Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 5, 2011 18:08:22 GMT
Few people in this country haven't been touched to some degree by the economic climate. The BBC have been using the imposition of cuts by the government to bring the Tories into as much negative flak as they can muster, although ignoring the Labour party which made the cuts necessary. In any event, the BBC can't pretend that they are unaware of how difficult financial circumstances are affecting the public.
While we all know that the executives at the BBC are unaffected by this depression as they continue to rake in their inflated salaries far in excess of anything that they are worth. But one would hope that they would know that flaunting their wealth in front of the public, especially as it is still this public that has to fund their existence, would highlight their smug contempt.
Well, if so, they decided that their smug contempt is more important that pleasing the public, and decided to have a party for Jana Bennett who was merely changing positions within the corporation, and spent £1000's on this reward for themselves.
It is the same Jana Bennett that among other similar la-la land outbursts, defended the BBC spending over a billion pounds moving studios needlessly around Britain by saying ‘The message from the audience is clear: they love it when they see their communities and landscapes and hear their voices on our TV programmes.
‘BBC network television programmes will reflect and celebrate life right across the UK in greater breadth and depth.’
I don't know what makes me angrier, the mindset of the BBC, or the British public that continues to put up with this crap rather than wake up to what is being done to them. How is that this type of contempt for their public is so recognisable among the Ahmadinejads and Gaddafis of the world but not among our own kind?
While we all know that the executives at the BBC are unaffected by this depression as they continue to rake in their inflated salaries far in excess of anything that they are worth. But one would hope that they would know that flaunting their wealth in front of the public, especially as it is still this public that has to fund their existence, would highlight their smug contempt.
Well, if so, they decided that their smug contempt is more important that pleasing the public, and decided to have a party for Jana Bennett who was merely changing positions within the corporation, and spent £1000's on this reward for themselves.
It is the same Jana Bennett that among other similar la-la land outbursts, defended the BBC spending over a billion pounds moving studios needlessly around Britain by saying ‘The message from the audience is clear: they love it when they see their communities and landscapes and hear their voices on our TV programmes.
‘BBC network television programmes will reflect and celebrate life right across the UK in greater breadth and depth.’
I don't know what makes me angrier, the mindset of the BBC, or the British public that continues to put up with this crap rather than wake up to what is being done to them. How is that this type of contempt for their public is so recognisable among the Ahmadinejads and Gaddafis of the world but not among our own kind?
BBC spent thousands on 'leaving party' for top executive moving next door
The BBC threw a ‘leaving’ party costing several thousand pounds for a senior executive even though she was only moving to another arm of the corporation based on the same site.
More than 200 guests enjoyed wine and canapés at the party for Jana Bennett, which was attended by celebrities such as Sir Alan Sugar and Alan Yentob and took place in a conference suite on the top floor of the BBC Television Centre.
It was thrown to mark Bennett’s change of role from Director of BBC Vision, the in-house production unit and commissioning body, to President Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer, at BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the corporation, based next door.
Bennett has previously been at the centre of controversy for running up a large expenses bill by sending BBC stars flowers, claiming £500 for a new handbag after an old one was stolen on business and claiming several thousand pounds for throwing leaving parties for staff members at exclusive locations such as Soho House.
In her previous role as Director of BBC Vision, she sat on the corporation’s executive board and earned an annual salary of £415,000. Her new salary has not been made public as she works for the commercial arm and is no longer on the executive board.
One senior TV executive who attended the party and wished to remain unnamed said: “It did seem very out of proportion that the BBC would throw a leaving party for someone who isn’t actually leaving the company and a big party at that.
"There were more than a few eyebrows raised at the party about how ‘old BBC’ it was to throw this type of party, especially as so many job cuts are being made at the corporation.”
At the bash, which happened two weeks ago, Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director General, delivered a lengthy speech praising Bennett’s work.
A video paying tribute to Bennett’s achievements at the BBC was then played, featuring appearances from BBC presenters such as David Attenborough.
Several members of the BBC executive board were present, including Caroline Thomson, the BBC’s chief operating officer.
