Wogan criticises BBC building projects
Friday, December 17 2010,
Veteran broadcaster Terry Wogan has called on the BBC to slim down and stop spending so much money on new building projects.
Speaking yesterday to Richard Bacon on his Radio 5 Live show, Wogan claimed that the BBC is rapidly becoming the "British Building Corporation". He also said that there are too many services operated by the corporation that should be axed.
"The problem with the BBC frankly is it's got too big. It's got a bit unwieldy, there are far too many people employed to keep this big machine going. It might be better if there was a bit of slimming down," Wogan said.
"If you look at the money that has been spent on buildings, for instance the building work that's going on at the top of Regent Street [at Broadcasting House] and the work that's going on in Salford [Quays at BBC North].
"I don't know if it's a mistake or not. It seems as if it's the British Building Corporation rather than broadcasting. It is the greatest broadcaster the world has ever seen, it cannot lose sight of the fact it's supposed to be making programmes, and that's where the money should go."
In February, the National Audit Office criticised the BBC for its management of three major building projects, including the over-budget Broadcasting House redevelopment. In total, all three projects are costing licence fee payers £2 billion and the NAO said that the BBC is "not well placed to demonstrate value for money" on that investment.
The BBC is currently attempting to make around £330 million of cost savings as it comes to terms with a 16% cut in its budget under the new licence fee settlement.
Wogan said that it was "inevitable" that the BBC was going to expand, but the organisation has now "outgrown its strength". However, he stressed that there should never be a day when the principle of a licence fee-funded BBC is abandoned.
"I don't ever want this country to abandon the principle of the BBC, of a licence fee, because as [former BBC chairman] Michael Grade said years ago, it's the BBC that keeps everybody else straight," he said.
"If the BBC ever abandons the idea of the BBC it'll be a very sad day. It would be terrible. I do want the BBC as the greatest broadcaster of its time to continue. I wouldn't like to see it being dismantled or take away part of the licence fee to support some other broadcaster. Let's try and keep the BBC."
Friday, December 17 2010,
Veteran broadcaster Terry Wogan has called on the BBC to slim down and stop spending so much money on new building projects.
Speaking yesterday to Richard Bacon on his Radio 5 Live show, Wogan claimed that the BBC is rapidly becoming the "British Building Corporation". He also said that there are too many services operated by the corporation that should be axed.
"The problem with the BBC frankly is it's got too big. It's got a bit unwieldy, there are far too many people employed to keep this big machine going. It might be better if there was a bit of slimming down," Wogan said.
"If you look at the money that has been spent on buildings, for instance the building work that's going on at the top of Regent Street [at Broadcasting House] and the work that's going on in Salford [Quays at BBC North].
"I don't know if it's a mistake or not. It seems as if it's the British Building Corporation rather than broadcasting. It is the greatest broadcaster the world has ever seen, it cannot lose sight of the fact it's supposed to be making programmes, and that's where the money should go."
In February, the National Audit Office criticised the BBC for its management of three major building projects, including the over-budget Broadcasting House redevelopment. In total, all three projects are costing licence fee payers £2 billion and the NAO said that the BBC is "not well placed to demonstrate value for money" on that investment.
The BBC is currently attempting to make around £330 million of cost savings as it comes to terms with a 16% cut in its budget under the new licence fee settlement.
Wogan said that it was "inevitable" that the BBC was going to expand, but the organisation has now "outgrown its strength". However, he stressed that there should never be a day when the principle of a licence fee-funded BBC is abandoned.
"I don't ever want this country to abandon the principle of the BBC, of a licence fee, because as [former BBC chairman] Michael Grade said years ago, it's the BBC that keeps everybody else straight," he said.
"If the BBC ever abandons the idea of the BBC it'll be a very sad day. It would be terrible. I do want the BBC as the greatest broadcaster of its time to continue. I wouldn't like to see it being dismantled or take away part of the licence fee to support some other broadcaster. Let's try and keep the BBC."