Patten v. Thompson

[scottycelt]

... would be for the rank-and-file to throw out all the bosses and set up a workers' co-operative in which bosses would be elected on double the average national wage and made accountable subject to recall within a reasonable timleine established by the workforce through a public consultation.

Sounds great, S_A ... but to set-up up any sort of business the first requirement is cash. Either the rank-and-file pool their own personal resources and invest in the business themselves or they go to a bank(s) and apply for a large loan. 'In the real world' it usually would be a mixture of the two and there would be no guarantee of convincing any bank to facilitate that loan.

As RM says, It is not the concept of the BBC Trust that is the problem but the self-serving 'jobs for the boys' culture in much of UK management in both public and private sectors. There must be very capable and competent people who would do some of these jobs for half or even a quarter of the current salaries and it should be made quite clear on hiring that BBC salaries will be not be linked to the private sector. It's a free world and if in future they suddenly want to leave for that private sector then no problem. Let them leave. There will be plenty others willing to take their place and the replacements may turn out to be even better at the job.

It is the inference that some of these people are somehow indispensable that beggars belief. Most of the truly vital staff in any business are on the shop floor. Managers can (and do) come and go without those truly essential staff (many on breadline wages) noticing or even particularly caring. That is the reality that some of these senior managers should consider before they award themselves these astronomical salaries and bonuses for, in some cases, abject failure.

All in my very humble opinion, of course ...

[Barbirollians]

Michael Grade made an interesting comment on Byford . He suggested had he not been made redundant then neither the Savile or Newsnight cock ups would have happened .

Whether that was due to his abilities or the fact that Entwhistle and Thompson appeared to have their heads in the air as DGs and not having a DDG to deal with such things was not clear.

[Serial_Apologist]

Sounds great, S_A ... but to set-up up any sort of business the first requirement is cash. Either the rank-and-file pool their own personal resources and invest in the business themselves or they go to a bank(s) and apply for a large loan. 'In the real world' it usually would be a mixture of the two and there would be no guarantee of convincing any bank to facilitate that loan.

One of my favourite films of all time: unfortunately the revolutionary implications of the scene here portrayed are not carried through in the plot, but it was daring stuff for 1950:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX3RfcSkuw8

As RM says, It is not the concept of the BBC Trust that is the problem but the self-serving 'jobs for the boys' culture in much of UK management in both public and private sectors. There must be very capable and competent people who would do some of these jobs for half or even a quarter of the current salaries and it should be made quite clear on hiring that BBC salaries will be not be linked to the private sector. It's a free world and if in future they suddenly want to leave for that private sector then no problem. Let them leave. There will be plenty others willing to take their place and the replacements may turn out to be even better at the job.

It is the inference that some of these people are somehow indispensable that beggars belief. Most of the truly vital staff in any business are on the shop floor. Managers can (and do) come and go without those truly essential staff (many on breadline wages) noticing or even particularly caring. That is the reality that some of these senior managers should consider before they award themselves these astronomical salaries and bonuses for, in some cases, abject failure.

All in my very humble opinion, of course ...

We'll make a Trot out of you yet, Scotty!

[french frank]

Michael Grade made an interesting comment on Byford . He suggested had he not been made redundant then neither the Savile or Newsnight cock ups would have happened .
Whether that was due to his abilities or the fact that Entwhistle and Thompson appeared to have their heads in the air as DGs and not having a DDG to deal with such things was not clear.

More his experience, I would think - he was a newsman through and through. But Thompson has a point in saying that abolishing the post of deputy Director-General, which Byford held, was a response to the Trust's (and indeed the government's, given the licence fee freeze) call to make huge savings in corporation costs.

[Alison]

So who won in the end ? Score draw I expect !

[french frank]

So who won in the end ? Score draw I expect !

Hodge 2 : Patten/Thompson (BBC) 0

[Alison]

Hodge 2 : Patten/Thompson (BBC) 0

[scottycelt]

Hodge 2 : Patten/Thompson (BBC) 0

I'm not sure that Hodge is an appropriate chairman/woman/person. She often goes way over-the-top in her questioning and tends to treat the committee's 'guests' like school kids.

In fact she reminds me very much of the long-deceased Miss Dow who kept shouting at me in Primary Four ... the only thing missing with Hodge is the threat of the tawse.

[Resurrection Man]

More his experience, I would think - he was a newsman through and through. But Thompson has a point in saying that abolishing the post of deputy Director-General, which Byford held, was a response to the Trust's (and indeed the government's, given the licence fee freeze) call to make huge savings in corporation costs.

Well, they could have binned that IT white elephant instead...

[ahinton]

We'll make a Trot out of you yet, Scotty!

Scotty the Trotty! Now there's a thing!

[french frank]

Well, they could have binned that IT white elephant instead...

Thompson told them it was going well and they believed him.

Actually, it sounded theoretically like a good idea - all the archival material digitised so that BBC staff would have access to anything whenever it was needed, and whichever BBC site they worked at. As it was, when Thatcher died they had to use taxis to ferry film from one part of London to another. Too big a project and not managed properly - though one member of staff was suspended to show that someone carried the can.

[french frank]

I'm not sure that Hodge is an appropriate chairman/woman/person. She often goes way over-the-top in her questioning and tends to treat the committee's 'guests' like school kids.

You're using the word 'guest' in a similar way to 'guest of Her Majesty', are you? They are required to attend not invited. They're there to be grilled. (Or roasted).

Putting Thompson, Agius, Kroll and Patten in their places was not something to be taken for granted. She said they were incompetent and she succeeded in making them look it. A less abrasive character wouldn't have managed that.

[jean]

I'm not sure that Hodge is an appropriate chairman/woman/person.

Chair will do nicely.

[amateur51]

Chair will do nicely.

Well said, jean.

[Beef Oven!]

I'm not sure that Hodge is an appropriate chairman/woman/person. She often goes way over-the-top in her questioning and tends to treat the committee's 'guests' like school kids.

In fact she reminds me very much of the long-deceased Miss Dow who kept shouting at me in Primary Four ... the only thing missing with Hodge is the threat of the tawse.

Person is the word you want.