reach.

He also cautioned that the funding reduction is particularly concerning as Russia and China continue to invest heavily in their state-run international media operations, while the United States has scaled back parts of its global broadcasting footprint. According to Justen, these trends risk weakening both German and broader European perspectives internationally.

DW also plans to restructure its German-language output by merging DW German with DW Learn German. The move will nearly halve the budget for those services and introduce a new integrated format targeting B1/B2-level learners outside the DACH region, including pre-integration audiences abroad.

Further savings will come from reduced budgets for the Portuguese for Africa and Dari/Pashto services, scaled-back Spanish-language TV news editions, while maintaining primetime broadcasts, and the discontinuation of several programs across Russian-, Portuguese- and multilingual formats.

The overhaul underscores mounting financial pressure on international public broadcasters as governments reassess spending priorities amid intensifying global information competition.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada