Monday, August 29, 2011

Wrong direction

The Telegraph seems to have picked up some loose talk, saying that some in the BBC are advocating spinning BBC Vision Productions off, a la BBC Worldwide, to give the programme-making side a little more "freedom" in salaries, bonuses, terms and conditions of service etc.  This has presumably come from the Edinburgh TV Festival, where Pat Younge, Chief Creative Officer for the group, has been on a panel.

BBC Worldwide has an entertaining bonus structure - allowing boss John Smith a total remuneration package of £898k this year.  Pat has had to survive on a total package of £317,800.

Any spinning off of Vision Productions would be a bizarre final triumph for Birtism, leaving the BBC proper just a bunch of commissioners.  A very big bunch, it has to be said, but a peculiarly heartless organisation.  A bit like Channel 4.

Production staff would get none of the nurture, training, development and other opportunities that marks out the current organisation - Pat and Lucy Adams would finally live in their dream land of a BBC of short term contracts, with no long-term prospects for any but managers.

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