BBC trims £6m from ‘talent’ salary budget
BBC cost cutting measures have seen £6m trimmed from its annual outlay on presenters and other on-air ‘talent’, bringing the cost down to £194m from £200m last year.
The figures were revealed by director general Tony Hall who admits the broadcaster has been forced on the back foot in recent months as it weathers a welter of criticism over bloated executive pay and an abortive IT project costing £100m.
Hall is expected to announce a 4 per cent increase in the organisations content budget over the next three years as a direct result of cost savings, equivalent to an extra £150 – 200m.
This has been funded by a 26 per cent real-terms cut in TV, radio and online services which it is hoped will save £800m annually by 2017, as the corporation seeks to streamline its operation in the face of flat license fee revenues.
Over the past 12 months a host of well-known figures have departed the broadcaster, Susanna Reid and Adrian Chiles amongst them, whilst the high-profile exit of Jeremy Paxman and Panorama reporter John Sweeney should provide some respite to the BBC’s battered coffers going forward.