Privatize This: The Beeb
The BBC attempts to join the 21st Century, and is facing crippling labor actions as a result:
Battle lines have been drawn because — following the Government’s decision to sanction a much reduced licence fee settlement — the BBC has to fill a £2 billion funding gap over the next six years.
The plan is to “transform” the way news is gathered by the BBC by ending the system of journalists from radio, television, News 24 and online all covering the same story backed by their own producers, technical and planning staff.
They will be required, where possible, to work across all three media to reduce duplication. The unions jealously guard the existing system.
A senior BBC source said: “Typically when a newspaper or commercial broadcaster contacts an organisation about a story one or two calls are made. When it’s the BBC it is more like 26 because of the duplication. Sometimes three separate producers can be involved handling a report coming from a court case which could be handled by one person. We are behind the times in news gathering.
This is a case study in government-inspired bloat if I’ve ever seen one.
Memo to Gordon Brown that will most likely be ignored: Privatize most or all of it, or sell if off. Perhaps some of the self-admitted pervasive bias would go by the wayside as well.
