Farmyard economics

There are many ways of presenting "savings" and "efficiencies". There's apparently a new report coming from the BBC, which is previewed in an interview in the Telegraph with finance boss Anne Bulford.

She was asked by DG Lord Hall to take "a fundamental look at every pound we spend". We are not told how this will be different to regular financial reporting, or who has done the work. And how it fits with current "Compete or compare" work.

Anyway, here's a bit I sort of understand. "Bulford’s report will say that since the start of the current BBC Charter in 2007, it has achieved £1.1bn in annual savings out of £3.2bn in controllable costs. 'We’re on track to hit £1.5bn annual savings by the end of the charter in 2017. So there’s £400m still to do' ".

£400m is painful. My bosh at it savages management, presumes BT cough for half of rural broadband, ignores wage and price inflation, and probably increases redundancy costs. It doesn't include £50m saving from moving BBC3 online, 'cos I wouldn't do it. It still requires a cut in content spend of 7%.  Listeners and viewers have taken to the streets of Sydney over less at ABC.