Inquiry could include job cuts to division with staff of nearly 500

The BBC is reviewing the size of its marketing operation across its TV, radio and digital services, in a move that is likely to include job cuts.
The corporation said today its marketing, communications and audiences (MC&A) department had 496 staff, which compares with about 480 when former Pepsi marketer Tim Davie arrived as head of MC&A in 2005. That year about 120 staff were cut from the division as part of BBC-wide job cuts.
The BBC would not comment on whether job cuts were on the cards in the marketing review.
The review, which is expected to take up to 20 weeks, is headed by the current director of MC&A, Sharon Baylay. She is being supported by an advisory panel that includes the BBC1 controller, Jay Hunt, and the Radio 1 controller, Andy Parfitt.
The review is part of the strategic review ordered by the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, which could result in major changes to the size and shape of the corporation.
Last month the department's place in BBC bureaucracy was brought up by author PD James when she grilled Thompson on the Today programme.
James said: "You have a director of marketing, communications and audiences who gets over £300,000, then there is a director of communications. Well, I thought that's what the previous director was doing, and he gets £225,000. One wonders what actually is going on here?"
In response Thompson admitted bureaucracy was a "real issue" at the BBC, saying it was "a many-headed hydra".
"You cut off one head and two more appear," he added. "So let's be honest about the fact it's a real issue. One of the things we are looking at is whether we can simply make a fully accountable commitment to how much of the licence fee we actually spend on content."
The BBC said today that Baylay would investigate the marketing requirements of the BBC and "ensure that it continues to deliver successful and award-winning campaigns that support the BBC's core purposes and serve it audiences".
"This is an opportune moment to review how and what marketing delivers to the BBC and its audience," said Baylay, who joined the BBC from Microsoft in February last year. Earlier this month the BBC launched a review of its £20m advertising account, as part of a statutory process, which is also being run by Baylay.
The BBC's director of communications, Ed Williams, completed a review of the PR operation, which has a staff of about 160, last year.


By Mark Sweeny

Source:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/19/bbc-marketing-review