'Delivering Quality First' (DQF) cuts

[Guest]

Radio 4 is reported to be left substantially untouched by the soon-to-be announced BBC Delivering Quality First cuts.

Russ

[teamsaint]

the mouthpiece of the establishment.

left alone while evrything else is cut to the bone, axed, or ridiculed.

all sadly predictable.
You can bet your life Radio 1 will be left alone also , as that performs the useful function of stopping a good proportion on the (often unemployed) under 25 s from actually thinking about their situation, and what that music and other content says about their lives.

[french frank]

Last year Radio 4 content cost £92.8m (total including allocated costs £112.7m). Since it's far and away the most expensive radio station, you'd have thought it could have more easily found ways to trim its expenditure: a 20% cut would yield £18.6m.

A 20% cut in R3's expenditure would yield only £7.5m and leave it with only £29.8m to run the entire station (including the Proms) for a year. Still, dropping Discovering Music and replacing it with another CD show will save a bit.

[Lateralthinking1]

I don't accept at all the implication that Radio 3 and Radio 4 should be battling. I think both should be ring fenced. Very relieved to hear that BBC Four TV is likely to be hit less hard than feared. They were talking earlier this year about taking the axe to it. Perhaps Patten is doing some good.

[french frank]

I don't accept at all the implication that Radio 3 and Radio 4 should be battling. I think both should be ring fenced. Very relieved to hear that BBC Four TV is likely to be hit less hard than feared. They were talking earlier this year about taking the axe to it. Perhaps Patten is doing some good.

Nevertheless, the controller says that viewers will notice a difference. I doubt very much whether Patten will have an effect when it comes to cultural programming.

[Russ]

Quite so, Lat. I feel any infighting here between R3/R4/BBC4 would be counterproductive in the big scheme of things. Radio station budgets are small fry compared to the big spenders, and were large slices of the projected 700m cuts to fall harshly on radio, there wouldn't be any decent radio to listen to at all.

Russ

[french frank]

Quite so, Lat. I feel any infighting here between R3/R4/BBC4 would be counterproductive in the big scheme of things.

Nevertheless, it will be inevitable if BBC Four and R3 have to make big cuts, since one has the smallest TV channel budget already and R3's budget is on the way to becoming the smallest network radio budget. Big percentage cuts can be devastating to the service while not producing much in savings.

[Lateralthinking1]

R3 has someone else's programme through the night. R4 has the World Service. R6 has repeats. Ditch R1 night time. Let it have the R6 night output. Ditch R5 night time. Let it have the R4E night output. Ditch R2 night time. Also let it have the R4E night output. Get rid of anyone on R1 and R2 who wants a salary of more than £100,000 pa. Ditto the other stations. Cut Thompson's salary to £200,00 pa. Cut other senior executives' salaries to £100,000. Ditch 33% of local stations and make them regional.

How am I doing on the radio part?

[gurnemanz]

Ditch R5 night time. Let it have the R4E night output.

What would be the rationale for a station whose name is Five Live to transmit hours of clapped-out repeats from a bygone era and from a different radio station? During occasional bouts of insomnia I find "Up All Night" to be pretty good.

It probably wouldn't save much money and I know The Archers is a holy cow but having axed all other message boards they should in the interests of fairness and equity also get rid of the Archers board which is allowed the extravagance of NINE separate sub-sections:
Discuss The Archers
Ambridge Extra
Fantasy Archers
Notes and Queries
The Bull
The Village Hall
The Bull Upstairs
The Archers Omnibus
Archers Spoilers

[Russ]

Messageboard costs are very small, although Mustardland now exists only because it is funded from the Archers programme budget.

In radio areas, I wouldn't be surprised if Asian Network, earmarked for potential closure a couple of years ago, finally gets the chop. It's the most expensive cost per listener hour (6.9p).

If I were god, my chief targets would be News 24, the many excesses of BBC Online, and most of all, BBC1. BBC1's budget is 1130m.

Russ

[french frank]

RW said the Archers boards were being retained because they were so hugely popular and used by so many people. Er, yes, and the (two) 6 Music boards have been retained because they don't cost much as nobody much uses them .

Abolishing the arm of management known as the BBC Trust would save £10m.

In radio areas, I wouldn't be surprised if Asian Network, earmarked for potential closure a couple of years ago, finally gets the chop.

I thought they had announced a reprieve?

Edit: to be confirmed.

[Lateralthinking1]

The costs of BBC transport, conferences, dinners, awaydays, economists, lawyers, advertisers......those who value the actual broadcasting need to be told.

[french frank]

The costs of BBC transport, conferences, dinners, awaydays, economists, lawyers, advertisers......those who value the actual broadcasting need to be told.

I hope they have already cut out 'hospitality', gifts and internal 'thank-you parties'.

[amateur51]

Nevertheless, the controller says that viewers will notice a difference. I doubt very much whether Patten will have an effect when it comes to cultural programming.

As a mere civilian, could I ask 'why?'? - genuine enquiry

[BetweenTheStaves]

...... Still, dropping Discovering Music and replacing it with another CD show will save a bit.

Ooh no...'Best of Your Call' would cut the mustard.