A review into workplace culture within the BBC, led by management consultant Grahame Russell, following the Huw Edwards scandal was published in full at midday. It found the BBC does not have a “toxic” workplace culture and that “the majority of people who work for the BBC are proud to do so and describe loving their job”. Though it has said that the BBC must take “quicker action” when staff step out of line…
After hearing from around 2,500 employees and freelancers, the review found that “a small number of individuals are said to behave unacceptably, and their behaviour has not always been addressed.” It gives some handy recommendations:
BBC Director-General Tim Davie said: “This report represents an important moment for the BBC and the wider industry. It provides clear, practical recommendations that we are committed to implementing at pace. I’m grateful to everyone who took part and contributed.” The BBC has now said they will take ‘immediate’ action including:
The BBC also said it will “expand HR support with additional resources and capacity” in the coming months. The £582,000 splashed on just three HR directors not going far enough then…
Read the review in full below:
While Labour continues to gaslight the public with talk of a ‘bonfire of the quangos,’ despite abolishing just two while setting up a staggering 28 new bodies since coming into office, latest figures from the TaxPayers’ Alliance blows the lid off the quangocracy. In 2023-2024, a jaw-dropping 1,472 quango staff trousered over £100,000 in total remuneration last year, with 315 pocketing more than the Prime Minister’s salary (£166,786). Top of the list was Homes England, with a whopping 111 staff on six-figure sums…
The BBC, which just hiked the licence fee to £174.50, had the second highest number of staff on a salary higher than Starmer – a staggering 89 employees eclipsed the PM’s paycheque. Leading the gravy train was Tom Fussell, BBC Commercial’s head honcho, raking in £774,000 total remuneration. Meanwhile, the BBC’s Diversity and Inclusion director Chinny Okolidoh cashed in £222,500 for her efforts. Three HR directors hoovered up a combined £582,500 salary between them. Embarrassing news for the HR team on the same day the review into the Huw Edwards scandal is published…
The BBC has today sent an round robin email to members of a staff network:
“A message from Alice Macandrew (BBC Pride Executive Sponsor) and Simone Marquis (Chief Talent and Inclusion Officer)
Dear all,
We recognise that the last few days have been difficult for many of you. Like many other organisations, the BBC is waiting to see the updated Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice in order to understand the Supreme Court ruling more fully and any legal implications to our policies and practices.
We want to be really clear that in no circumstances will we accept this ruling being used as a mechanic to create an environment of hostility towards our trans and non-binary colleagues. We are committed to ensuring that everyone at the BBC feels safe and accepted when they come to work – and that we engender a culture of belonging. This means all of us of us working together.
For that reason, we’re keen to create a space to hear from our trans and non- binary colleagues on what more we can do to create an environment where the community feels valued, safe and respected. We would like to invite trans and non-binary colleagues to a dedicated In-Person Listening session.
It will be a great opportunity for us to meet you and for you to share how you are feeling, to help us understand what some of your challenges are and discuss your thoughts about what practical steps we could take to create an inclusive environment. Alice will host as the ExCo Sponsor while Rhodri Evans from the D&l team will be present to help facilitate the session alongside Anna Shackleton the HR Director for BBC Pride, and Matt the co-chair of BBC Pride We’ve arranged two sessions, one in London and one in Salford.”
The BBC confirms to Guido this is internal email – “a staff network message to their members, not a corporate central message from the BBC.” Talk about impartial reporting…
A BBC building in Belfast has been forced into lockdown this morning after around 20 pro-Palestine protesters broke into the studio. The usual shouts of “Free Palestine” and Palestinian flag-waving surrounded the broadcaster’s building…
One staff member said the protesters posed as tourists, and when were refused entry stormed through a pedestrian gate. The Police Service of Northern Ireland have since removed the protesters. The BBC’s Gaza documentary didn’t do much to keep them on side then…
The head honcho BBC football pundit who unleashed regular attacks on the Tories such as slamming Suella Braverman’s migration policies as “immeasurably cruel” has given an exit interview (to the BBC) after quitting Match of the Day. Gary Lineker didn’t exactly row back from his activism, doubling down saying he was right to make political interventions despite his high-profile non-political taxpayer-funded job:
“I don’t regret saying them publicly, because I was right – what I said, it was accurate – so not at all in that sense. Would I, in hindsight, do it again? No I wouldn’t, because of all the nonsense that came with it… It was a ridiculous overreaction that was just a reply to someone that was being very rude. And I wasn’t particularly rude back.”
He also argued that the BBC’s debunked ‘Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone’ documentary should be reinstated to BBC iPlayer:
“I think you let people make their own minds up. We’re adults. We’re allowed to see things like that. It’s incredibly moving… I think [the BBC] just capitulated to lobbying that they get a lot.”
Co-conspirators don’t need to worry about Lineker’s trajectory now he’s quit: he didn’t leave the BBC before finalising a cushy deal for his own podcasts, which have “been picked up by BBC Sounds as part of a deal with the corporation.” He remains captain of team woke’s first eleven…
Ex-Today Programme presenter Mishal Husain has given her first interview since leaving the BBC for Bloomberg. Vogue had the pleasure…
Husain says she has “a new sense of public service journalism now” and was probed on her fellow Today presenters Rajan and Barnett. She went on the attack without naming names:
‘“It has never been part of what I do,” she says of the general creep towards personality-driven media, “but I think, in a way, the last few months have taught me there’s an aspect I can embrace and that is personality-focused journalism doesn’t have to be bombastic. It doesn’t have to be about the presenters centring themselves. Hopefully, if they’re a personality with journalistic integrity, journalistic values, then they can be a conduit to the news for people.”’
She went on about her lack of ego: “What was true to me was that I would very rarely use the word ‘I’, actually, on air. I would quite often say, ‘We’ve talked to so and so,’ because you’re always part of a team. From the booking of guests, the deciding to go down a certain route, the writing of a brief – broadcasting is a team effort. So I would always say ‘we’ and very rarely use the word ‘I’. That’s just what came naturally to me.” Wipe away your tears…
Husain adds: “Most BBC presenters… if you’re in the headlines, it’s not usually for a good reason.” Tough for Barnett and Robinson…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”