Re: [Swprograms] Director General Mark Thompson to outline BBC strategy

["Rob de Santos" <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx>]

I share John's conclusion but would observe that all 3 major parties in Britain
have been critical of BBC spending so I don't think we can put this down to just
a need to butter up Rupert Murdoch.  I think the undercurrent here is that with
the large budget deficits and long term debt facing most Western countries, the
UK included, there is a sense among the politicians that they need to be seen to
be doing something to guard the expenditure of tax dollars.  With an election
looming within a few weeks to a month or so, the BBC is an easy target among UK
politicians.  

The cuts suggested aren't based on any logical analysis of cost or savings but
more about where the easy targets are.  The Guardian article pointed out by Rich
seems a pretty thorough analysis.  

--
-Rob de Santos

-----Original Message-----
From: jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 10:16 AM
To: Shortwave programming discussion
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] Director General Mark Thompson to outline BBC strategy

Yes, this is all domestic.

Early indications are elimination of BBC Radio 6 Music--an alternative, indie
music service--and BBC Asian Network primarily for the South Asian audience
resident in Britain.  Plus one third of the budget for the BBC website by 2013.

I don't get targeting the radio services because they are dirt cheap to operate
in comparison to tv and the web.  Furthermore, dropping special programming
seems anathema to one of the prime objectives of the BBC charter--finding
underserved audiences and serving them.  Lopping off one of the BBC tv channels
and ending the practive of programming reality tv trash would save far more.

So this is about politics and optics.  Someone feels the need to assuage Murdoch
(why, I can't figure...what is he, 80 years old?) by appearing to hobble public
broadcasting in Britain.  But the message back is garbled.  BBC management
appears to be working to retain all the lowest common denominator
commercial-type fare (where Murdoch at least has a valid point) while throwing
out some of the stuff that a public service mandate would most appear to
support.  By saying that the savings realized will be redirected to producing
"quality fare", the corporation seems to be trying to have its cake and eat it
too.  Not at all surprising, but pretty transparent all the same.

John Figliozzi

---- Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> Nothing I have seen indicates that the World Service, Radio 4, or BBC
> World News -- the services typically of greatest interest to shortwave
> enthusiasts due to their content -- are being cut as part of this
> effort.
> 
> The World Service (and, I believe, BBC World News -- the TV service)
> is funded separately from the rest of the BBC, which shields it from
> domestic initiatives but exposes it to the agenda of the British
> Foreign Office.
> 
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA
> 
> On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 2:55 AM, John Sullivan <xploreusa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > Director General Mark Thompson to outline BBC strategy
> >
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