Frantic balancing act

The accountancy year in the BBC is normally well-defined, driven by an established timetable, and with plenty of people at the Corporate Centre involved in long-term planning.  At this time in the calendar, minds inside BBC management normally turn to Wimbledon, Tuscany and Proms Tickets; in 2011, things are frantic, with the drafting and redrafting of a business plan to save 20% over six years than will stand scrutiny by The Trust and their promised independent assessors. The work has to be handed in next month.

One of the major problems is balancing the spend between London and Out-of-London. Jana Bennett's ticking time-bomb left at Television Centre is to make 50% of network tv programmes outside the M25 by 2016.  The Controllers hate it - they want all their favourite shows in the capital; their favourite stars won't move, so the costs of daily business return flights to Manchester and Glasgow bust budgets - it's little wonder the progress to the target is slow.  However, there's no excuse over six years, and The Trust (unless Patten changes tack) will look for that sheet in the workbook.  So, fear of Salford hangs over BBC3 and 6Music, amongst others. Meanwhile, and ironically, as more and more network production heads out of London,  there's the first sign of shroud-waving at BBC Wales, with rumbles about downgrading coverage of the National Eisteddfod winning the headline "Future of BBC Wales Called Into Question As Savage Cuts Considered" from the Western Mail.  I expect similar lines from BBC Scotland soon.

So within the organisation, there are financial advisers to the various "Delivering Quality First" workstreams trying to reach target figures, being man-marked by financial advisors within the divisions whose role is deem the proposals unworkable.  Frantic, fairly tense - and not without casualties.