Post by Teddy Bear on Jul 15, 2010 22:04:22 GMT
Surprise Surprise 
Despite getting increasingly more money via the licence fee, the BBC actually spends 13% less on new TV shows than they did 4 years ago.
The 'administrators' are far too busy stuffing their wallets to concern themselves too much with that.
Despite getting increasingly more money via the licence fee, the BBC actually spends 13% less on new TV shows than they did 4 years ago.The 'administrators' are far too busy stuffing their wallets to concern themselves too much with that.
BBC has spent LESS on new TV shows despite licence fee hike
By Paul Revoir
The BBC's spending on new TV shows has plummeted despite inflation-busting increases in the licence fee.
Last night the BBC was being asked to explain where billions in public funding was going after spending on new programming dropped by 13 per cent over a four-year period which saw the licence fee steadily rise.
Between 2005 and 2009, BBC1's spending on 'first run' domestic programming dropped by almost 10 per cent, with a 15 per cent drop on BBC2.
TV hit: Doctor Who -starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan - is one of the BBC most popular shows, but the amount spent on new programming has fallen
TV hit: Doctor Who -starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan - is one of the BBC most popular shows, but the amount spent on new programming has fallen
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom's figures showed that in that time, the amount spent on new TV shows at the corporation fell from £1.42billion to £1.24billion. This means well under half the licence fee actually goes on fresh programming.
The fee generates about £3.6billion a year for the corporation. In 2005, a colour TV licence cost £126.50, and by 2009 it had gone up to £142.50.
The figures have reignited concerns that too much of the BBC's funds are being diverted away from what most people want their money spent on - new programmes - and are being frittered away on vanity projects and inflated pay.
Funding for new UK shows on the BBC's digital channels, which include BBC3 and BBC4, dropped even further by 17 per cent.
The money spent on fresh shows as a proportion of the corporation's total revenues has dropped from 65 per cent in 1998 to 56 per cent in 2009. In the commercial sector, the ratio has actually increased in the same period.
The figures have provoked fury, coming not long after it was revealed in the BBC's annual report that the corporation had taken on more staff, upped its total pay bill and increased executive salaries.
The BBC recently admitted that the extension of its Broadcasting House base had cost £100million more than planned.
It said the new figures reflected the fact that money had been used to fund a major move of staff from London to a new centre in Salford, the iPlayer internet service and increasing the number of digital TV transmitters.
A spokesman for the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Licence fee payers are going to be angry about this because the only reason they pay the licence fee is to get good quality programming and they don't want to see that money going into people's pockets in the form of salaries.'
While the number of new shows has also dropped on commercial channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five, they do not have their funding 'ring-fenced' in the way the BBC does.
They have also just been through a traumatic advertising downturn because of the recession.
New programming fell in real terms by 20 per cent from 2005 to 2009 for ITV1, Channel 4 and Five.
Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, said: 'Despite an ongoing efficiency programme, the BBC continues to be the cornerstone of the production industry, ploughing savings back into high-quality programming.
'Ofcom’s figures show that spend on BBC TV between 2008 and 2009 is broadly stable and they acknowledge that high levels of quality have been maintained.
'Despite an ongoing efficiency programme, the BBC continues to be the cornerstone of the production industry, ploughing savings back in to high quality programming.'
By Paul Revoir
The BBC's spending on new TV shows has plummeted despite inflation-busting increases in the licence fee.
Last night the BBC was being asked to explain where billions in public funding was going after spending on new programming dropped by 13 per cent over a four-year period which saw the licence fee steadily rise.
Between 2005 and 2009, BBC1's spending on 'first run' domestic programming dropped by almost 10 per cent, with a 15 per cent drop on BBC2.
TV hit: Doctor Who -starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan - is one of the BBC most popular shows, but the amount spent on new programming has fallen
TV hit: Doctor Who -starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan - is one of the BBC most popular shows, but the amount spent on new programming has fallen
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom's figures showed that in that time, the amount spent on new TV shows at the corporation fell from £1.42billion to £1.24billion. This means well under half the licence fee actually goes on fresh programming.
The fee generates about £3.6billion a year for the corporation. In 2005, a colour TV licence cost £126.50, and by 2009 it had gone up to £142.50.
The figures have reignited concerns that too much of the BBC's funds are being diverted away from what most people want their money spent on - new programmes - and are being frittered away on vanity projects and inflated pay.
Funding for new UK shows on the BBC's digital channels, which include BBC3 and BBC4, dropped even further by 17 per cent.
The money spent on fresh shows as a proportion of the corporation's total revenues has dropped from 65 per cent in 1998 to 56 per cent in 2009. In the commercial sector, the ratio has actually increased in the same period.
The figures have provoked fury, coming not long after it was revealed in the BBC's annual report that the corporation had taken on more staff, upped its total pay bill and increased executive salaries.
The BBC recently admitted that the extension of its Broadcasting House base had cost £100million more than planned.
It said the new figures reflected the fact that money had been used to fund a major move of staff from London to a new centre in Salford, the iPlayer internet service and increasing the number of digital TV transmitters.
A spokesman for the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Licence fee payers are going to be angry about this because the only reason they pay the licence fee is to get good quality programming and they don't want to see that money going into people's pockets in the form of salaries.'
While the number of new shows has also dropped on commercial channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five, they do not have their funding 'ring-fenced' in the way the BBC does.
They have also just been through a traumatic advertising downturn because of the recession.
New programming fell in real terms by 20 per cent from 2005 to 2009 for ITV1, Channel 4 and Five.
Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, said: 'Despite an ongoing efficiency programme, the BBC continues to be the cornerstone of the production industry, ploughing savings back into high-quality programming.
'Ofcom’s figures show that spend on BBC TV between 2008 and 2009 is broadly stable and they acknowledge that high levels of quality have been maintained.
'Despite an ongoing efficiency programme, the BBC continues to be the cornerstone of the production industry, ploughing savings back in to high quality programming.'