BBC cutting costs

[fatandwheezing]

With the news that BBC will not be showing all the F1 races live from next season - selling rights on to Sky for that - it compounds what we've been hearing recently about the BBC needing to cut costs.

My question really is, why? They are not "technically" publicly funded from the treasury, so it can't be part of the government cutbacks. Have they simply just over stretched themselves and need to reign it back in again?

I should say, the BBC is the main network I watch, with Channel 4/E4 etc. for a few select other shows. After that I don't think I'd really notice if all the other channels disappeared.

[mrmr96]

Indeed, I don't really understand it so I need someone who does to explain it. They say they have 'less money to spend' but I haven't noticed my license fee reduce, nor do I believe that substantially fewer people are paying their fee.

I know the BBC gets commercial income from selling it's programs abroad, and also from merchandise (top gear tat anyone?), and also selling things like Audio books and DVD's of series'. But I still don't understand why they need to save so much money.

Who can explain this for me?
Ta.

[confused_buyer]

The Licence fee has been frozen for the next 5 years. Therefore, with inflation around 5%, the BBC are facing a 5% reduction per year for the next few years in real terms.

[V88Dicky]

It'll be to pay for more arty-farty programmes on BBC4, to put out more MMGW propaganda on it's other channels, and to take on more Lesbian/Gay/Trans-Gender diversity managers.

Probably

[colonel c]

Not happy. I can't justify paying for SKY Sports just to watch one sport. I expect I'm not alone.

[crmcatee]

V88Dicky said:

It'll be to pay for more arty-farty programmes on BBC4, to put out more MMGW propaganda on it's other channels, and to take on more Lesbian/Gay/Trans-Gender diversity managers.

Probably

If they do put on more MMGW propaganda - shouldn't they due to their unbiased position be also putting on some specific non-MMGW propaganda ?


Some ideas for trash TV..

How to burn more fuel when you're out for a blast.
Come BBQ with me.
Ordering items from the other side of the world.
How inefficient can your family be ?

[mrmr96]

confused_buyer said:

The Licence fee has been frozen for the next 5 years. Therefore, with inflation around 5%, the BBC are facing a 5% reduction per year for the next few years in real terms.

I'm assuming that staff is the biggest cost at the BBC and given the Private Sector has pretty much been on a pay freeze over the same period, I'd be dissapointed to learn that the BBC had bucked the trend and been giving out 5% PA rises.

I.e. I don't think that the rate of inflation at the BBC will be 5%.

[Oakey]

crmcatee said:

If they do put on more MMGW propaganda - shouldn't they due to their unbiased position be also putting on some specific non-MMGW propaganda ?


Some ideas for trash TV..

How to burn more fuel when you're out for a blast.
Come BBQ with me.
Ordering items from the other side of the world.
How inefficient can your family be ?

You didn't get the recent memo about them giving even less air time to those who don't believe in MMGW then?

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-c...

[Mojocvh]

Oakey said:

You didn't get the recent memo about them giving even less air time to those who don't believe in MMGW then?

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-c...

"Professor Steve Jones" hang on that name rings a bell

[Eric Mc]

V88Dicky said:

It'll be to pay for more arty-farty programmes on BBC4, to put out more MMGW propaganda on it's other channels, and to take on more Lesbian/Gay/Trans-Gender diversity managers.

Probably

BBC 4 is one of the good bits of the BBC.

How much is the move to Salford costing?

[Caulkhead]

colonel c said:

Not happy. I can't justify paying for SKY Sports just to watch one sport. I expect I'm not alone.

Works both ways - pretty much all I watch on the BBC is F1 yet I have to justify £145 a year for the privilege.

[Johnnytheboy]

Caulkhead said:

Works both ways - pretty much all I watch on the BBC is F1 yet I have to justify £145 a year for the privilege.

Seems a shame you can't have Sky but no licence fee really.

[Chrisw666]

Eric Mc said:

BBC 4 is one of the good bits of the BBC.

How much is the move to Salford costing?

I read £1billion elsewhere on PH no idea how accurate that is.

