The Evening Standard, so it MUST be right, reports on the BBC accounts just published. Salaries to people in the range £250k to £500k increased from 26 to 33. Salaries to people in the range £500k to £5m has fallen (J.Ross has gone). 'Talent spending' (over £300k each) was paid to 274 actors, presenters etc. The cost of performers was £212m, down by £9m (there were 53,370 of them). The Board pay was £2,015m, down from £2,143m (how DO they manage?). Director General. Mark Thompson got £779k, Chief Exec, John Smith got £898k. Employees numbered 22,899 were paid £1.022m (rose by £9m) - thats over £40k average each. So, if we need to campaign about expenditure and value for money- quote some of that to your MP etc.
'This has nothing to do with F1.' It will have if the BBC refuse to renew, bid, or cancel the contract on the basis of 'we can't afford it'
I wish I was this certain Bando. Unfortunately I fear that there is a strong likelihood of the BBC giving up on the second most popular sport on the planet. - It's just not cricket is it?
I can just hear it now - Bernie saying 'well take it or leave it - the price is £xxxm - Sky will pay £100m more'. -will he say ' oh dear you are in a mess, never mind you can have a 50% reduction'. On cricket - the money from India determines what we can do in terms of fixtures. If we do nothing the money from Arabia will determine what happens to F1. (It is already having a profound affect on footie).
