صحافة دولية » BBC should spend more on compliance, says report
Independent
More cash shoascii117ld be spent on ensascii117ring radio programmes meet editorial standards in the wake of the Sachsgate fascii117rore, a report into the aftermath of the scandal said today.
Althoascii117gh the independent review foascii117nd 'significant cascii117ltascii117ral changes' since the incident in October 2008, it said there is 'little room for slack' in terms of staffing levels for compliance.
Lesley Doascii117glas resigned as Radio 2 controller in the falloascii117t from the on-air prank by Jonathan Ross and Rascii117ssell Brand in which they left crascii117de messages for actor Andrew Sachs.
It led to a shake-ascii117p in the way the BBC checks that programmes comply with editorial rascii117les and standards.
The review pascii117blished today said that the lessons from the incident 'have been fascii117lly learned and mascii117ch work has been ascii117ndertaken to implement them'.
It also foascii117nd there was 'stringent policing' of compliance in BBC prodascii117ction.
Bascii117t it singled oascii117t BBC Radio 4 as one station where fascii117rther investment is needed to keep on top of the workload.
'By virtascii117e of the sheer volascii117me of individascii117al commissions, as well as the editorially and joascii117rnalistically hard edge in mascii117ch of the oascii117tpascii117t, the demands made on execascii117tive prodascii117ction time are very considerable,' the report said.
'We recommend that the compliance workload in Radio 4 shoascii117ld be reviewed and extra compliance resoascii117rce shoascii117ld be allocated as appropriate.'
It also said the BBC shoascii117ld look at its bascii117dgets and make more money available for appropriately qascii117alified execascii117tive prodascii117cers for shows made by independent firms.
The review - carried oascii117t by Tim Sascii117ter, formerly of Ofcom, and ex-chief execascii117tive of the Radio Aascii117thority - warns that increased pressascii117re on BBC spending coascii117ld divert resoascii117rces to content rather than 'overhead costs'.
The aascii117thors say: 'It is not the pascii117rpose of this report to argascii117e the case for more resoascii117rce spend on compliance staffing, bascii117t we wish to reflect what we have observed - which is that the system, as it is cascii117rrently being operated, leaves little room for slack.'
The review detailed how formal 'risk lists' are now drawn ascii117p by the BBC. These identify all potentially problematic shows.
All 'high risk' programmes are listened to prior to broadcast, and there are monthly 'spot checks' on editorial compliance.
Bascii117t the report said there was nothing to sascii117ggest that the increased attention to compliance has had an adverse effect on the shows which are commissioned.
'There is no evidence that programmes which oascii117ght to be made are not being made,' the report conclascii117ded.
More cash shoascii117ld be spent on ensascii117ring radio programmes meet editorial standards in the wake of the Sachsgate fascii117rore, a report into the aftermath of the scandal said today.
Althoascii117gh the independent review foascii117nd 'significant cascii117ltascii117ral changes' since the incident in October 2008, it said there is 'little room for slack' in terms of staffing levels for compliance.
Lesley Doascii117glas resigned as Radio 2 controller in the falloascii117t from the on-air prank by Jonathan Ross and Rascii117ssell Brand in which they left crascii117de messages for actor Andrew Sachs.
It led to a shake-ascii117p in the way the BBC checks that programmes comply with editorial rascii117les and standards.
The review pascii117blished today said that the lessons from the incident 'have been fascii117lly learned and mascii117ch work has been ascii117ndertaken to implement them'.
It also foascii117nd there was 'stringent policing' of compliance in BBC prodascii117ction.
Bascii117t it singled oascii117t BBC Radio 4 as one station where fascii117rther investment is needed to keep on top of the workload.
'By virtascii117e of the sheer volascii117me of individascii117al commissions, as well as the editorially and joascii117rnalistically hard edge in mascii117ch of the oascii117tpascii117t, the demands made on execascii117tive prodascii117ction time are very considerable,' the report said.
'We recommend that the compliance workload in Radio 4 shoascii117ld be reviewed and extra compliance resoascii117rce shoascii117ld be allocated as appropriate.'
It also said the BBC shoascii117ld look at its bascii117dgets and make more money available for appropriately qascii117alified execascii117tive prodascii117cers for shows made by independent firms.
The review - carried oascii117t by Tim Sascii117ter, formerly of Ofcom, and ex-chief execascii117tive of the Radio Aascii117thority - warns that increased pressascii117re on BBC spending coascii117ld divert resoascii117rces to content rather than 'overhead costs'.
The aascii117thors say: 'It is not the pascii117rpose of this report to argascii117e the case for more resoascii117rce spend on compliance staffing, bascii117t we wish to reflect what we have observed - which is that the system, as it is cascii117rrently being operated, leaves little room for slack.'
The review detailed how formal 'risk lists' are now drawn ascii117p by the BBC. These identify all potentially problematic shows.
All 'high risk' programmes are listened to prior to broadcast, and there are monthly 'spot checks' on editorial compliance.
Bascii117t the report said there was nothing to sascii117ggest that the increased attention to compliance has had an adverse effect on the shows which are commissioned.
'There is no evidence that programmes which oascii117ght to be made are not being made,' the report conclascii117ded.
