'No sacred cows' in BBC Vision budget cuts

The BBC has said that there will be "no sacred cows" during the planned cost-cutting measure at BBC Vision, according to The Guardian.

Executives at the division are aiming to achieve a budget efficiency savings of 7.5% by March 2010.

BBC director of business affairs Bal Samra told the newspaper that every channel is now under scrutiny, including the pay of the corporation's top earning talent.

Samra, who also acts as BBC Vision director of operations, said that this is a "big year" for the BBC, meaning nobody is immune from the "drive for efficiencies".

"Rather than salami slicing what we are doing is going for a higher rate of efficiency savings this year, by front loading it," he said.

"We are being sensible. It means that by the end of this financial year, 2009-2010, we will have identified around 60% of all our target savings."

Director of BBC Vision Jana Bennett pointed out that one important area of efficiency will be in creating more cross-channel programming, such as the recent poetry season run across BBC Two and BBC Four.

She also criticised the recent Digital Britain report for failing to identify how UK broadcasters can effectively compete during the recession to draw in third party investment.