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BBC Lord Patten

Lord Patten calls for cull of senior BBC managers

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By John Glenday, Reporter

September 23, 2013 | 2 min read

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten has called for the number of senior BBC managers to be more than halved from 2.5 per cent of the workforce today to just 1 per cent by 2015 and a move away from ‘sky high commercial rewards’.

The comments were made in the aftermath of an awkward inquisition by members of parliament over the broadcaster’s excessive executive pay and follow similar remarks made by director general, Tony Hall.

Speaking yesterday at the Prix Italia in Turin, he said: "There are still too many senior managers, around 2.5% of the workforce at the last count. I'd like to see this cut to more like 1% by 2015 at the latest to create a smaller group of people more clearly accountable for spending the licence fee.

"It has been, and will continue to be, a painful process, but it is necessary if we are to secure public confidence.

“Licence fee payers don't expect the BBC to pay sky-high commercial rewards to people who work for a public service. They do expect the BBC to deliver the highest quality programmes and services."

Separately Hall has called for a ‘bonfire of the boards’ in a bid to tackle red tape; after citing the move to launch the BBC’s first eBook, a single decision which involved no fewer than a dozen managers.

The moves follow agreement of a 2011 programme to slash management numbers from 640 to 220 by 2015.

BBC Lord Patten

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