Post by Teddy Bear on Jun 29, 2011 11:40:15 GMT
In the world of the BBC they believe they are really worth the money they award themselves. Their world view, as reported daily by them, shows just how skewed is their vision - in all respects.
Former BBC deputy director-general receives £950,000 redundancy payout
After 32 years at the BBC, the corporation’s former deputy director-general has received a redundancy payout of almost £950,000, according to figures in an upcoming annual report.
Mark Byford is one of two senior executives at the BBC who were made redundant as part of a cost cutting exercise.
The 53-year-old, who stepped down from his senior role last month, is said to have received a payment of just under £950,000, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Also made redundant was Sharon Baylay, who was the corporation’s director of marketing, communications and audiences for less than two years.
She left her £310,000-a-year role last November with a redundancy payout of just under £390,000, according to the newspaper.
The BBC’s upcoming annual report is expected to reveal the total amount paid out to each of its members made redundant, which has decreased the corporation’s number of senior directors from 10 to seven people.
The remaining directors were also each told to return one month’s pay from the past year as part of the cost-cutting exercise.
Director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, asked Mr Byford and Miss Baylay to leave the company in order to ‘further streamline management and management boards at the BBC and to make further progress towards the BBC’s targets of reducing its senior manager pay bill by 25 per cent (by December 2011)', the Telegraph reported.
Mr Byford was on a £488,000 salary before being made redundant and on top of his large payout is also set to receive one of the highest pensions in the public sector, estimated at almost £4 million.
Axed: Also made redundant was Sharon Baylay (left)
after being asked to leave by Director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson (right)
When he turns 55 in 2013, Mr Byford will be able to start drawing part of his pension and will be entitled to an estimated payment of £220,000-a-year when he turns 60.
Also during the restructuring of senior management, two other employees in senior roles were demoted.
Human resources director Lucy Adams and the executive running the corporation’s new Salford base, Peter Salmon, had their salaries cut.
Chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee told the newspaper: ‘At a time when the BBC is facing severe pressure on its budgets it is extraordinary that it should cost such a large amount of money to part with Mark Byford, especially given the size of his pension pot.’
While a BBC spokesperson made a statement saying: ‘We have made significant progress in reducing both the number and pay bill of senior managers. We are on target for our proposed reductions.’
Byford
Mr Byford joined the broadcaster in 1979, aged 20, and the former BBC World Service chief has been a controversial figure in recent years mostly due to his salary.
He also came under fire for some of his expenses claims, most recently for £5,000 spent on flights to the World Cup in South Africa.
He was the man who stepped in to run the corporation when Greg Dyke resigned over the Hutton crisis in 2004.
Friends claimed last year that Mr Byford had offered to fall on his sword and the decision to go was made as part of mutual discussions with the director general.
Sources close to the deputy director general say that he told Mr Thompson that his job should not be regarded as ‘sacrosanct’ and that it was ‘inconceivable’ that the BBC should not consider closing his post.
But friends suggested that Mr Byford, who also oversaw the BBC’s sports output, is disappointed that he will not be there for the Olympics.
BBC insiders insisted difficult decisions had to be made. The signal that top level staff are suffering the same as everyone else and the BBC will send out a strong message to rank and file workers.
Mark Byford also set to receive estimated £4million pension
Director of marketing gets redundancy payment of £390k
BBC's remaining directors return a month's pay from past year
After 32 years at the BBC, the corporation’s former deputy director-general has received a redundancy payout of almost £950,000, according to figures in an upcoming annual report.
Mark Byford is one of two senior executives at the BBC who were made redundant as part of a cost cutting exercise.
The 53-year-old, who stepped down from his senior role last month, is said to have received a payment of just under £950,000, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Also made redundant was Sharon Baylay, who was the corporation’s director of marketing, communications and audiences for less than two years.
She left her £310,000-a-year role last November with a redundancy payout of just under £390,000, according to the newspaper.
The BBC’s upcoming annual report is expected to reveal the total amount paid out to each of its members made redundant, which has decreased the corporation’s number of senior directors from 10 to seven people.
The remaining directors were also each told to return one month’s pay from the past year as part of the cost-cutting exercise.
Director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, asked Mr Byford and Miss Baylay to leave the company in order to ‘further streamline management and management boards at the BBC and to make further progress towards the BBC’s targets of reducing its senior manager pay bill by 25 per cent (by December 2011)', the Telegraph reported.
Mr Byford was on a £488,000 salary before being made redundant and on top of his large payout is also set to receive one of the highest pensions in the public sector, estimated at almost £4 million.
Axed: Also made redundant was Sharon Baylay (left)
after being asked to leave by Director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson (right)
When he turns 55 in 2013, Mr Byford will be able to start drawing part of his pension and will be entitled to an estimated payment of £220,000-a-year when he turns 60.
Also during the restructuring of senior management, two other employees in senior roles were demoted.
Human resources director Lucy Adams and the executive running the corporation’s new Salford base, Peter Salmon, had their salaries cut.
Chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee told the newspaper: ‘At a time when the BBC is facing severe pressure on its budgets it is extraordinary that it should cost such a large amount of money to part with Mark Byford, especially given the size of his pension pot.’
While a BBC spokesperson made a statement saying: ‘We have made significant progress in reducing both the number and pay bill of senior managers. We are on target for our proposed reductions.’
Byford
Mr Byford joined the broadcaster in 1979, aged 20, and the former BBC World Service chief has been a controversial figure in recent years mostly due to his salary.
He also came under fire for some of his expenses claims, most recently for £5,000 spent on flights to the World Cup in South Africa.
He was the man who stepped in to run the corporation when Greg Dyke resigned over the Hutton crisis in 2004.
Friends claimed last year that Mr Byford had offered to fall on his sword and the decision to go was made as part of mutual discussions with the director general.
Sources close to the deputy director general say that he told Mr Thompson that his job should not be regarded as ‘sacrosanct’ and that it was ‘inconceivable’ that the BBC should not consider closing his post.
But friends suggested that Mr Byford, who also oversaw the BBC’s sports output, is disappointed that he will not be there for the Olympics.
BBC insiders insisted difficult decisions had to be made. The signal that top level staff are suffering the same as everyone else and the BBC will send out a strong message to rank and file workers.