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BBC1 controller to resign

(October 2007)

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BR
Brekkie
It's really a poisoned challice at the moment though. I think even for those who'd consider it the dream job it's wise to pass on it now and let somebody else come in and sort out the mess.
TV
tvarksouthwest
Erm...how do you work that one out? BBC1 has just been named Channel Of The Year, the channel is in great shape generally, so why would anyone not want to take that on?
BR
Brekkie
tvarksouthwest posted:
Erm...how do you work that one out? BBC1 has just been named Channel Of The Year, the channel is in great shape generally, so why would anyone not want to take that on?



You're just forgetting about the six months of scandals then which ultimately forced out the last controller!
TV
tvarksouthwest
The current scandals are an industry-wide problem, though admittedly the BBC has had to bear a large chunk of it. It's time everyone started to move forward, though with taped results shows and more I can't see that happening any time soon...
BR
Brekkie
tvarksouthwest posted:
The current scandals are an industry-wide problem, though admittedly the BBC has had to bear a large chunk of it. It's time everyone started to move forward, though with taped results shows and more I can't see that happening any time soon...



I'm sure most viewers and most people in the industry agree - but as you say it's not going to happen with the delightful British press watching their every move.


Any controller would want to be able to focus on their job - which I assume revolves around commissioning, scheduling and producing programmes - rather than the crap Peter Fincham has had to deal with in the last few months.


I hear Stephen Lambert is free now - though even now Peter Fincham has been forced out the BBC's director general seems more interested in blaming it all on RDF! Laughing


Also, the BBC banning the commissioning of all programmes from RDF - for however long it lasts - is pathetic, especially considering the mistakes the BBC (and others of course) have made in the last 12 months. If the BBC used their own logic the company would have been shut down!


And as for ITV - they just jumped on the bandwagon because they want to commission more stuff in house, which surely must break some competition laws somewhere!
TV
tvarksouthwest
Brekkie Boy posted:
And as for ITV - they just jumped on the bandwagon because they want to commission more stuff in house, which surely must break some competition laws somewhere!

Stuff competition laws - if someone had the brains to suggest all ITV franchise applicants in 1991 had to be producer-broadcasters the network might be in better shape.

If I was culture secretary I would remove the outsourcing requirements for the BBC and ITV.
PA
Paul02
tvarksouthwest posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
And as for ITV - they just jumped on the bandwagon because they want to commission more stuff in house, which surely must break some competition laws somewhere!

Stuff competition laws - if someone had the brains to suggest all ITV franchise applicants in 1991 had to be producer-broadcasters the network might be in better shape.

If I was culture secretary I would remove the outsourcing requirements for the BBC and ITV.


Agreed.
TV
tvarksouthwest
I'm in two minds as to whether or not your agreement is genuine, Paul02, but if it is I apologise for doubting you.

Whichever way you look at it, Peter Fincham lost his job because of outsourcing. Because the BBC devolved too much editorial responsibility to RDF, and Red Bee Media also had their part to play. How many people other than us would have known who Red Bee were when they were mentioned in the news reports?
PA
Paul02
tvarksouthwest posted:
I'm in two minds as to whether or not your agreement is genuine, Paul02, but if it is I apologise for doubting you.

Whichever way you look at it, Peter Fincham lost his job because of outsourcing. Because the BBC devolved too much editorial responsibility to RDF, and Red Bee Media also had their part to play. How many people other than us would have known who Red Bee were when they were mentioned in the news reports?


Genuine.

BBC programmes should be just that- no independent companies involved at all. Programmes should stand on their own, but with a pervading sense of BBC-ness (subject for discussion). Then we can forget this branding nonsense.

Simpler systems are easier to monitor, give managers a sense of reassurance and actually allow programme makers greater creative freedom (within guidelines).
WE
Westy2
Brekkie Boy posted:

And as for ITV - they just jumped on the bandwagon because they want to commission more stuff in house, which surely must break some competition laws somewhere!


Do you mean back to the 'good old days', where each ITV company was responsible for it's own programmes, instead of 'outsourcing' to an independent?
JR
jrothwell97
I haven't posted in this thread, so I think I'd better give my input.

I don't think Peter Fincham should have resigned - while by no means the best controller BBC1's ever had, he's certainly logarithmically better than Ms Heggessey. In the end, these scandals were the fault of RDF and Red Bee. As for phone-in scandals, these are the fault of the people who operated them (such as that idiot who asked a visitor to act as a winner for the Blue Peter phone-in.

I don't believe any blame can be rested on Mr Fincham at all.

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