Easing sadness

Three days on from the announcement of 650 job losses at the World Service, and there's stll a sense of shell shock inside and outside Bush House.

The wave of emotion needs now to be focussed on damage limitation, rather than barricades and industrial action.  And maybe, between Hague and Horrocks, Lyons and Thompson, there are things that can be done.

First, smooth the funding out between the FCO care and custody period, and the licence-fee takeover by Auntie in 2014. Currently it feels like the poor child is being publically beaten and starved, while the future foster-mother looks on, apparently helpless, but with bandages, food and clothing waiting.

Second, bring that sense of fair play across the BBC that once permeated these deals. It used to be that efficiency targets and other cuts were roughly the same across Bush House, Broadcasting House and Television Centre. Mark Thompson is seeking to "protect" domestic output by making cuts of 20% over the new six year licence fee period, while the back office is being cut by 25%.  At Bush, the headline cuts are 25% over less than three years, and some back office functions are being halved.

Third, think again about some, not all, of the short-wave decisions.  The bulk of the audience listen this way, and the signal can reach people when FM, Twitter etc can be easily blocked. 

Fourth, don't lose reputation and broadcast skills in major languages too soon.  OK onlines services maybe the long term answer in some markets - but it's one thing to translate and read one-minute scripts for global news items; it's quite another to host radio discussions/tv debates with knowledge and confidence. 

Fifth - one for Thommo - take a more strategic view of partnerships for World Service. The current moves (audio versions of Hardtalk, and renaming Digital Planet "Click") look like a drift to an audio version of BBC World (itself not always a beacon of engaging and incisive journalism). There are richer deals to be made with Radio 4.   The future should be able to mix and match.