Post by Teddy Bear on Jan 21, 2011 14:51:27 GMT
As you will read below, BBC has increased expenditure on its executive expenses, despite pledges to cut them back. .Following the recent 7% higher figure on last year they responded;
The BBC said of the increase in hospitality expenses: ‘These are the routine costs of business involved in running a major media organisation.
‘As with any global organisation, senior managers in the BBC will inevitably incur expenses and undertake hospitality in the course of fulfilling their duties.
‘The BBC has a rigorous expenses policy to ensure that executives ensure value for money on any occasion where expenses are incurred
Let's just examine one of these 'routine costs of business', and how it ensure 'value for money in fulfilling their duties;
Director of BBC Wales Menna Richards racked up £1,500 on six taxi journeys as she was shuttled by car rather than by train between London and Cardiff. This included one fare of £348.
This journey by road would have taken at least 3 hours assuming their were no hold ups due to heavy traffic or road works. It took me 2 minutes to establish that the same journey by train would have taken 2 hours regardless of time of day. If it was off peak the standard single cost would have been £37.00. Peak time 1st Class would have cost £149.50, under half the cost of this taxi costing £350, and which would have taken at least an hour longer to do the same journey.
Presumably the BBC executive who made this ' value for money' response to the press regarding expenses is making at least £100,000, or perhaps they are one of those 135 executives earning more than the Prime Minister. How do they consider this journey by taxi between London to Cardiff to be value for money and one of the routine costs for this or any other business?
Obviously if you don't have to really be concerned about how you get your money you don't have to be too smart about how you spend it. This is the real dynamics of the BBC.
The BBC said of the increase in hospitality expenses: ‘These are the routine costs of business involved in running a major media organisation.
‘As with any global organisation, senior managers in the BBC will inevitably incur expenses and undertake hospitality in the course of fulfilling their duties.
‘The BBC has a rigorous expenses policy to ensure that executives ensure value for money on any occasion where expenses are incurred
Let's just examine one of these 'routine costs of business', and how it ensure 'value for money in fulfilling their duties;
Director of BBC Wales Menna Richards racked up £1,500 on six taxi journeys as she was shuttled by car rather than by train between London and Cardiff. This included one fare of £348.
This journey by road would have taken at least 3 hours assuming their were no hold ups due to heavy traffic or road works. It took me 2 minutes to establish that the same journey by train would have taken 2 hours regardless of time of day. If it was off peak the standard single cost would have been £37.00. Peak time 1st Class would have cost £149.50, under half the cost of this taxi costing £350, and which would have taken at least an hour longer to do the same journey.
Presumably the BBC executive who made this ' value for money' response to the press regarding expenses is making at least £100,000, or perhaps they are one of those 135 executives earning more than the Prime Minister. How do they consider this journey by taxi between London to Cardiff to be value for money and one of the routine costs for this or any other business?
Obviously if you don't have to really be concerned about how you get your money you don't have to be too smart about how you spend it. This is the real dynamics of the BBC.
BBC bosses are claiming even MORE expenses: Despite head count, hospitality is up
By Paul Revoir and Simon Cable
Expenses for BBC executives are running rampant despite pledges to cut them back, it emerged yesterday.
Latest figures reveal a 7 per cent year-on-year hike in wining and dining, despite repeated pronouncements from corporation chiefs that they are reining in unnecessary expenditure.
Senior managers put in claims for £350 taxi rides, £716 on ‘team-building’ events and more than £1,000 for ‘thank you’ meals.
Some bosses racked up eye-watering taxi rides in the latest three-month period to September as they were ferried around the country instead of getting public transport.
The figures also showed that despite repeated claims from the BBC that it was slashing senior staff levels, it employs up to 135 executives paid more than the Prime Minister’s £142,500 salary. About 310 executives get paid more than £100,000.
Expenses for internal and external entertaining included a £437 dinner for the ‘team’ of BBC1 drama Silent Witness and a £253 meal with the stars of Doctor Who by drama chief Ben Stephenson. Business affairs boss Bal Samra spent £1,100 on a ‘thank you meal’ for 22 colleagues to mark the end of a project.
Radio 5 Live boss Adrian Van Klaveren spent £262 on a meal to ‘thank team for contribution to World Cup coverage’ when he stayed in South Africa during the international football event.
