TV
BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards (May 11) has unveiled a radical new management structure that will drive BBC Wales forward in the early years of the 21st century.
She told BBC Wales staff that the new structure would reduce management and administrative costs to release more money for programmes. It would also create a more collaborative and creative environment to ensure that BBC Wales made the best possible programmes across all its services - on radio, television and online, in Welsh and in English.
The new structure would also allow BBC Wales to grasp opportunities of getting more programmes on the BBC networks.
The changes were imperative if BBC Wales was to continue to retain and win audiences in the face of increasing competition, Menna Richards said.
The savings made would be spent exclusively on programmes made in BBC Wales and not on other parts of the BBC. "This is very good news indeed," she added.
At the top of the agenda was the retaining, recruiting and nurturing of talent. "With increasing competition, really talented people have lots more opportunities to choose from. I want them to feel that BBC Wales is the obvious place to work because it is exciting, vibrant, fun and produces great programmes."
The changes follow the announcement made by the BBC’s Director-General Greg Dyke on April 3 in which he unveiled a flatter, more inclusive structure with more leadership and less management, aimed at building "One BBC".
And in an e-mail message to all BBC staff reflecting on his first 100 days in the job, Dyke said Richards was "thinking radical thoughts about re-organising all parts of BBC Wales".
Roger Jones, the BBC’s National Governor for Wales and the Chairman of the Broadcasting Council for Wales, said: "The changes announced by Menna Richards today will enhance the value BBC Wales provides to licence payers in a highly competitive world. I fully support Menna’s vision for the future of BBC Wales."
Richards said BBC Wales currently has a loyal audience for its programmes. "But the broadcasting environment is changing at breathtaking speed - changes in technology, increasing competition, more outlets for great talent mean that we have to be quick, flexible and keep ahead of the game."
The key change will be the abolition of the split between commissioning and production. Producers will no longer have to compete against each other for airtime.
Under the new structure Richards - who took over as national Controller on February 21 - will lead a reduced eight-strong BBC Wales management board.
Chaired by the Controller, the board will consist of Head of Programmes (English), Head of Programmes (Welsh), Head of News & Current Affairs, Head of Finance & Business Affairs, Head of Personnel & Internal Communications, Head of Marketing & Communications, Head of Public Affairs.
Head of Programmes (English) will have the responsibility for determining the strategy for English-language output for BBC Wales, and line management responsibility for all television programme staff as well as for managing network strategy and independent productions.
Head of Programmes (Welsh) will have responsibility for BBC Welsh language output on S4C and will also manage independent productions for S4C via BBC Wales. This executive will also have management responsibility for Online (other than news) and for broadcast support services.
The Editors of BBC Radio Wales and BBC Choice Wales, the digital TV channel, will report to the Head of Programmes (English) while the Editor of BBC Radio Cymru will report to the Head of Programmes (Welsh). Radio production staff will report directly to their respective Editors.
Some programme departments have been reorganised to give greater clarity and focus:
Drama will incorporate Comedy
Music will include Music Entertainment
A new Factual department will be set up
A separate Arts department will be established
Education Production and Education Commissioning will be brought together to create Education & Learning.
The other programme departments, News & Current Affairs and Sport, stay as they are, as does the North (which produces programmes from centres in Bangor and Wrexham).
A number of new positions have been created as a consequence of these changes:
Head of Programmes (English)
Head of Programmes (Welsh)
Editor, Radio Wales
Editor, Radio Cymru
A new Head of Music will be appointed in recognition of BBC Wales’ status as a centre of excellence for music
New Heads will be appointed for Factual, Arts and Education & Learning
All the new posts will be advertised and will be open to competition.
Changes are also being introduced in non-programming areas. The new posts of Head of Public Affairs and Head of Marketing & Communications will be created. Internal Communications will be incorporated into an enlarged Personnel department while Finance & Business affairs will incorporate Property.
The new structure is expected to be in place by August.
She told BBC Wales staff that the new structure would reduce management and administrative costs to release more money for programmes. It would also create a more collaborative and creative environment to ensure that BBC Wales made the best possible programmes across all its services - on radio, television and online, in Welsh and in English.
The new structure would also allow BBC Wales to grasp opportunities of getting more programmes on the BBC networks.
The changes were imperative if BBC Wales was to continue to retain and win audiences in the face of increasing competition, Menna Richards said.
The savings made would be spent exclusively on programmes made in BBC Wales and not on other parts of the BBC. "This is very good news indeed," she added.
At the top of the agenda was the retaining, recruiting and nurturing of talent. "With increasing competition, really talented people have lots more opportunities to choose from. I want them to feel that BBC Wales is the obvious place to work because it is exciting, vibrant, fun and produces great programmes."
The changes follow the announcement made by the BBC’s Director-General Greg Dyke on April 3 in which he unveiled a flatter, more inclusive structure with more leadership and less management, aimed at building "One BBC".
And in an e-mail message to all BBC staff reflecting on his first 100 days in the job, Dyke said Richards was "thinking radical thoughts about re-organising all parts of BBC Wales".
Roger Jones, the BBC’s National Governor for Wales and the Chairman of the Broadcasting Council for Wales, said: "The changes announced by Menna Richards today will enhance the value BBC Wales provides to licence payers in a highly competitive world. I fully support Menna’s vision for the future of BBC Wales."
Richards said BBC Wales currently has a loyal audience for its programmes. "But the broadcasting environment is changing at breathtaking speed - changes in technology, increasing competition, more outlets for great talent mean that we have to be quick, flexible and keep ahead of the game."
The key change will be the abolition of the split between commissioning and production. Producers will no longer have to compete against each other for airtime.
Under the new structure Richards - who took over as national Controller on February 21 - will lead a reduced eight-strong BBC Wales management board.
Chaired by the Controller, the board will consist of Head of Programmes (English), Head of Programmes (Welsh), Head of News & Current Affairs, Head of Finance & Business Affairs, Head of Personnel & Internal Communications, Head of Marketing & Communications, Head of Public Affairs.
Head of Programmes (English) will have the responsibility for determining the strategy for English-language output for BBC Wales, and line management responsibility for all television programme staff as well as for managing network strategy and independent productions.
Head of Programmes (Welsh) will have responsibility for BBC Welsh language output on S4C and will also manage independent productions for S4C via BBC Wales. This executive will also have management responsibility for Online (other than news) and for broadcast support services.
The Editors of BBC Radio Wales and BBC Choice Wales, the digital TV channel, will report to the Head of Programmes (English) while the Editor of BBC Radio Cymru will report to the Head of Programmes (Welsh). Radio production staff will report directly to their respective Editors.
Some programme departments have been reorganised to give greater clarity and focus:
Drama will incorporate Comedy
Music will include Music Entertainment
A new Factual department will be set up
A separate Arts department will be established
Education Production and Education Commissioning will be brought together to create Education & Learning.
The other programme departments, News & Current Affairs and Sport, stay as they are, as does the North (which produces programmes from centres in Bangor and Wrexham).
A number of new positions have been created as a consequence of these changes:
Head of Programmes (English)
Head of Programmes (Welsh)
Editor, Radio Wales
Editor, Radio Cymru
A new Head of Music will be appointed in recognition of BBC Wales’ status as a centre of excellence for music
New Heads will be appointed for Factual, Arts and Education & Learning
All the new posts will be advertised and will be open to competition.
Changes are also being introduced in non-programming areas. The new posts of Head of Public Affairs and Head of Marketing & Communications will be created. Internal Communications will be incorporated into an enlarged Personnel department while Finance & Business affairs will incorporate Property.
The new structure is expected to be in place by August.
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