[slow motion]

The BBC has finally come over to the side of many BBC critics on this forum, who'd like to see licence fee money better used and announced it will "cut the amount it spends on the salaries of 650 senior managers by 25% over the next three-and-a-half years."

This is something which some posters have been suggesting for some time opposed by others who said it couldn't be done for various reasons. Yet it seems the BBC can do it after all!

Anyway, here's a link to the story

[mad_dude]

Recession means private sector executives arent getting paid as much as they did meaning the BBC can pay less to attract the same level of talent.

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by slow motion

The BBC has finally come over to the side of many BBC critics on this forum, who'd like to see licence fee money better used and announced it will "cut the amount it spends on the salaries of 650 senior managers by 25% over the next three-and-a-half years."

This is something which some posters have been suggesting for some time opposed by others who said it couldn't be done for various reasons. Yet it seems the BBC can do it after all!..

Who's said it couldn't be done?? as for the cuts, nothing new really as they were on the cards ages ago.

[mossy2103]

From that report:

Earlier this year, the trust asked director general Mark Thompson to review the BBC's senior management pay.

It followed widespread criticism of the sums paid to BBC executives, particularly in the light of the economic downturn.

[Wozza20]

This is a positive move from the BBC which I am sure will be welcomed by the many people who pay the TVL, and the commercial companies who will become competitive again in the downturn.

Overall, more money can hopefully be spent on the programming right across the board.

[mossy2103]

Agreed.

[slow motion]

With a timespan of 3.5 years, to implement, I'd doubt they are pay cuts solely related to the present economic downturn (unless people think we're still going to be in it 4 years from now!)

No, if you were making credit crunch cuts, you'd do them straight away, today.

This to me smacks of a more general long-term cuttting back on excessive pay for some of those higher up at the BBC - a real change in policy, and I for one welcome it.

[mossy2103]

Originally Posted by slow motion

With a timespan of 3.5 years, to implement, I'd doubt they are pay cuts solely related to the present economic downturn (unless people think we're still going to be in it 4 years from now!)

No, if you were making credit crunch cuts, you'd do them straight away, today.

And what about contracts? I would have thought that at least some of the staff involved will be part-way through a multi-year contract agreement. In that case, it would not be feasible to cut salaries without agreement or possible legal action.

[Lawrencetero]

Originally Posted by slow motion

The BBC has finally come over to the side of many BBC critics on this forum, who'd like to see licence fee money better used and announced it will "cut the amount it spends on the salaries of 650 senior managers by 25% over the next three-and-a-half years."

This is something which some posters have been suggesting for some time opposed by others who said it couldn't be done for various reasons. Yet it seems the BBC can do it after all!

Anyway, here's a link to the story

so £73 million divided out by 640 is roughly £115k each - impressive, how many commercial broadcasters have SO many "senior managers" paid over £100k?

this is ok news, i am not jumping for joy but it is a start, perhaps the bbc are trying to protect themselves from bigger/deeper cuts under a conservative gov...

[Lawrencetero]

Originally Posted by mad_dude

Recession means private sector executives arent getting paid as much as they did meaning the BBC can pay less to attract the same level of talent.

we have been inrecession for nearly 12 months....why has it taken so long to make this announcement - i understand that this is a sensitvie issue but still

[Lawrencetero]

Originally Posted by mossy2103

And what about contracts? I would have thought that at least some of the staff involved will be part-way through a multi-year contract agreement. In that case, it would not be feasible to cut salaries without agreement or possible legal action.

we are not talking about "talent" here are we? therefore these people should be employed on a permanent contract basis or FTC (in my expereince FTC's are not multi-year arrangements) so i dont know what you are talking about

will be part-way through a multi-year contract agreement

....?

you have created an argument which does not exist

[Elasticband]

Originally Posted by Lawrencetero

so £73 million divided out by 640 is roughly £115k each - impressive, how many commercial broadcasters have SO many "senior managers" paid over £100k?

this is ok news, i am not jumping for joy but it is a start, perhaps the bbc are trying to protect themselves from bigger/deeper cuts under a conservative gov...

No idea, you....?

[hendero]

I remain convinced most UK television stations set their corporate policy based on what they read on the DS forums.

[Do I need to add a smiley? I'm trying to save DS's digital ink where possible....]

[mikw]

Originally Posted by Lawrencetero

so £73 million divided out by 640 is roughly £115k each - impressive, how many commercial broadcasters have SO many "senior managers" paid over £100k?

.

Plenty, trust me.....

