04 Informed


Update BBC’s birthday bash


2,000 journalist jobs going. What made the announcement


Tough licence fee deal tempers 100th birthday celebrations


It wasn’t the greatest of birthday presents. As the BBC celebrates its centenary year, the corporation was told its licence fee would be frozen for two years. Tim Davie, BBC director general, said the setlement would affect “frontline output” and, when asked what might be cut, said “everything’s on the agenda”. Te corporation’s income for UK services is already 30 per cent lower in real terms than it was 10 years ago And last year it made £1bn in cuts, with more


In other TV news… ITV evening news is to double in length to become an hour-long programme from March, creating 27 jobs, the broadcaster has announced.


Some concessions were made during ITV/NUJ negotiations on its proposed Editorial Framework for regional news staff. Te framework aims to increase flexibility of roles without paying extra when members act up in more senior roles. It was agreed staff would not be forced into senior roles and


more galling was that the news was leaked to the Sunday press before being announced to Parliament and Nadine Dorries, Culture Secretary, had tweeted: “Tis licence fee announcement will be the last…Time now to discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting and selling great British content.” It was seen as a means of distraction from the Partygate stories dogging the Prime Minister and the BBC-bashing culture secretary was happy oblige. A TV licence costs £159, with the BBC


receiving £3.7bn a year to fund services such as TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer and apps. Aſter the two-year freeze, the fee will rise in line with inflation until 2027 when the broadcaster’s royal charter expires. Nadine Dorries said the freeze was to help working people hit by the rise of living – an inflation-rate licence fee rise would have cost 80 pence a month. She was unable to answer questions from Labour MP, John McDonnell, on what the BBC contributed to the creative industry


a £50,000 salary maximum was removed. ITV staff also accepted a 3 per cent pay increase aſter rejecting the management offer of 2.5 per cent.


Members at Al Jazeera are


set to ballot for action over pay aſter members’ 6 per cent pay claim was turned down following last year’s pay freeze. Members at STV initially


rejected a 3 per cent increase but agreed when management included a £500 bonus. RTÉ has commissioned Willis Tower


and the regions – he knew that every £1-worth of the BBC’s economic activity generated £2.63 in the economy; and 50 per cent of the BBC’s economic impact was outside London, compared to a sector average of 20 per cent. Michelle Stanistreet said: “Freezing the licence fee for the next two years will do enormous damage to programming and services, to employment and, ultimately, to democracy. Tose Reithian principles of informing, educating and entertaining are as important today as they have ever been. To undermine that would be an act of cultural vandalism and we hope the public rallies to support the BBC and its unarguable value to our society.” Te NUJ will now renew its campaign


to champion public service broadcasting – the threat of privatisation is hanging over Channel 4, BBC England is already in crisis aſter losing 450 journalists and, according to a poll published in Te Telegraph, two-thirds of Britons want the TV licence scrapped. Te NEC passed a motion in support of campaigning for the BBC.


Watson to carry out an analysis of the complex grading structure within the organisation. Te NUJ will highlight pay inequality and pay anomalies in specific areas as part of this process. ITN members are seeking an above-inflation pay deal following last year’s unconsolidated bonus and no across-the-board increase. Alaraby is moving its TV operation from London to Doha. Most staff are being offered a role in Doha but the union is in dispute with the company over the terms of


the voluntary redundancy package for those who cannot relocate. Journalists at BBC


Turkey’s Istanbul bureau ended a two-week strike highlighting how their pay had been robbed by rampant inflation aſter winning concessions. Te BBC agreed an annual pay raise of 32 per cent, private health insurance for their families and vouchers for their lunch and eye tests and glasses. Tey say the action will encourage colleagues to continue to fight for beter conditions.


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