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BBC to abandon Wimbledon and Formula1? (Read 4564 times)
Mikej
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BBC to abandon Wimbledon and Formula1?
Mar 12th, 2011, 10:05pm
 
From today's Guardian

BBC bosses have identified abandoning coverage of Formula One and Wimbledon as one way of saving money to help the broadcaster contend with the frozen licence fee settlement imposed last autumn.

Senior managers drawing up cost-saving options have alighted on the £40m-a-year motor racing deal and the long-running tennis coverage as ways in which the BBC could help achieve a £600m annual saving targeted for 2014.

Formula One, although helped by the popularity of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, is not peak-time programming, and as a result is viewed as a relatively expensive part of the sports schedule. Having been on ITV as recently as 2008, the sport is not seen as a mainstay of the BBC calendar.

Dropping Wimbledon, seen as a quintessentially BBC event, is also under consideration, although that would be a controversial move. The BBC has broadcast the event since 1937, and the close relationship between the All England Club and the broadcaster means the exact cost of the rights is barely known outside a handful of people.

"Wimbledon costs tens of millions, and is a very expensive contract, and costly to cover. No one is saying, definitely exit, but it is being looked at. Or perhaps, goes the thinking, this is a contract that could be shared with another broadcaster," said one well-placed BBC insider.

However, it would not be easy for the BBC to make a quick move to drop either sport, as both contracts run until 2014. Overall, the BBC spends about £300m a year on sport, although costs vary significantly if there is a major event – in particular the Olympics or the World Cup.

With the broadcaster under pressure to cut 20% from its budgets by 2014, sport will need to save an estimated £60m. However, it is understood that the BBC would strive to protect football coverage, because of its appeal and the peak-time programming it provides, even though the cost of football presenters – such as Gary Lineker, who earns somewhere over £1m a year – is high.

The survey of the sports department was touched on by the incoming BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, when he was vetted by the culture, media and sport select parliamentary committee on Wednesday. He warned "all hell will break loose" when decisions are unveiled.

Late on Thursday it emerged that the BBC was also looking at cutting huge swaths of programming from its 40 local radio stations. Only the breakfast and drivetime shows would be retained, with the rest of the output replaced by content from rolling news and sport station BBC Radio 5 Live.

The BBC's English regions controller, David Holdsworth, said on Friday that no decisions had been taken but warned staff to be realistic about what sort of service the corporation could provide in the wake of the impending budget cuts. "The BBC is going through a fundamental assessment of what it needs to do to maintain quality, audience trust and fulfil our purposes but with significantly less money," he said in an email to all local radio staff.

The BBC may also make savings by cutting back regional network television made specifically for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and English regions, particularly on BBC2. One programme thought to be at risk is the Scottish soap River City, which has not found an audience outside Scotland.

Cuts to regional programming would be controversial away from London, particularly as ITV has reduced its spending.

A BBC spokesman said: "We are looking at a range of ideas and it would be wrong to comment on what is speculation."


From http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/11/wimbledon-formula-one-bbc-cuts
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Howard G
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Re: BBC to abandon Wimbledon and Formula1?
Reply #1 - Mar 13th, 2011, 6:41am
 
Why not keep Wimbledon and get rid of hours of boring football

As much as I like F1 not much happens after the first corner at the start. Why does the Beeb not just bid to show the first minute. That can't be too expensive Cheesy
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« Last Edit: Mar 13th, 2011, 8:47am by Howard G »  
 
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Howard G
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Re: BBC to abandon Wimbledon and Formula1?
Reply #2 - Mar 13th, 2011, 8:29am
 
A comment from an ex colleugue of mine in GNS

" I know, why not stop transmitting programmes altogether and just spend the money on managers who could spend all day in meetings with each other. Cheesy
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Dickie Mint
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Re: BBC to abandon Wimbledon and Formula1?
Reply #3 - Mar 13th, 2011, 11:05am
 
Drastic way to stop complaints about sport disrupting BBC1 programmes!!  And, as a non sports fan, anything that gets it off is good.

I would have thought a better way to go would be to abandon BBC3, BBC4, CBBC & CBeebies as such and merge them.  3/4 and CBBC/CBeebies

The released 24 Hour channel could then be restructured as BBC Sport.  After all with everyone on digital by 2012 (and changes never usually get done for many months!) the need to disrupt BBC1 will have gone.

What really needs to be done is to force the government to take back World Service (it advertises the UK) and S4C.

Richard
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Regards,
Richard
 
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