Swingeing cuts at the BBC.

[Mark]

OK, the word swingeing is my own choice, and probably a bit extreme, but it's how I'm feeling right now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7047060.stm

The trust also backed "in principle" the sale of Television Centre, the corporation's studio and office complex in Shepherd's Bush, west London.
BBC News and factual TV - which makes programmes such as Planet Earth and Top Gear - are expected to bear the brunt of the job cuts.
I'd bloody be going on strike over that. Selling out on some of the BBC's most iconic assets and distinctive programmes makes me want to go beat on the DG myself (with my keyboard, I might add, for the sake of avoiding confusion). Grrr. :angry:

I don't have a solution to this - although scrapping most of the crap that goes out during the daytime would be a good start (though that's probably also the cheapest programming).

[Feek]

When I think of the BBC, I think of two buildings.

Broadcasting House

Television Centre

The thought of TV Centre being sold off is appalling :(

[Desmo]

How about they cut back on the wages of some of their "stars"? People like Johnathan Ross (who I like) can't be worth the money they're paid. Most of the Radio1 presenters are on £100K+, Eastbenders stars are the same.

[Nutcase]

Just shut radio 1, that'd save an enourmous waste of money.

[Will]

Just shut radio 1, that'd save an enourmous waste of money.

I'd vote for that! ;D

[Admiral Huddy]

It's appaling news really considering the license fee and the advertising costs to get people to pay for it.

Also, I can't remember the exact figures, but the short intros they have cost £Millions.. Total waste of money.

It seems to me that the beeb are starting to feel the pinch from not gaining revenue from advertising. I'm wondering if this will now change.

[LeperousDust]

Just shut radio 1, that'd save an enourmous waste of money.

How dare you! I love that trash :o

But Desmo is right, Moyles is on about 400k a year, mills a lot less but still over 100k i think at least, as well as the usless sara cox and basically the rest... Theyre great entertainers (in my eyes) but not sure if they're worth the wage, same with a lot of presenters and overpaid news stars (when in hell did news readers become famous?)

[Haly]

Shut down News24 it just repeats itself

Nooooo, I don't know what I'd do without News24, I really miss it when I don't have easy access to it :o
Besides Top Gear and Doctor Who, the only BBC thing I regularly watch is News24 ;D

[Beansprout]

It's amazing that money can be wasted elsewhere, but yet the BBC can't be funded properly.

Admittedly there must be a lot of cost saving they can do, but still - I don't see how they can so openly admit to show *even more* repeats and also cut down on the very best programs they produce!

Perhaps if the government hadn't taxed people from all angles for the last few years, the general feeling would be for more generosity to the BBC.

[Pumpkinstew]

Like most publicly funded bodies there is a lot of deadweight and unnecessary over heads at the BBC. Staff is always the easiest place to make cuts.
I'd be surprised if television centre were to go but a few government departments have saved a small fortune by moving to premises outside the capital. Apart from the prestige of a London address (which is an asset of debatable value) there's really no benefit to being located in London.

[Mark]

True, but then most government departments don't operate out of buildings that have so much history and public knowledge as TV Centre. Anyway, I get the impression it's a done deal.

As for staff, agreed, though it does seem that most of the cuts are coming in the BBC's most distinctive areas, which doesn't seem like a good thing to me.