The media release talks about 'creative opportunities'; outsiders will call it 'cherry-picking'.
In May 2022 BBC DG Tim Davie announced a review of speech radio production areas. We don't know who conducted the review, but today's news from the BBC is that they propose keeping a good proportion of the current 'in-house' audio production 'in house' - at least until 2024. Various individual programmes, spookily already quite successful podcasts, move to BBC Studios, so that Desert Island Discs, In Our Time (Melvyn needs a good agent) and The Life Scientific become commercial brands. So too, will drama (excluding The Archers) and documentaries, which will worry more than a few listeners and producers. Don't forget BBC Studios already has its hands on The Infinite Monkey Cage, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Just A Minute and The News Quiz.
So-called live, topical programmes stay 'in-house', including Woman’s Hour, Start the Week and Loose Ends, as well as arts, science, rural affairs, religion, books, and the production for BBC World Service.
The jeopardy, to use a Tim Davie favourite, is that from 1st April, 100% of "all new speech programming" will be put out to tender; the review expects that "BBC’s in-house production team and BBC Studios will generally operate side-by-side as audio suppliers and not in competition with each other."
This has to get regulatory approval.
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