All depends what your contracts say. Usually will stipulate hour and days worked.

Cant see many signing up for 14 hour days willingly or knowingly, so seems like some creative interpretation of contracts is going on. Something a lot of firms are try on these days.

Sadly 12-14 hour days seem the norm these days in OBs :( There is a dispute about to rise as to what exactly constitutes a 'consultation' on working conditions. I don't think it will end well

The Beeb spreads itself too think imho. 7 national radio stations, zillions of local ones and 5 network TV channels, to say nothing of the many regional TV facilities. I am only counting England in these figures too. Plus things like the iplayer, teletext and a huge amount of original programming add too the cost. Oh and then there are the many world class orchestras and such like. The result is in Manchester at least, they are leaving the bespoke city center broadcast facility and moving to a sort of timeshare office block with semi professional studios and semi skilled staff (they are a lot cheaper than the real pros). Sad times for everyone, you would think there was a global problem or something?

Plus when you look at the cost of modern technology it sometimes beggars belief. Just one 3D camera costs £500,000

To what end? A multitude of shiney buildings, expensive tech and no guys to operate it?

Expanding your spend to meet the demands of tech and content is easy in a boom, not so easy when people look at ever last penny. The BBC has lost it's way IMHO. There will be plenty more losses along the way. F1 is tip of the iceberg stuff.

The government has set up a petitions website. Here is the one for Free-to-Air F1.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/57

I'm not sure that BBC sport live o nthe same planet as the rest of us. Examples:-

1) Controller claims that we will get "120 hours of MotoGP coverage this year". We might get 120 hours of motorcycle racing coverage if we include "red button" Moto2 and 125GP races, and practice sessions.

2) Exactly what do the 2 ex athletes add to their athletics coverage? When I watch athletics I want to see people running, jumping or throwing stuff, not standing around and talking!

3) Darts - Exactly how is this a sport?

3) Darts - Exactly how is this a sport?

According to a previous controller "if a dog can't do it, it's a sport".

According to a previous controller "if a dog can't do it, it's a sport".

By that definition, running and jumping aren't sports; neither is dog-sled racing or soccer. OTOH, it would also mean that horse racing isn't!

The petitions link doesn't work...it's crashed. There's probably a joke there somewhere too.

The petitions link doesn't work...it's crashed. There's probably a joke there somewhere too.

Just tried it and it works for me.

Signed

Many good points on this thread to which I can't really add. This is just another way in which we the British public are being stiffed by corporations.

The funniest thing I've read in the aftermath of this debacle was "I think I'll pay half my licence fee, lets se how you like it BBC"

Signed

Many good points on this thread to which I can't really add. This is just another way in which we the British public are being stiffed by corporations.

The funniest thing I've read in the aftermath of this debacle was "I think I'll pay half my licence fee, lets se how you like it BBC"

As much as half?

To what end? A multitude of shiney buildings, expensive tech and no guys to operate it?

Expanding your spend to meet the demands of tech and content is easy in a boom, not so easy when people look at ever last penny. The BBC has lost it's way IMHO. There will be plenty more losses along the way. F1 is tip of the iceberg stuff.

The new Salford building is a big step backwards in what you actually need in a professional studio. Proper studios start with am isolated floor, Salford appears to be a big office with a concrete floor :(

Two studios have already had a partial refit before even making programmes as they were not fit for purpose. Thats the trouble with not owning your own facilities and letting a shopping mall consortium own the sodding thing :( TV in this country is sliding down a slippery slope at the moment

Here is an update that might interest some of you and even make a few of you breath a sigh of relief (although it might be easier to get blood from a stone ) Anyhoo I started a fresh thread about it before remembering that there are a lot of people subscribed to this on that might like the news.

Linky