Post by Teddy Bear on Apr 10, 2013 21:55:09 GMT
It's been revealed that in the contract for the new director general Tony Hall there is a clause that forbids him from making “any derogatory or unfavourable public remark or statement” about the BBC, either during his time in office or the two years afterwards.
He is also barred from writing or speaking about the BBC without its “prior written consent”, and from engaging in “any political activities”.
Now why does a media organisation need such an action? We are not talking about a highly secret security company or branch of the government. The BBC claim they revealed this contract in the interest of transparency. It shows their complete contempt as this transparency is only to show THAT THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT GOES ON WITHIN.
He is also barred from writing or speaking about the BBC without its “prior written consent”, and from engaging in “any political activities”.
Now why does a media organisation need such an action? We are not talking about a highly secret security company or branch of the government. The BBC claim they revealed this contract in the interest of transparency. It shows their complete contempt as this transparency is only to show THAT THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT GOES ON WITHIN.
BBC puts gagging order on new director-general
The BBC has imposed a gagging order on its new director-general, Tony Hall, which prevents him from criticising the corporation – either now or for two years after he leaves.
By Katherine Rushton
Details of Mr Hall’s package were revealed on Wednesday, as the BBC took the unprecedented step of publishing the 17-page employment contract for the £450,000-a-year job he started last week.
Under the terms of the contract, the former Royal Opera House chief would be allowed to walk away with a £225,000 pay-out if he is sacked from this new post.
Although it is a substantial sum, it is considerably smaller than the windfall previousdirector-generals have been allowed to collect.
Mr Hall’s predecessor, George Entwistle, spent just 54 days as Director General, and resigned in disgrace over the way he handled the Jimmy Savile scandal. However, he still walked away with a £450,000 pay-out, equivalent to 12 months notice, on top of his £877,000 pension.
MPs accused the BBC of having a “cavalier” attitude towards licence fee payers’ money for agreeing to give him the lump sum, which amounted to £8,333 for every day he was in office.
This time, the BBC’s governing body, the BBC Trust, has rewritten the director-general’s contract in order to try and avoid a repeat of that debacle.
It has made it much easier to sack Mr Hall, by ensuring that the BBC Trust only needs to give him six months notice – half the amount it gave Mr Entwistle.
However, it has also made it harder for Mr Hall to change the culture of the BBC by being open about its failings.
Mr Hall’s contract forbids him from making “any derogatory or unfavourable public remark or statement” about the BBC, either during his time in office or the two years afterwards.
He is also barred from writing or speaking about the BBC without its “prior written consent”, and from engaging in “any political activities”.
The BBC Trust said it disclosed the contract in “the interests of transparency”, marking a contrast to the steps it took with Mr Entwistle’s package which was only published after a Freedom of Information request.
Mr Entwistle was technically only entitled to six months’ notice because he resigned, but the BBC Trust agreed to give him a 12 month pay out – as if he had been sacked – so that he agreed to go quietly.
Mr Entwistle stepped down after Newsnight was forced to issue an unreserved apology to Lord McAlpine after it broadcast a report that wrongly accused a senior Conservative of being a paedophile.
He also faced criticism over his handling of a Newsnight investigation into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.
Mr Hall, who started his career as a BBC trainee 40 years ago, was the only candidate the BBC Trust contacted after Mr Entwistle stepped down.
He spent his first days in office reassuring staff and the public that the BBC would take steps to prevent a repeat of the McAlpine and Savile scandals.
“I do think lessons have been learnt. You have got to understand what's happened and make sure that does not happen again, and then rebuild trust in what is at the core of the BBC - which is the news services,” he said.
He also took issue with the lump sum handed to his predecessor and other sacked members of staff. “The size of the pay-offs has not been right…I will not have a pay-off if I’m found wanting in all sorts of ways. There is a serious issue here. I’m looking ay pay-offs and I will have something to say about pay-offs in the next couple of weeks,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last week.
The BBC has imposed a gagging order on its new director-general, Tony Hall, which prevents him from criticising the corporation – either now or for two years after he leaves.
By Katherine Rushton
Details of Mr Hall’s package were revealed on Wednesday, as the BBC took the unprecedented step of publishing the 17-page employment contract for the £450,000-a-year job he started last week.
Under the terms of the contract, the former Royal Opera House chief would be allowed to walk away with a £225,000 pay-out if he is sacked from this new post.
Although it is a substantial sum, it is considerably smaller than the windfall previousdirector-generals have been allowed to collect.
Mr Hall’s predecessor, George Entwistle, spent just 54 days as Director General, and resigned in disgrace over the way he handled the Jimmy Savile scandal. However, he still walked away with a £450,000 pay-out, equivalent to 12 months notice, on top of his £877,000 pension.
MPs accused the BBC of having a “cavalier” attitude towards licence fee payers’ money for agreeing to give him the lump sum, which amounted to £8,333 for every day he was in office.
This time, the BBC’s governing body, the BBC Trust, has rewritten the director-general’s contract in order to try and avoid a repeat of that debacle.
It has made it much easier to sack Mr Hall, by ensuring that the BBC Trust only needs to give him six months notice – half the amount it gave Mr Entwistle.
However, it has also made it harder for Mr Hall to change the culture of the BBC by being open about its failings.
Mr Hall’s contract forbids him from making “any derogatory or unfavourable public remark or statement” about the BBC, either during his time in office or the two years afterwards.
He is also barred from writing or speaking about the BBC without its “prior written consent”, and from engaging in “any political activities”.
The BBC Trust said it disclosed the contract in “the interests of transparency”, marking a contrast to the steps it took with Mr Entwistle’s package which was only published after a Freedom of Information request.
Mr Entwistle was technically only entitled to six months’ notice because he resigned, but the BBC Trust agreed to give him a 12 month pay out – as if he had been sacked – so that he agreed to go quietly.
Mr Entwistle stepped down after Newsnight was forced to issue an unreserved apology to Lord McAlpine after it broadcast a report that wrongly accused a senior Conservative of being a paedophile.
He also faced criticism over his handling of a Newsnight investigation into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.
Mr Hall, who started his career as a BBC trainee 40 years ago, was the only candidate the BBC Trust contacted after Mr Entwistle stepped down.
He spent his first days in office reassuring staff and the public that the BBC would take steps to prevent a repeat of the McAlpine and Savile scandals.
“I do think lessons have been learnt. You have got to understand what's happened and make sure that does not happen again, and then rebuild trust in what is at the core of the BBC - which is the news services,” he said.
He also took issue with the lump sum handed to his predecessor and other sacked members of staff. “The size of the pay-offs has not been right…I will not have a pay-off if I’m found wanting in all sorts of ways. There is a serious issue here. I’m looking ay pay-offs and I will have something to say about pay-offs in the next couple of weeks,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last week.