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Suzanne Virdee's sudden departure from BBC Midlands (September 2004)

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TV
tvmercia Founding member
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12403041

BBC cuts 47 jobs in Birmingham and Bristol

Quote:
Forty seven posts in the BBC's factual programme department in Bristol and Birmingham are to be cut, the corporation has announced.

Producers and series producer roles, including 12 at the Natural History Unit, will be closed. In Birmingham, the BBC wants to close producer, assistant producer and researcher posts. A spokeswoman for the BBC said a total of 21 posts would be lost in Bristol and 26 in Birmingham. In Bristol, there are 213 staff working for the factual department while there are 121 in Birmingham. BBC Factual in Bristol is responsible for programmes such as DIY SOS, while Countryfile is among the shows the unit makes from Birmingham. The Natural History Unit was founded in 1957 and is responsible for programmes such as Human Planet, Planet Earth and The Blue Planet.

In an e-mail to staff, the controller of Factual, Tom Archer, said it was "serious news" and "the next few weeks will be difficult". He added the corporation was managing 5% year-on-year cuts and there was "continuing pressure" on budgets due to the pension deficit and frozen licence fee.

Helen Ryan from broadcasting union Bectu condemned the cuts, saying the staff involved delivered quality programmes for the BBC. "We are devastated that such large numbers of talented staff are in danger of redundancy," she said.
MW
Mike W
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12403041

BBC cuts 47 jobs in Birmingham and Bristol

Quote:
Forty seven posts in the BBC's factual programme department in Bristol and Birmingham are to be cut, the corporation has announced.

Producers and series producer roles, including 12 at the Natural History Unit, will be closed. In Birmingham, the BBC wants to close producer, assistant producer and researcher posts. A spokeswoman for the BBC said a total of 21 posts would be lost in Bristol and 26 in Birmingham. In Bristol, there are 213 staff working for the factual department while there are 121 in Birmingham. BBC Factual in Bristol is responsible for programmes such as DIY SOS, while Countryfile is among the shows the unit makes from Birmingham. The Natural History Unit was founded in 1957 and is responsible for programmes such as Human Planet, Planet Earth and The Blue Planet.

In an e-mail to staff, the controller of Factual, Tom Archer, said it was "serious news" and "the next few weeks will be difficult". He added the corporation was managing 5% year-on-year cuts and there was "continuing pressure" on budgets due to the pension deficit and frozen licence fee.

Helen Ryan from broadcasting union Bectu condemned the cuts, saying the staff involved delivered quality programmes for the BBC. "We are devastated that such large numbers of talented staff are in danger of redundancy," she said.


Sad state of affairs
WE
Westy2
Jo Malin's out & about this Monday as the BBC WM Valentine Bus (Yes I know Rolling Eyes ) rolls into Bilston Market.

Told a workmate as he's off, but whether he'll go down there is another matter!
WE
Westy2
Must admit I don't listen to BBC Radio Stoke on a regular basis, mainly due to dodgy FM reception, plus it's not really my local station, but in case you haven't heard the sad news :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9394000/9394157.stm

RIP Sam Plank.

(Who was he closest to in broadcasting style that I would've heard of?)
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
Not worth a thread of its own, but some subscribers to this thread might be sad to learn that John Taynton passed away a couple of days ago.

A great journo.
WE
Westy2
Not worth a thread of its own, but some subscribers to this thread might be sad to learn that John Taynton passed away a couple of days ago.

A great journo.


The original BBC Midlands Radio Late Show guy? Last I heard a mention of him, he was lecturing somewhere.

What was the cause(if that's been made public)?

Used to catch him normally on Fridays, then switchover to the 'Midnight Line' on Beacon Wabc. (Naughty Mr Perry used to refer to him as 'Old Mother Taynton' occasionally, presumbley because of the 'safeness' of the show, compared to the Midnight Line. Ironically Ian's been doing BBC Shropshire earlies for the past few years!)

When did the JT version of the show actually begin transmission? Was it 1990? He was a WM presenter before that, wasn't he, as WM originally provided studio facillities & the cover presenters.
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
He was at BRMB back in my days there in the seventies.

Most recently he was running a PR company in Devon.
WE
Westy2
He was at BRMB back in my days there in the seventies.



Quite a few came from BRMB to WM over the years, didn't they?

Doolan & Butler for starters & most recently Flupton. (You can probably name more Nick.)

Did any from the other ILRs in the area manage to graduate to local BBC?

(Think 'Linseed Oil' (Lindsey Doyle) came from Beacon didn't she & 'Keithy Boy' Middleton tended to flit between local commercial & the Beeb, depending where the work was? Oh & wasn't Boyden ex Beacon too?)
WE
Westy2
I 'had a word' with whoever does the BBC WM Facebook site & they flagged up a interview between Andrew Peach, Doolan & Mike Owen ex Brmb broadcast yesterday. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00dvktv/Andrew_Peach_13_02_2011/ (The last 10 mins or so!)

Did I hear right? He managed to bring out the BRMB newsroom on strike!

He died after a 2 year battle with cancer, they said too.
PJ
pjayem1964
Not worth a thread of its own, but some subscribers to this thread might be sad to learn that John Taynton passed away a couple of days ago.

A great journo.


Oh No, I remember John's show.

RIP to both John and Sam Plank.

Bye for now

Paula
WE
Westy2
Bit of 'finger trouble' on the 1025, during Holly Lewis's report, as the feed swopped twice to the NC output (Matt Taylor doing the weather!).
TV
tvmercia Founding member
http://news.bbc.co.uk//media/images/51298000/jpg/_51298333_newnick.jpg

surprised that there's been no mention of camilla-mania at BBC Birmingham.

nick's camilla-related joke and midlands today report (iplayer)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/ylrpg/?t=22m46s

camilla's tour of the newroom, studio and network production

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-12483926

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