Post by Teddy Bear on Dec 20, 2007 19:57:47 GMT
Just when you thought they couldn't get more ridiculous in how they decide to use the license fee, they go to the 'cor-blimey'.
Never mind about courses that might produce more balanced reporting, or more intelligent programming, washing jelly off each others feet is deemed to be more worthwhile. What an insult it must be for all the staff they have laid off because of BBC management claims that the reduction in the cost of the license fee they had requested leaves them short-funded.
Never mind about courses that might produce more balanced reporting, or more intelligent programming, washing jelly off each others feet is deemed to be more worthwhile. What an insult it must be for all the staff they have laid off because of BBC management claims that the reduction in the cost of the license fee they had requested leaves them short-funded.
BBC sends staff on jelly 'bonding' day
By Andrew Pierce
The BBC has spent thousands of pounds on a team bonding course in which presenters had to wash raspberry jelly from each other's feet.
Adrian Chiles, a presenter, and Alan Yentob, the creative director, were among 200 executives who took part in the sensory assault course.
Staff were blindfolded and required to walk barefoot through pools of raspberry jelly and autumn leaves while clutching plastic babies programmed to wet themselves and cry.
At the end they had to wash each other's feet. The babies were props from the BBC3 show Baby Borrowers. Staff were given masks of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
One senior BBC executive, who declined to be named, said: "The course is the talk of the place. It's hilarious.
"The point was that they did not know what they were walking through until the end. Well, I think that was the point. I don't think they were too thrilled about washing the jelly off each other's feet."
The course was for 200 staff from the BBC Learning department to "complement knowledge output".
Ariel, the BBC's in-house magazine, reported that the aim of the exercise was also to help staff "refresh perspectives" through "immersive experiences".
When they were not walking through jelly, or changing the nappies of the plastic babies, staff were invited to pitch programme ideas at a panel of senior executives including Glenwyn Benson, the controller of BBC Knowledge, and George Entwistle, the acting controller of BBC4.
The BBC, which is cutting 1,800 jobs because of a £2 billion deficit in funding, spent £10,000 on the bonding day course.
Philip Davis, a Tory MP on the Commons culture select committee, said: "I am sure the people who are losing their jobs will be delighted to know how licence-payers' money is being spent."
By Andrew Pierce
The BBC has spent thousands of pounds on a team bonding course in which presenters had to wash raspberry jelly from each other's feet.
Adrian Chiles, a presenter, and Alan Yentob, the creative director, were among 200 executives who took part in the sensory assault course.
Staff were blindfolded and required to walk barefoot through pools of raspberry jelly and autumn leaves while clutching plastic babies programmed to wet themselves and cry.
At the end they had to wash each other's feet. The babies were props from the BBC3 show Baby Borrowers. Staff were given masks of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
One senior BBC executive, who declined to be named, said: "The course is the talk of the place. It's hilarious.
"The point was that they did not know what they were walking through until the end. Well, I think that was the point. I don't think they were too thrilled about washing the jelly off each other's feet."
The course was for 200 staff from the BBC Learning department to "complement knowledge output".
Ariel, the BBC's in-house magazine, reported that the aim of the exercise was also to help staff "refresh perspectives" through "immersive experiences".
When they were not walking through jelly, or changing the nappies of the plastic babies, staff were invited to pitch programme ideas at a panel of senior executives including Glenwyn Benson, the controller of BBC Knowledge, and George Entwistle, the acting controller of BBC4.
The BBC, which is cutting 1,800 jobs because of a £2 billion deficit in funding, spent £10,000 on the bonding day course.
Philip Davis, a Tory MP on the Commons culture select committee, said: "I am sure the people who are losing their jobs will be delighted to know how licence-payers' money is being spent."