BBC iSpend Over £2.5Million on iPhones, iPads, etc.

[Teddy Bear]

I can't say I know who should be paying for the lavish expense of these items and the training costs to use them. Whether it should be the corporation or staff involved themselves. I will however draw your attention to something that was reported less than a year ago.

According to figures from the last 3 years, one in every 25 full time staff at the BBC loses or has stolen a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, at a cost to the licence fee payer of £760,000.

Easy come - easy go.
I wonder what the next figures for these mysterious losses will be.

How iSpend your licence fee: Outrage as BBC lavish £2.5million on 4,000 iPhones, 400 iPads and 800 MacBooks for staff in just two years

• BBC have been buying around 200 iPhones per month for the last two years
• Presenters are regularly seen flashing the expensive gadgets on screen
• BBC get a discount because they are a 'major' purchaser of Apple products
• Critics accuse Apple of using the products as expensive on-screen props

By Rob Cooper

The BBC have blown around £2.5million buying more than 4,000 iPhones, 400 iPads and 800 MacBooks for staff in the last two years, it can be revealed.

Presenters are regularly seen showing off their expensive Apple products on television - but the figures revealed thousands of off-screen staff are also getting hold of the gadgets.

The Corporation have been buying iPhones at a rate of 200 a month for the last two years - shunning dozens of cheaper mobiles.

The figures were today branded outrageous at a time when the BBC has complained that they have been forced to cut budgets because the licence fee has been frozen.

In total, they bought 4,266 iPhones, 427 iPads and 815 MacBooks between January 2012 and October 2013, according to figures released to MailOnline under the Freedom of Information Act.

The number of iPads bought was relatively low because the BBC only started buying them for staff in December 2012 - and have been purchasing them at a rate of more than 40 a month since then.

The estimated cost of purchasing the Apple products is around £2.5million - based on standard retail prices although the BBC get a discount.

However, the true cost of issuing staff with the gadgets will soar once the cost of mobile phone contracts with the Corporation's network operator O2 are taken into account.

BBC BUY THOUSANDS OF APPLE PRODUCTS FOR STAFF

In the last two years, the BBC have bought:

1,873 iPhone 4 mobiles
1,477 iPhone 4S mobiles
909 iPhone 5 mobiles
One iPhone 5C
Six iPhone 5S phones
427 iPads
815 MacBooks and iMac computers

In addition, they are thought to have spent tens of thousands of pounds training staff how to use the gadgets.

Critics have accused the BBC of using Apple products as expensive on-screen props - and effectively giving the technology company free advertising.

BBC News presenter Simon McCoy baffled viewers last year when he accidentally picked up a pad of printer paper instead of his iPad while presenting a feature.

Viewers saw McCoy holding the packet in a full-length shot as he introduced a item live on the rollling BBC News channel about drunks being made to sober up in so-called 'drunk tanks'.

The BBC said they are able to buy Apple products at a discount under a 'major account pricing program' with Apple Sales International.

Under the scheme staff can buy Apple gear from 'nominated resellers' although the level of discount varies according to product.

The BBC also has a 'technology framework contract' with French IT giant Atos which has supplied iPhones and Macs under a 'third party' deal.

Dia Chakravarty, Political Director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, accused the BBC of advertising iPads on screen.

'It'll be hard to find a taxpayer who thinks spending their money on notoriously expensive tablets and phones are good value for the license fee, she said.

'At a time when most people are having to tighten their belts, the BBC should reassess its priorities too and shop around for cheaper brands, instead of throwing pricey gadgets at their staff.

'It's quality programming that people want from the BBC, not a constant advertisement for the latest iPad.'

A spokesman for the BBC said that iPhones are only issued to staff who need them to do their jobs and they are not simply given out to all workers.

'Technology is provided to staff who need it to carry out their work and they are advised on what provides the best value for money and best functionality for their work,' he said.

'The BBC uses a wide range of technology from a variety of manufacturers with Apple products making up less than 20 per cent of the BBC’s mobile, laptop and computer technology.'

[Teddy Bear]

If, like myself, you have an iPhone, you will have figured out how to use it to do the jobs you want to do with it, as well as downloaded the apps that would help you do those tasks easier. If you had any questions on using it then you would have simply entered your question into Google and received a host of helpful information.

Would you have spent £300 for somebody to teach you how to use it?
Well if you're the BBC, with loads of cash to spend provided they are not concerned with the quality of their output, it's no problem for them.
Their justification is: A spokesman for the BBC said that iPhones are only issued to staff who need them to do their jobs and they are not simply given out to all workers.

They added: 'We are harnessing new technologies to train our journalists to use their phones to film, edit and transmit news stories on mobile phones.

Anybody with a smart phone would have used it to film, edit and send. Any apps that would be recommended to make this job easier can be circulated to those with the corporation who need it VIA EMAIL.

BBC blows £220,000 of licence fee payers' money on training staff how to use an iPhone: Nearly 800 employees sent on course that costs £300 per person

• 783 employees taught how to use the gadget over a period of three years
• Last year's training figure was £42,000 - which is the lowest so far
• BBC has spent around £2.5million buying more than 4,000 iPhones, 400 iPads and 800 MacBooks for staff in the previous two years

By Amanda Williams for MailOnline

The BBC has spent more than £220,000 on iPhone lessons for staff.

Figures have revealed the corporation spent licence fee payers' money teaching 783 employees how to properly use the gadget over a period of three years.

This works out at a cost of nearly £300 per person.

But the BBC have pointed out that the figure for last year's training bill - £42,000 - was the lowest so far, according to the figures released under a Freedom of Information request.

Earlier this year it was revealed that the BBC spent around £2.5million buying more than 4,000 iPhones, 400 iPads and 800 MacBooks for staff in the previous two years.

Andy Silvester, campaign manager for the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: It's absolutely incredible that the BBC has run up a bill of this size teaching staff to use mainstream technology.

'School teachers across the country know full well that teenagers can master an iPhone, so professionals should be able to.

'The BBC must cut out this kind of wasteful spending, or sympathy for the £145-a-year TV tax will continue to wane.'

Presenters are regularly seen showing off their expensive Apple products on television - but the figures revealed thousands of off-screen staff are also getting hold of the gadgets.

The Corporation have been buying iPhones at a rate of 200 a month for the last two years - shunning dozens of cheaper mobiles.

In total, they bought 4,266 iPhones, 427 iPads and 815 MacBooks between January 2012 and October 2013, according to figures released to MailOnline under the Freedom of Information Act.

The number of iPads bought was relatively low because the BBC only started buying them for staff in December 2012 - and have been purchasing them at a rate of more than 40 a month since then, according to the latest full figures.

The estimated cost of purchasing the Apple products is around £2.5million - based on standard retail prices although the BBC get a discount.

However, the true cost of issuing staff with the gadgets will soar once the cost of mobile phone contracts with the Corporation's network operator O2 are taken into account.

A spokesman for the BBC said that iPhones are only issued to staff who need them to do their jobs and they are not simply given out to all workers.

They added: 'We are harnessing new technologies to train our journalists to use their phones to film, edit and transmit news stories on mobile phones.

'This not only keeps costs down for the licence fee payer but also increases our ability to work in remote places where there are no other means of broadcasting.'