BBC propaganda gets even cruder and dumber

[Paul Rigby]

Thank goodness Byford wasn't in it for the money.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ndant.html

BBC deputy director general made redundant and given astonishing £1m payoff

By Paul Revoir and Liz Thomas

Last updated at 9:11 PM on 11th October 2010

The BBC’s deputy director general Mark Byford has been made redundant and handed an astonishing pay-off worth almost £1million.

The second most powerful executive at the corporation will leave the organisation with a massive £3.7million pension pot, one of the biggest ever seen in the public sector.

In a shock announcement director general Mark Thompson will tomorrow tell staff that the long-serving BBC boss, who has been at the corporation for more than 30 years, will leave the broadcaster in early summer, 2011.

In apparent recognition over anger at the cost of the BBC’s bloated layers of senior management, the corporation will confirm it will axe the post of deputy director general once he has gone.

But the £475,000 a year executive will not be leaving empty handed, as well as getting a year’s salary in redundancy pay he will get up to 12 months worth of money for his notice period, meaning his exit deal is worth as much as £950,000.

Mr Byford, who joined the broadcaster in 1979, aged 20, is in line to receive a gold plated pension worth about £215,000 a year from the BBC.

His total pension pot is not quite as high as former BBC radio chief Jenny Abramsky which hit nearly £4million when she left in 2009.

But it is some way clear of that awarded to former Prime Ministers which have previously been estimated at about £1.75million.

The former BBC World Service chief has been a controversial figure in recent years mostly due to his salary. He has also come under fire for some of his expenses claims, most recently for £5,000 spent on flights to the World Cup in South Africa.

He was the man that stepped in to run the broadcaster when Greg Dyke resigned over the Hutton crisis in 2004.

The deputy director general’s departure is expected to be the first of further dramatic changes on the corporation’s 10-strong executive board, which is expected to be slashed in a bid to stop claims of excessive management pay.

It is thought likely that as part of the changes director of marketing and communications Sharon Baylay and human resources director Lucy Adams will leave the board but retain their roles.

Mr Byford, 53, will leave the executive board in March after 32 years before stepping down fully in early summer.

Friends claimed yesterday that Mr Byford had offered to fall on his sword and the decision to go was made as part of mutual discussions with the director general.

Sources close to the deputy director general say that he told Mr Thompson that his job should not be regarded as ‘sacrosanct’ and that it was ‘inconceivable’ that the BBC should not consider closing his post.

Director General Thompson knows he has to take a tough stance to rein in the pay of senior management at a time when the BBC is under massive political pressure to share the pain of the rest of the public sector cuts.

He also knows that he will face tough negotiations when discussions begin with culture secretary Jeremy Hunt next year about the next licence fee settlement.

By removing such a senior scalp and closing the position it is hoped that critics will see that the corporation is getting the message on cutting executive pay.

The announcement comes after Thompson gave the keynote speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in which he warned that the executive board would not be exempt from the 20 per cent senior management cuts across the organisation.

He said: ‘We are committed to reduce senior manager numbers by a fifth by the end of next year. That’s a minimum. If we can go further, we will – and we will look for reductions at every level in the organisation up to and including the Executive Board.’

Friends suggested that Mr Byford, who also oversees the BBC’s sports output, is disappointed that he will not be there for the Olympics.

Mr Byford’s office is to be closed down along with all its support staff meaning some other jobs may go as well. But it is understood this will also save the corporation a considerable amount of money.

BBC insiders have insisted difficult decisions have to be made. The signal that top level staff are suffering the same as everyone else at the BBC will send out a strong message to rank and file workers.

The director general will write to staff today (Tues) in an ‘affectionate’ email and say that the objectives set by Mr Byford’s work with the journalism have been met and the corporation can now close the post.

It is understood Mr Byford will tell staff he has lived his life for the BBC but agrees now is the right time to go in light of the saving that need to be made