You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Britain
BBC staff are left in the cold -- job cuts announced
2004-12-08
THE price of preserving the BBC is the pain of job cuts, which could lead to 10,000 staff leaving, the Director-General announced yesterday. Staff were shocked and unions threatened strike action as Mark Thompson announced one of the biggest reforms in the corporation's history. BBC employees who supported Greg Dyke's methods are now facing the consequences after Mr Thompson criticised "four years in which we haven't stressed productivity and efficiency very much".
What? We cannot discontinue Euro laziness. Are you out of your mind?
The first to go are 2,500 staff working in human resources, finance, marketing, training, legal services and other non-programme-making departments. The department, known as "professional services", takes the brunt of the savings, losing nearly half its staff and facing a budget cut of £57 million.
Posted by:Poison Reverse

#9  Unlike US networks,the BBC itself made most of it's programming. By buying more programs from outside sources,the BBC no longer needs so many production people. W/less production people employed there is less administrative overhead needed,hence the layoffs among administrative personnel first. The production people will prob finish off programs currently in production,then they're gone. In a fine bit of irony,the strongly anti-capitalist BBC is going to a free-market system of obtaining programs in the hopes of saving money.
Posted by: Stephen   2004-12-08 5:39:00 PM  

#8  This is the deserved backlash for trying to bring Blair down and subvert the government. How could the BBC expect that this would not happen. They are being gutted and moved out of thir cozy digs at the same time. The selling off of "core assets" is mostly dumping non broadcast activities. The re organization will perhaps save the BBC.

My spanish text book was published by the BBC. Is this a core activity of a Broadcaster?
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-12-08 4:41:50 PM  

#7  total employment at the BBC is (per the article) 27,000

so this 10,000 loss, even if shaved by various measures, will be biting
Posted by: mhw   2004-12-08 4:14:27 PM  

#6  Maybe they can get Le Carre to hire them...
Posted by: mojo   2004-12-08 3:38:46 PM  

#5  It is not a good sign, for the BBC, when the British Navy kicks them out and replaces it with Sky News broadcast.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2004-12-08 2:48:12 PM  

#4  It's all about the money. These "ponces" have antagonized the government they depend upon to extort "license fees" from all Brits that own a TV or radio. The charter is up for renewal in 2006 and quite possibly may not be. It will be a lot harder for BBC elitists to look down their noses at their audience when it's no longer compelled to pay their salaries.

A statement from the National Union of Journalists, Amicus and the broadcasting union Bectu read: “Far from preparing the BBC for charter renewal, we believe a policy that requires such colossal job cuts, reductions in programme commitments and the sale and privatisation of core sections of the BBC risks destroying its ability to continue as Britain’s leading public service broadcaster, and poses a substantial risk to the BBC’s continuing right to the licence fee.”
Posted by: RWV   2004-12-08 2:46:26 PM  

#3  start in the HR dept.
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-08 1:46:46 PM  

#2  Out in the cold?

Here, they would whine about the "CHILLING EFFECT" of the silenceing of divergent voices would have on public perceptions of current events...


Posted by: BigEd   2004-12-08 1:30:07 PM  

#1  Awwwwwww - ain't that just too bad. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-12-08 11:56:55 AM  

00:00