[The Phazer]

Originally Posted by Lawrencetero

so £73 million divided out by 640 is roughly £115k each - impressive, how many commercial broadcasters have SO many "senior managers" paid over £100k?

All of them.

It's worth noting that the BBC *aren't* cutting pay - they're cutting people. The pay will remain frozen with no bonuses getting paid out, and the BBC are waiting for inflation to cut them in real terms.

Cutting pay legally is virtually impossible, as a future Conservative government will no doubt find out.

Phazer

[The Phazer]

Originally Posted by Lawrencetero

we are not talking about "talent" here are we? therefore these people should be employed on a permanent contract basis or FTC (in my expereince FTC's are not multi-year arrangements) so i dont know what you are talking about

While probably correct for the most part it's near impossible to cut someone on a permanent contract's pay without being in severe risk of a successful constructive dismissal claim.

Phazer

[hendero]

Originally Posted by The Phazer

All of them.

Phazer

Every UK TV station has 640 senior managers paid an average of £115k? No wonder televisions are so expensive in this country.

[Elasticband]

Originally Posted by hendero

Every UK TV station has 640 senior managers paid an average of £115k? No wonder televisions are so expensive in this country.

Not for the first time I'm totally lost...

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by hendero

Every UK TV station has 640 senior managers paid an average of £115k? No wonder televisions are so expensive in this country.

In my book 'all of them' would mean all their senior managers regardless of amount.

BTW, the pay of tv management doesn't reflect on the cost of a television

[slow motion]

Originally Posted by hendero

I remain convinced most UK television stations set their corporate policy based on what they read on the DS forums.

[Do I need to add a smiley? I'm trying to save DS's digital ink where possible....]

You're not kidding!

It's becoming quite regular for BBC critics to post their sensible money-saving suggestions here on DigitalSpy, get them ridiculed by the more hardcore element of BBC supporters who state it could never work and that the opinions were "anti-BBC", only for those ideas to become reality and official BBC policy shortly afterwards.

We've been saying all along that these senior managers were overpaid (I won't quibble on the 25% figure) and now action is being taken.

BTW DS News now have an item on the story - BBC to cut executive pay by 25%

[mossy2103]

Originally Posted by Lawrencetero

we are not talking about "talent" here are we?

No. Clearly not.

therefore these people should be employed on a permanent contract basis or FTC (in my expereince FTC's are not multi-year arrangements) so i dont know what you are talking about

Then clearly you might have little experience (aka "knowledge") of top executive contracts within large organisations. Unless you can prove otherwise insofar as it refers to these senior BBC execs?

And I did state state that it WAS the case, I merely offered it as a possibility (also as a means of perhaps opening up the discussion), so why on earth you have to be so instantly dismissive in such a manner, I really don't know.

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by slow motion

You're not kidding!

It's becoming quite regular for BBC critics to post their sensible money-saving suggestions here on DigitalSpy, get them ridiculed by the more hardcore element of BBC supporters who state it could never work and that the opinions were "anti-BBC", only for those ideas to become reality and official BBC policy.

We've been saying all along that these senior managers were overpaid (I won't quibble on the 25% figure) and now action is being taken.

Yes well I'll ridicule those who think they take notice of internet forums when introducing pay related policies, perhaps Leeds council read one before they introduced pay cuts for its refuse and cleaning services too

[The Phazer]

Originally Posted by slow motion

You're not kidding!

It's becoming quite regular for BBC critics to post their sensible money-saving suggestions here on DigitalSpy, get them ridiculed by the more hardcore element of BBC supporters who state it could never work and that the opinions were "anti-BBC", only for those ideas to become reality and official BBC policy shortly afterwards.

This policy will be an outright ****ing disaster, that will cost the public a hundred times what it "saves" in the long run.

I don't defend everything the BBC does. This for instance is absolutely stupid.

Phazer

[slow motion]

Originally Posted by exlordlucan

Yes well I'll ridicule those who think they take notice of internet forums when introducing pay related policies, perhaps Leeds council read one before they introduced pay cuts for its refuse and cleaning services too

Why, were they being paid an average of £125,000?

Or is it yet another completely irrelevant comparison (of the libraries ilk) this time of highly-paid BBC senior managers vs. near minimum-wage council refuse workers?

I know who I'd sympathise with.

[exlordlucan]

Originally Posted by slow motion

Why, were they being paid an average of £125,000?

Or is it some completely irrelevant comparison (of the libraries ilk) this time of highly-paid BBC senior managers vs. near minimum-wage council refuse workers?

No just ridiculing the suggestion that they take note of internet forums, was that too difficult to understand?