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BBC cuts - the chickens come home to roost
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be the first to commentPosted by Barry White
The damage done by the deal made behind closed door last autumn between the coalition government and BBC's director general Mark Thompson becomes more apparent as details of cuts and service alternations are unveiled. With the licence fee frozen until 2017, cuts of 20% are the order of the day. On 6 October the package was revealed under the Orwellian title 'Delivering Quality First' (DQF) - quickly rebranded 'Destroying Quality Forever' by the NUJ. According to the union, 7,000 jobs have already gone at the BBC since 2004. Now two thirds of the savings, some £400m, will fall on staff either through job cuts or cuts to employment terms and conditions.
Half of the 2,000 job cuts are in core BBC editorial and programme making. Eight hundred jobs in News are due to go plus more in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Local radio stations staff are worried that they won't be able to carry on as they face demands for savings of 19%. Out of 380 jobs to go in English regions, 280 will go from local radio. The list of job losses goes on and on.
Just days after the announcement, BBC NUJ representatives met and elected an action committee to co-ordinate the next steps in the industrial, public and political campaign to stop the cuts and defend services. Broadcasting unions were due to meet with BBC management today, but there is a clear feeling that management will press on regardless.
How else can you explain the remark made by Mark Thompson at a meeting with BBC staff in Belfast on 14 October when he declared '…if you think you can't do your best work here then leave – no-one is forcing you to stay…'
Alongside the announcement on 6 October, the BBC Trust launched a public consultation on the proposals. The consultations will run until 21 December 2011 and details can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/october/delivering_quality_first.shtml and related links. The CPBF will be responding to the consultation and urges readers to do likewise and watch the CPBF web site for developments and updates on action.
DATELINE: 21 October, 2011
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