Subject to the BBC Trust (and whether IT survives), BBC Radio has "unveiled plans to increase competition for BBC Radio commissions, as part of the BBC’s Compete or Compare strategy."

According to "Radio Today" here, the BBC is proposing to open up about 60% of 'eligible network hours' to competition. This is for all network radio services.

BBC Radio currently operates a 10% independent quota.

The announcement was made by BBC Radio's director Helen Boaden at the AGM of "The Radio Independents Group".

"The Guardian" headlines "27,000 hours of programming on stations such as Radio 1, Radio 4 and5 Live will be opened up to competition in the next six years", and says that initially the costs would be higher before delivering savings.

Really disappointed in Tony Hall. I know he's got an eye on the Charter review, but what's the point in having an outside entity bidding for that much of Radio's output? Why not keep 75% of the talent 'inside' the organisation, using its facilities properly - that still leaves the Independents with their 25% to come up with ideas for programmes which the internal production departments don't compete on. Most of those independents still want to use BBC studios anyway (whilst they still exist).

Soon we'll have a fat controller [Helen Boaden] who's in charge of Commissioning staff only (and still doubtless being paid a veritable fortune "for the responsibility, my dear") and a radio station or two which will have next to no-one listening to it - and yet the BBC will still get hammered for putting out stuff no-one wants to listen to!
Makes my blood boil to see the stupidity of it all.

Helen Boaden made a balls-up of News, and now she's set out to screw Radio over as well. Bah!!
[Exit Meldrew-mode!]