Another claim included news-room boss Mary Hockaday’s £716 for a ‘team building’ event.
BBC entertainment boss Mark Linsey spent £89 on ‘various bottles of wine’ and £42 on flowers while drama production chief John Yorke claimed £88.50 for alcohol with the explanation: ‘We had to buy wine because catering didn’t turn up.’
Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan spent £200 on a meal with the explanation: ‘Dinner the night before Eurovision Song Contest.’
Director of BBC Wales Menna Richards racked up £1,500 on six taxi journeys as she was shuttled by car rather than by train between London and Cardiff. This included one fare of £348.
Radio 3 controller Roger Wright had a total taxi bill of £2,365 in the period, including £995 on five cab journeys. It is thought this paid for him to get home from the Proms to his house in the Home Counties.
Outgoing TV chief Jana Bennett spent £1,412 on taxis and operations chief Caroline Thomson claimed £1,955 for ‘car fares’.
Despite the controversial claims, the BBC said the total expenses of its so-called top tier of managers had gone down by 35 per cent year on year to £152,000.
The BBC said of the increase in hospitality expenses: ‘These are the routine costs of business involved in running a major media organisation.
‘As with any global organisation, senior managers in the BBC will inevitably incur expenses and undertake hospitality in the course of fulfilling their duties.
‘The BBC has a rigorous expenses policy to ensure that executives ensure value for money on any occasion where expenses are incurred and across the BBC more than 90 per cent of the expenses claimed are by our content-making departments.’
By Paul Revoir and Simon Cable
Expenses for BBC executives are running rampant despite pledges to cut them back, it emerged yesterday.
Latest figures reveal a 7 per cent year-on-year hike in wining and dining, despite repeated pronouncements from corporation chiefs that they are reining in unnecessary expenditure.
Senior managers put in claims for £350 taxi rides, £716 on ‘team-building’ events and more than £1,000 for ‘thank you’ meals.
Some bosses racked up eye-watering taxi rides in the latest three-month period to September as they were ferried around the country instead of getting public transport.
The figures also showed that despite repeated claims from the BBC that it was slashing senior staff levels, it employs up to 135 executives paid more than the Prime Minister’s £142,500 salary. About 310 executives get paid more than £100,000.
Expenses for internal and external entertaining included a £437 dinner for the ‘team’ of BBC1 drama Silent Witness and a £253 meal with the stars of Doctor Who by drama chief Ben Stephenson. Business affairs boss Bal Samra spent £1,100 on a ‘thank you meal’ for 22 colleagues to mark the end of a project.
Radio 5 Live boss Adrian Van Klaveren spent £262 on a meal to ‘thank team for contribution to World Cup coverage’ when he stayed in South Africa during the international football event.
Another claim included news-room boss Mary Hockaday’s £716 for a ‘team building’ event.
BBC entertainment boss Mark Linsey spent £89 on ‘various bottles of wine’ and £42 on flowers while drama production chief John Yorke claimed £88.50 for alcohol with the explanation: ‘We had to buy wine because catering didn’t turn up.’
Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan spent £200 on a meal with the explanation: ‘Dinner the night before Eurovision Song Contest.’
Director of BBC Wales Menna Richards racked up £1,500 on six taxi journeys as she was shuttled by car rather than by train between London and Cardiff. This included one fare of £348.
Radio 3 controller Roger Wright had a total taxi bill of £2,365 in the period, including £995 on five cab journeys. It is thought this paid for him to get home from the Proms to his house in the Home Counties.
Outgoing TV chief Jana Bennett spent £1,412 on taxis and operations chief Caroline Thomson claimed £1,955 for ‘car fares’.
Despite the controversial claims, the BBC said the total expenses of its so-called top tier of managers had gone down by 35 per cent year on year to £152,000.
The BBC said of the increase in hospitality expenses: ‘These are the routine costs of business involved in running a major media organisation.
‘As with any global organisation, senior managers in the BBC will inevitably incur expenses and undertake hospitality in the course of fulfilling their duties.
‘The BBC has a rigorous expenses policy to ensure that executives ensure value for money on any occasion where expenses are incurred and across the BBC more than 90 per cent of the expenses claimed are by our content-making departments.’