Annual report factoids 1

The simpler BBC Lord Hall promised is still struggling with the word "smaller". Staff numbers in total rose by 1.7%, to 18,974 full-time equivalents over the year. The number of senior managers fell - by just two, to 401. Within the churn, there are fewer senior managers paid less than £100k, and yes, more paid more than £100k. The report acknowledges that two targets have not yet been achieved – a 20% reduction in the number of senior managers earning over £150k and a senior manager population that is 1% of the workforce.

Licence fee collection and pension deficit costs went up - from £0.49 per household to £0.85p. Or in total from £151 to £290m (More than is spent on Online, now up to £201m, Ashley). Or as a percentage of income, from 4% to 7%. It might be useful to know the balance between the two costs.

In television, the general level of audience appreciation has fallen slightly over two years - from 83% to 81%. But those who think that BBC tv offers something "fresh and new" has risen over the same time, from 71% to 73%. 59% of UK adults believe the BBC performs well in representing their nation or region. That figure falls to 50% in Scotland.

The pay multiple between the median level of staff pay, and the Director General has stayed the same, at around 11, for the third year.

Here's a bit the Mail won't lift: BBC productivity has increased enormously. Twenty years ago the licence fee cost £147.44 in current prices and the BBC had two network television channels and five radio stations, in addition to local and nations output. Now the licence fee costs slightly less – £145.50 – and the BBC offers nine television channels, 11 radio stations, local and nations output, and a wealth of online and mobile services, including iPlayer and bbc.co.uk, as well as a range of additional obligations.