CBC's English-language service will issue up to 180 redundancy notices starting next week, executive vice-president Richard Stursberg said in a meeting for employees on Friday.

That is the maximum number of layoffs expected at the English language service of the public broadcaster, he said.

The CBC projected about 393 jobs would have to be cut to make up a shortfall of $85 million in the English-language services when it announced in March that layoffs would be necessary.

About 100 CBC employees across the country have applied for voluntary retirement, Stursberg said in the Toronto meeting, which was broadcast to CBC employees across the country.

Not all those employees will be accepted for retirement, but that has led to a reduction in the number of layoffs CBC must make. Vacant positions have also been left unfilled, he said.

Stursberg said CBC finished the 2008-9 fiscal year with a small surplus and that has meant the cuts were not as deep as anticipated.

Earlier this month, the CBC reversed its decision to close one-person bureaus in La Ronge, Sask., and Thompson, Man.

There also might be fewer than anticipated layoffs at small radio stations in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and northern Ontario.

Layoff notices will be issued May 27 and 28.