I would rather see them scrap the junk like Radio 1 Extra, Total Wipeout, Strictly come dancing, EastEnders and lots of the dross that BBC3 turns out and replace the shows with interesting shows like coast and lots of the BBC4 work along with current affairs and sports that may be of an interest to large numbers of people. Some of the presenters they retain on mega salaries would struggle to find work elsewhere for the same money.

They could even dump top gear if that is expensive but losing F1 again is a very poor idea.

[mrmr96]

Chrisw666 said:

I would rather see them scrap the junk like Radio 1 Extra, Total Wipeout, Strictly come dancing, EastEnders and lots of the dross that BBC3 turns out and replace the shows with interesting shows like coast and lots of the BBC4 work along with current affairs and sports that may be of an interest to large numbers of people.

I understand where you're coming from, but equally I'm quite glad that you don't get to decide how the money's spent.

Different people like different things. Everyone pays the license fee. Therefore the BBC is obliged to produce somethig for everyone.

[Chrisw666]

mrmr96 said:

I understand where you're coming from, but equally I'm quite glad that you don't get to decide how the money's spent.

Different people like different things. Everyone pays the license fee. Therefore the BBC is obliged to produce somethig for everyone.

The problem I have is that the free to air channels are predominantly 'entertainment' in the form of lowest common denominator rubbish or re-runs of old films.

The bits of the Beeb that will be at risk are the quality bits like BBC4, 6 Music and its sports like F1. I enjoy football hugely but hate sky & itv coverage and only watch highlights or games shown by BBC, I would rather see BBC pay for the rights of F1 and the Premier League than have a radio station catering for one broad musical genre and programmes about ex-famous people learning to dance.

[Caulkhead]

Johnnytheboy said:

Caulkhead said:

Works both ways - pretty much all I watch on the BBC is F1 yet I have to justify £145 a year for the privilege.

Seems a shame you can't have Sky but no licence fee really.

Well I can if my mum or dad move in with me - they're both over 75, but it seems like a lot of trouble just to avoid an anachronstic socialist tax like the licence fee!

[rpguk]

Chrisw666 said:

I would rather see them scrap the junk like Radio 1 Extra, Total Wipeout, Strictly come dancing, EastEnders and lots of the dross that BBC3 turns out and replace the shows with interesting shows like coast and lots of the BBC4 work along with current affairs and sports that may be of an interest to large numbers of people. Some of the presenters they retain on mega salaries would struggle to find work elsewhere for the same money.

They could even dump top gear if that is expensive but losing F1 again is a very poor idea.

Top Gear is expensive but a huge revenue generator for them, so I can't see that going anywhere soon.

A lot of the other stuff you mention costs peanuts to produce and is very popular so again, it'd be silly to get rid of.

It is a shame about sky getting F1 though. What kind of fees was Bernie after for it? Has that gone up since last year? I suspect covering F1 would be pretty expensive too.

[Parrot of Doom]

Eric Mc said:

BBC 4 is one of the good bits of the BBC.

How much is the move to Salford costing?

It won't be costing me anything. One of the extremely frustrating aspects to the BBC is how programmes commissioned in London and shot elsewhere in the UK are directed and shot by people from London. That often excludes local crew from the job - they'll often bring a cameraman from London (he'll be about £900 a day), pay for him to travel up, book him into a decent hotel, and pay for his trip back down too. Then you can add a travel day or two if shooting is taking a few days. I have it on very good authority that a senior booking manager in London rates northern crews as "not as good as London crews", as though London, with its pollution, millions of people, cars everywhere and no countryside to speak of, is somehow more attractive than anywhere else in the UK.

Now things are going to be commissioned from Salford, there'll be a lot less of that nonsense. The move might cost a lot of money, but it'll certainly spread the work around, and northern crews are slightly cheaper than London crews as well (for practical reasons).

[tomw2000]

They'd no doubt save a fortune if they stopped doing ANY news as its all lies anyway. yeah, that and the weather forecasts, which is lies and inaccurate.

I quite like Country File and the odd drama though.

[okgo]

Its fairly agreeable that the best people will be in London, its where the best people from a lot of professions end up is it not?

Having skim read an email from the DG of the bbc it seems its still a bit up in the air as to what they may cut, and what they may do in order to save the 20% they need to make up for the fixing of the fee.