Dyke Unveils New Structure For “One BBC”

Greg Dyke today unveiled plans to create “One BBC” in a revamp which saw a whole layer of management disappear and gave a boost of over £1 billion to programme makers. In the most radical gesture since taking over as director-general of the corporation earlier this year (see Dyke To Take Control Of BBC Two Months Early) Dyke has slashed administration costs to create a more streamlined BBC.

He told his staff today that his aim in the next five years is to reduce the amount of money currently spent on running the BBC from 24% of its total income to 15%. This cut in admin costs will see several hundred middle management jobs go in order to free up an additional £200 million a year to be spent on programmes.

Announcing the changes Dyke said: “As a result of the review we have taken out a complete level of management in the new structure. It’s flatter, inclusive, and will result in more collaboration and less internal competition; more leadership and less management.”

Dyke will lead a new executive committee of 17 directors, nine of whom will be broadcasting and programming heads, compared to four in the existing executive, and will push the emphasis of managerial positions towards programming.

“Cutting duplication across the BBC should make us more agile and more flexible, giving us money to put into the heart of the BBC – the programmes.” Dyke said.

Savings for this coming year would amount to £100 million to be spent on creating new drama programmes and to feed its film unit. Dyke confirmed that he would not spend the money on trying to win Premier League rights (see BBC Unlikely To Bid For Premier League Rights, Says Dyke), but would consider the introduction of a sports channel.

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