Post by Teddy Bear on Jun 28, 2008 21:49:48 GMT
How easy it is for the BBC higher echelon to give themselves a hefty bonus, after all they don't actually have to do anything to earn it, just stick to the party line. Public money is easy to come by. You can be sure, as has already been seen, shoddy programming will be blamed on the fact that they didn't receive the amount they wanted in the last license fee deal. So they're on a win-win situation, and who loses? The suckers license fee payers who are forced to fund them.
To see how much these execs are making even before this bonus - read this
It simply shows that these arseholes who run the BBC have dipped so far into the trough that they do not have to be affected by what they inflict on the rest of society, or at least believe it for the time being. As much as they might feel that they are living in another world, free of the worries that most of us have to face, they are in reality very short sighted. May they rot in hell!
To see how much these execs are making even before this bonus - read this
It simply shows that these arseholes who run the BBC have dipped so far into the trough that they do not have to be affected by what they inflict on the rest of society, or at least believe it for the time being. As much as they might feel that they are living in another world, free of the worries that most of us have to face, they are in reality very short sighted. May they rot in hell!
BBC executives to take home £300,000 bonus
By Nicole Martin, Digital and Media Correspondent
Last Updated: 8:01PM BST 27/06/2008
The BBC's executive board members are expected to take home more than £300,000 in annual bonuses this year despite a wave of redundancies and a string of phone-in scandals.
It is understood that all the executives, apart from Mark Thompson, the director-general, who will waive his bonus for the fourth consecutive year, will enjoy bonus payments.
The £300,000 will be shared between nine members, including Mark Byford, the deputy-director, Jana Bennett, the director of BBC television, and Caroline Thompson, the chief operating officer.
The move is likely to infuriate BBC staff members and their unions as it comes at a time when the corporation is cutting 2,500 jobs and slashing budgets in key public service areas such as news and current affairs.
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Details of the bonuses are still being finalised ahead of the publication of the BBC's annual report on July 8, which sources say could make for uncomfortable reading.
It is thought that the size of some of the bonus payments has been affected by the string of phone-in scandals, which took place last year.
Mr Thompson was forced to apologise last year after it emerged that viewers had been deliberately deceived on a series of high-profile programmes including Children in Need, Blue Peter and Sport Relief.
He immediately suspended all phone-related quizzes as it became clear that production staff had faked competition winners.
Philip Davies, a Conservative MP who sits on the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said it was outrageous that BBC executives were prepared to take home their bonuses, which are funded by licence-fee payers.
"It's up to the BBC how it spends its money but when Mark Thompson keeps on banging on about the tight licence-fee settlement and how the BBC is short of cash, I find it astonishing that they can afford these bonuses," he said.
"I find it surprising that faced with the option of giving bonuses or cutting staff and reducing public service broadcasting, they have decided that bonuses are more important."
However, the bonus payments pale into insignificance when compared to those enjoyed by television executives in the commercial sector.
Andy Duncan, the chief executive of Channel 4, earned £1.2 million last year, which included a £98,000 executive bonus and £450,000 in a three-year loyalty scheme signed when he joined from the BBC in 2004.
Michael Grade, ITV's executive chairman, enjoyed a £967,000 bonus last year on top of a salary of £813,000, contributing to an overall pay package of £1.93 million.
Last year the BBC's executive board waived their annual bonuses amounting to around £350,000 because they admitted that the corporation was not on course to meet diversity targets.
They said the decision was also taken because they were "mindful" of the likely impact on colleagues at a time when felt insecure about their jobs.
A BBC spokesman declined to comment on the bonuses.
"All details surrounding remuneration will be in the annual report on July 8," he said. "We will not be making any comment about bonuses until that date."
By Nicole Martin, Digital and Media Correspondent
Last Updated: 8:01PM BST 27/06/2008
The BBC's executive board members are expected to take home more than £300,000 in annual bonuses this year despite a wave of redundancies and a string of phone-in scandals.
It is understood that all the executives, apart from Mark Thompson, the director-general, who will waive his bonus for the fourth consecutive year, will enjoy bonus payments.
The £300,000 will be shared between nine members, including Mark Byford, the deputy-director, Jana Bennett, the director of BBC television, and Caroline Thompson, the chief operating officer.
The move is likely to infuriate BBC staff members and their unions as it comes at a time when the corporation is cutting 2,500 jobs and slashing budgets in key public service areas such as news and current affairs.
Article continuesadvertisement
Details of the bonuses are still being finalised ahead of the publication of the BBC's annual report on July 8, which sources say could make for uncomfortable reading.
It is thought that the size of some of the bonus payments has been affected by the string of phone-in scandals, which took place last year.
Mr Thompson was forced to apologise last year after it emerged that viewers had been deliberately deceived on a series of high-profile programmes including Children in Need, Blue Peter and Sport Relief.
He immediately suspended all phone-related quizzes as it became clear that production staff had faked competition winners.
Philip Davies, a Conservative MP who sits on the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said it was outrageous that BBC executives were prepared to take home their bonuses, which are funded by licence-fee payers.
"It's up to the BBC how it spends its money but when Mark Thompson keeps on banging on about the tight licence-fee settlement and how the BBC is short of cash, I find it astonishing that they can afford these bonuses," he said.
"I find it surprising that faced with the option of giving bonuses or cutting staff and reducing public service broadcasting, they have decided that bonuses are more important."
However, the bonus payments pale into insignificance when compared to those enjoyed by television executives in the commercial sector.
Andy Duncan, the chief executive of Channel 4, earned £1.2 million last year, which included a £98,000 executive bonus and £450,000 in a three-year loyalty scheme signed when he joined from the BBC in 2004.
Michael Grade, ITV's executive chairman, enjoyed a £967,000 bonus last year on top of a salary of £813,000, contributing to an overall pay package of £1.93 million.
Last year the BBC's executive board waived their annual bonuses amounting to around £350,000 because they admitted that the corporation was not on course to meet diversity targets.
They said the decision was also taken because they were "mindful" of the likely impact on colleagues at a time when felt insecure about their jobs.
A BBC spokesman declined to comment on the bonuses.
"All details surrounding remuneration will be in the annual report on July 8," he said. "We will not be making any comment about bonuses until that date."