According to several catering companies, a party with 200 guests, with wine and canapés would cost approximately three to four thousand pounds, depending on the quality of wine.
Bennett was presented with a telescope as a present from her colleagues.
A BBC spokesman confirmed that licence fee money did not fund the purchase of the gift, which was paid for “by private donations”.
A BBC spokesman said: "After more than eight years as Director of BBC Television Jana Bennett has now left the BBC's public service business to join the commercial division BBC Worldwide.
"To mark this occasion and to thank her for all the work she has done for the UK television industry the BBC hosted a reception in a meeting room at Television Centre.
"The hospitality budget for the event was within the agreed limits set by BBC guidelines and the gift she was presented with was funded by personal donations from staff who have worked with her during this time."
At the beginning of this year the BBC announced hundreds of job cuts as part of its continued cost-cutting drive, which will see the corporation cut its headcount by at least 20 per cent.
During Bennett’s time as first Director of BBC Television and then Director of BBC Vision, she was responsible for launching several channels, such as BBC HD, and commissioning large amounts of programming across all of the BBC’s TV stations.
Bennett has just started her new role, which sees her tasked with the global roll-out of the BBC iPlayer. She is based at the BBC Media Centre, with the rest of the BBC Worldwide, next door to her former offices at the BBC Television Centre.
The BBC threw a ‘leaving’ party costing several thousand pounds for a senior executive even though she was only moving to another arm of the corporation based on the same site.
More than 200 guests enjoyed wine and canapés at the party for Jana Bennett, which was attended by celebrities such as Sir Alan Sugar and Alan Yentob and took place in a conference suite on the top floor of the BBC Television Centre.
It was thrown to mark Bennett’s change of role from Director of BBC Vision, the in-house production unit and commissioning body, to President Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer, at BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the corporation, based next door.
Bennett has previously been at the centre of controversy for running up a large expenses bill by sending BBC stars flowers, claiming £500 for a new handbag after an old one was stolen on business and claiming several thousand pounds for throwing leaving parties for staff members at exclusive locations such as Soho House.
In her previous role as Director of BBC Vision, she sat on the corporation’s executive board and earned an annual salary of £415,000. Her new salary has not been made public as she works for the commercial arm and is no longer on the executive board.
One senior TV executive who attended the party and wished to remain unnamed said: “It did seem very out of proportion that the BBC would throw a leaving party for someone who isn’t actually leaving the company and a big party at that.
"There were more than a few eyebrows raised at the party about how ‘old BBC’ it was to throw this type of party, especially as so many job cuts are being made at the corporation.”
At the bash, which happened two weeks ago, Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director General, delivered a lengthy speech praising Bennett’s work.
A video paying tribute to Bennett’s achievements at the BBC was then played, featuring appearances from BBC presenters such as David Attenborough.
Several members of the BBC executive board were present, including Caroline Thomson, the BBC’s chief operating officer.
According to several catering companies, a party with 200 guests, with wine and canapés would cost approximately three to four thousand pounds, depending on the quality of wine.
Bennett was presented with a telescope as a present from her colleagues.
A BBC spokesman confirmed that licence fee money did not fund the purchase of the gift, which was paid for “by private donations”.
A BBC spokesman said: "After more than eight years as Director of BBC Television Jana Bennett has now left the BBC's public service business to join the commercial division BBC Worldwide.
"To mark this occasion and to thank her for all the work she has done for the UK television industry the BBC hosted a reception in a meeting room at Television Centre.
"The hospitality budget for the event was within the agreed limits set by BBC guidelines and the gift she was presented with was funded by personal donations from staff who have worked with her during this time."
At the beginning of this year the BBC announced hundreds of job cuts as part of its continued cost-cutting drive, which will see the corporation cut its headcount by at least 20 per cent.
During Bennett’s time as first Director of BBC Television and then Director of BBC Vision, she was responsible for launching several channels, such as BBC HD, and commissioning large amounts of programming across all of the BBC’s TV stations.
Bennett has just started her new role, which sees her tasked with the global roll-out of the BBC iPlayer. She is based at the BBC Media Centre, with the rest of the BBC Worldwide, next door to her former offices at the BBC Television Centre.