news


BBC fails to cut senior managers back enough


managers to one per cent of its workforce, according to a report by the public financial watchdog the National Audit Office.


T


The number of senior managers being paid more than £150,000 has also risen from 89 in January 2012 to 98 in March 2016. The BBC had pledged to reduce the number by 20 per cent. However, the “Managing the BBC’s Workforce” report said the corporation was offering better value for money in the way it was managing its staff overall. Separately, a report from the Public Accounts Committee was critical of Capita for its poor record on cracking down on licence fee evasion.


About three million


he BBC has not met its goal to reduce the proportion of senior


enforcement visits took place in 2015-16, but 18 per cent fewer evaders were caught. The PAC suggested that up to £291 million a year was being lost because of people not paying the £147 annual licence fee.


Séamus Dooley, NUJ acting


general secretary, said: “We certainly welcome the finding that the BBC is securing better value for money in the way it


manages its workforce and note that, despite 3,400 staff redundancies at a cost of £190 million, its output of TV and digital services has increased. This has been possible only through the hard work and commitment of BBC staff. “The BBC is very often a


soft target for critics and this report should inform public discourse on broadcasting. “Our members will be


disappointed at the slow pace of change at the top and the report confirms our worst suspicions in this regard. It also highlights public policy failures in respect of funding.” The BBC said it was no longer trying to meet the £150,000 target and believed it was more relevant to look at the number of senior managers who were paid more than £170,000.


“


to protect a source at the publisher’s annual general meeting.


T Chris Morley, NUJ


Northern and Midlands organiser, criticised the management for handing over details of a prison officer, Robert Norman, who was sent to prison


CHALLENGE OVER SOURCE PROTECTION Simon Fox, Trinity Mirror’s


”


rinity Mirror’s board was challenged about the company’s failure


for 30 months, for leaking stories to the Mirror. He said: “Newspapers have a duty to fight to protect their journalists’ sources. These stories were in the public interest and Robert Norman should not have had to go to prison. What sort of message does this send out to other whistleblowers and those informing on bad practice?”


chief executive, said they had acted on legal advice. In its accounts, Trinity


Mirror reported that revenue was down by 16 per cent year on year in the four months to 30 April. Print revenue had declined by 12 per cent, with digital growing by six per cent. But, Simon Fox and David Grigson, Trinity Mirror


chair, presented an upbeat message to shareholders at the London meeting. They said the company was enjoying robust profits, with an operating profit of plus 26 per cent, had ahealthy cash flow and had benefited from the acquisition of the Local World newspaper group. Beyond the scope of the law, page 14


Scottish title saved by community group M


uckle Toon Media, a not-for-profit community interest


company, has been given the Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser (known as the E&L)


by regional news publisher CN Group. The Scottish weekly title, which was founded 168 years ago, has a circulation of about 1,200 copies in the


town of Langholm, in the Scottish borders, and an editorial staff of two. The newspaper had been running at a loss “for some time”, according to CN Group


and a buyer has been sought since November. Muckle Toon Media was


formed by entrepreneur David Stevenson with help from European Union funding.


in brief...


CROZIER LEAVES ITV AFTER SEVEN YEARS ITV’s chief executive, Adam Crozier, is leaving at the end of this month after seven years in his role. He will pursue roles at a variety of companies. Finance director Ian Griffiths will assume a new role of chief operating officer and finance chief and run the company until Crozier’s successor takes over.


Up to £291 million a year is being lost because of people not paying the £147 annual licence fee


REVENUES AND PROFITS RISE AT ITN Broadcasting news service ITN reported an increase in revenue of eight per cent to £130 million last year. Pre-tax profits were £2.8 million, rising from £2.7 million. The cost of financing the group’s final salary pension scheme, which closed to new entrants in 2010, was flat at £4.7 million.


RAJAN FRONTS RADIO 4’S THE MEDIA SHOW Amol Rajan, the BBC’s media editor, has become the new presenter of Radio 4’s The Media Show. Former Independent editor Rajan takes over from Steve Hewlett, who died of cancer in February. Hewlett had presented the show since its launch in 2008. Rajan is also a regular host on BBC Asian Network’s The Big Debate.


AUSTIN JOINS SKY AS US CORRESPONDENT Former ITV News at Ten host Mark Austin is joining Sky News on a one-year contract as its US correspondent. Austin left ITN after 30 years at the end of last year. He spent eight years presenting ITV’s News at Ten before being moved to the channel’s 6.30pm slot.


HYMAS DEPARTS FROM SUNDAY TIMES Charles Hymas, the Sunday Times managing editor for news, has left the newspaper after 26 years. The move came shortly before Ben Preston, the paper’s new executive editor, started his role last month. Hymas told staff in an email that his time at the paper, during which he worked under former editors Andrew Neil and John Witherow, had been “both inspiring and challenging”.


theJournalist | 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28