'Delivering Quality First' (DQF) cuts

[french frank]

RW said the Archers boards were being retained because they were so hugely popular and used by so many people. Er, yes, and the (two) 6 Music boards have been retained because they don't cost much as nobody much uses them .

Abolishing the arm of management known as the BBC Trust would save £10m.

In radio areas, I wouldn't be surprised if Asian Network, earmarked for potential closure a couple of years ago, finally gets the chop.

I thought they had announced a reprieve?

Edit: to be confirmed.

[Lateralthinking1]

The costs of BBC transport, conferences, dinners, awaydays, economists, lawyers, advertisers......those who value the actual broadcasting need to be told.

[french frank]

The costs of BBC transport, conferences, dinners, awaydays, economists, lawyers, advertisers......those who value the actual broadcasting need to be told.

I hope they have already cut out 'hospitality', gifts and internal 'thank-you parties'.

[amateur51]

Nevertheless, the controller says that viewers will notice a difference. I doubt very much whether Patten will have an effect when it comes to cultural programming.

As a mere civilian, could I ask 'why?'? - genuine enquiry

[BetweenTheStaves]

...... Still, dropping Discovering Music and replacing it with another CD show will save a bit.

Ooh no...'Best of Your Call' would cut the mustard.

[french frank]

As a mere civilian, could I ask 'why?'? - genuine enquiry

No secret, Am51. Editorial strategy, including choices on what stays and what goes on a particular service, is the clear responsibility of management. Unless the cuts are clearly contrary to the requirements of the service licence, or go against the BBC's public purposes, the BBC Trust will not intervene, and especially not when they've accepted that savings must be made.

[amateur51]

No secret, Am51. Editorial strategy, including choices on what stays and what goes on a particular service, is the clear responsibility of management. Unless the cuts are clearly contrary to the requirements of the service licence, or go against the BBC's public purposes, the BBC Trust will not intervene, and especially not when they've accepted that savings must be made.

Many thanks french frank.

I thought that your original post was implying that any intervention by Patten would be thwarted but in fact he has no role in these matters so it won't arise

[Russ]

DQF headlines (in no particular order) from this morning's BBC briefings to staff (gleaned from tweets):

R4 budget "unaffected". Small reductions in scope of BBC News. 15% budget reduction in BBC sport. Elimination of BBC2 daytime budget. Asian Networks survives, but with smaller (34% of current) budget. Local Radio afternoon and evening programmes to be shared. 280 fulltime Local Radio posts to go. No single service to be cut. Less spend on red button. Withdrawal of some medium wave. R4 longwave to be phased out. "Closer pairings of R4 and R4X" (?)

Increase in newsgathering in China. World service funding to be increased in 2014. Proms to get more money. More archive material in iPlayer. Regional current affairs staff cut by 40%. BBC Production departments to work closer. 1000 more staff to move to Salford. BBC3 to move to Salford by 2016. Factual programmes from Birmingham to cease. (Archers to stay.) BBC to quit White City and Shepherd's Bush by 2021. Middle management to be 'flattened'. Target 11% productivity savings and 25% operational savings. 2000 jobs to go by 2017 (up to 800 in News). Budget cuts: BBC1 3% BBC2 6.1% BBC3 10% BBC4 9.6% BBC HD 75%. dqf might mean radio producers will be required to re-apply for their jobs.

The BBC's official DQF version is at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/dqf/, which contains the ominous:

"Reducing the amount of original drama, live music and specially recorded concerts at lunchtime on Radio 3, and reviewing the BBC's orchestras and singers"

Russ

[Mr Pee]

You can bet your life Radio 1 will be left alone also , as that performs the useful function of stopping a good proportion on the (often unemployed) under 25 s from actually thinking about their situation, and what that music and other content says about their lives.

How unbelievably patronising.

No wonder many people think classical music is elitist and out of touch when posters here spout such ignorant codswallop.

[gamba]

Seems Alan Yentob may be offloaded. Good riddance. For him to be involved in arts & culture programmes is ludicrous. He belongs in the world of 'pop' music & suchlike. A vast salary plus a large fee for appearing in his own programmes was just one more example of the madness prevailing at the BBC these days. Now what, will we see him back again in a freelance capacity? Don't hold your breath.