Come outside

The review of major BBC outside broadcasts by the NAO is pretty gentle on the Executive - and, as ever, most of the recommendations for change "have already been adopted". The NAO says Sport and Audio & Music were weak on formal benefit analysis, alternative options, and benchmarking costs.

6 events in 2008 were scrutinised; Radio 1's Big Weekend came in 5% over-budget. Glastonbury (2009) was 1% over-budget. Wimbledon was less than 1% over-budget. The Proms and Euro 2008 were both 1% under forecast, and the Beijing Olympics 4% under. But, as the NAO says, the budgets were largely set on "what happened last time", rather than re-drawn bottom up.