Post by Teddy Bear on Oct 19, 2011 14:06:25 GMT
Bear in mind that the BBC has not had its licence fee cut, it has only not had it increased. But when you have a media organisation trying to compete in a creative business with many executives awarding themselves huge salaries who lack the talent or qualities necessary to fulfil their duties at that level, much less the creative abilities, they use the excuse of financial constraint to justify their poor output.
Just a few days ago it was seen that BBC spends TEN times more on Welsh radio than on English station with same number of listeners, so not surprisingly staff will have concerns about the BBC 'direction'.
Helen Boaden is on the BBC Executive Board as Director of their global news division. She has an annual package worth at least £340,000, and controls a large network of staff. So when questioned about proposed cuts and impending layoffs how does she tactfully explain the BBC position?
By telling them to 'grow up' and that 'they could have been killed off'.
Somehow this crass and tactless response is exactly what I would expect from the BBC hierarchy. The quicker they are 'killed off', the better.
Just a few days ago it was seen that BBC spends TEN times more on Welsh radio than on English station with same number of listeners, so not surprisingly staff will have concerns about the BBC 'direction'.
Helen Boaden is on the BBC Executive Board as Director of their global news division. She has an annual package worth at least £340,000, and controls a large network of staff. So when questioned about proposed cuts and impending layoffs how does she tactfully explain the BBC position?
By telling them to 'grow up' and that 'they could have been killed off'.
Somehow this crass and tactless response is exactly what I would expect from the BBC hierarchy. The quicker they are 'killed off', the better.
BBC boss tells staff facing cuts to 'grow up'
The BBC’s director of news has angered regional journalists complaining about budget cuts by telling them to “grow up”.
By John-Paul Ford Rojas
Helen Boaden also told staff from a current affairs programme, taking part in a question and answer session over the cost-cutting proposals: “We could have killed you off.”
The corporation has announced plans for a “smaller” BBC which will see it lose thousands of jobs, sell off offices and show more repeats.
The changes, expected to lead to savings of £670 million a year, were announced after the licence fee was frozen at £145.50 for six years.
Bosses have been holding a series of meetings with staff across the UK to reveal details of the cuts programme, known as “Delivering Quality First”.
Staff at BBC1’s regional current affairs programme, Inside Out, used a telephone question and answer session last week to complain to Ms Boaden about the cuts.
They suggested that the expected 40 job losses and the 40% cut to the programme’s £5 million budget were disproportionate.
But, according to the Guardian website, the £340,000-a-year executive was said to have told them: “I think we all need to grow up”.
She is said to have added: “I don’t mean to sound patronising.”
Later in the meeting, speaking about initial proposals there had been to axe the programme altogether Ms Boaden said: “We could have killed you off.”
A source told the Guardian: “People were shocked and angry that you have got a very senior manager talking to staff like this at a time when people are facing redundancy.
“No one is arguing that the BBC does not have to be a leaner and fitter organisation but what we care passionately about is the erosion of regional current affairs and local radio.”
A BBC spokesman said Boaden was referring to a proposal, put forward early on in the DQF process and subsequently rejected, that Inside Out should be axed.
"There was a proposal during the DQF process to cancel Inside Out altogether. It was firmly rejected by Helen Boaden and David Holdsworth, the controller of English regions.
“As a former head of BBC current affairs, Helen Boaden is acutely aware of the risks posed to Inside Out by the cuts in BBC News.
“She has explained to staff that the priority in regional television is and must remain the 6.30pm and 10.30pm bulletins, which both have large audiences.
“For that reason she decided reluctantly to look for a greater proportion of savings from Inside Out.
“Although there will be sharing of programmes between adjoining regions, each of those regions will keep an Inside Out team focused entirely on generating current affairs coverage.”
A corporation source said no one had reported to Ms Boaden that they were “shocked and angry” about what she had said.
The BBC’s director of news has angered regional journalists complaining about budget cuts by telling them to “grow up”.
By John-Paul Ford Rojas
Helen Boaden also told staff from a current affairs programme, taking part in a question and answer session over the cost-cutting proposals: “We could have killed you off.”
The corporation has announced plans for a “smaller” BBC which will see it lose thousands of jobs, sell off offices and show more repeats.
The changes, expected to lead to savings of £670 million a year, were announced after the licence fee was frozen at £145.50 for six years.
Bosses have been holding a series of meetings with staff across the UK to reveal details of the cuts programme, known as “Delivering Quality First”.
Staff at BBC1’s regional current affairs programme, Inside Out, used a telephone question and answer session last week to complain to Ms Boaden about the cuts.
They suggested that the expected 40 job losses and the 40% cut to the programme’s £5 million budget were disproportionate.
But, according to the Guardian website, the £340,000-a-year executive was said to have told them: “I think we all need to grow up”.
She is said to have added: “I don’t mean to sound patronising.”
Later in the meeting, speaking about initial proposals there had been to axe the programme altogether Ms Boaden said: “We could have killed you off.”
A source told the Guardian: “People were shocked and angry that you have got a very senior manager talking to staff like this at a time when people are facing redundancy.
“No one is arguing that the BBC does not have to be a leaner and fitter organisation but what we care passionately about is the erosion of regional current affairs and local radio.”
A BBC spokesman said Boaden was referring to a proposal, put forward early on in the DQF process and subsequently rejected, that Inside Out should be axed.
"There was a proposal during the DQF process to cancel Inside Out altogether. It was firmly rejected by Helen Boaden and David Holdsworth, the controller of English regions.
“As a former head of BBC current affairs, Helen Boaden is acutely aware of the risks posed to Inside Out by the cuts in BBC News.
“She has explained to staff that the priority in regional television is and must remain the 6.30pm and 10.30pm bulletins, which both have large audiences.
“For that reason she decided reluctantly to look for a greater proportion of savings from Inside Out.
“Although there will be sharing of programmes between adjoining regions, each of those regions will keep an Inside Out team focused entirely on generating current affairs coverage.”
A corporation source said no one had reported to Ms Boaden that they were “shocked and angry” about what she had said.