Squaring the circle

It's all getting a little dystopian at the BBC, as "commitments" of previous and current DGs get in the way of the serious business of saving money.

So the Woman's Hour commitment to one show a week from Salford Quays goes, to save money with a full production team in London (with London weighting all round). Meanwhile 5Live ditches presenter talent, apparently getting rigorous about where people live - rules which didn't apply either to or under the previous Controller (or in previously-expressed views of the Director, North - see below). In the process, the station's on-air gender balance takes a hit, never mind moving towards a much-needed improvement in ethnic diversity.  The Director of BBC Wales Cymru wins approval to spend (or is it save) by moving his HQ to a brand new building on the site of the Cardiff Bus Station - an hour and a half by public transport from his parkside home in Bristol. Despite the bonfire of the Management Board, the Directors of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland still rack up complex expenses travelling to the Smoke twice a month, as part of the new "Executive Team".

The commitment to production from the Nations and Regions now sees production teams flying from Belfast to London, to bring us Points of View and Sunday Morning Live - Northern Ireland failed to reach target figures in the last financial year. Alan Yentob's Monty Python magnum opus, filmed in Hollywood, the Yorkshire Dales and Singapore (the last venue probably with just a researcher) was shipped to Glasgow to edit. In the last four reported quarters, there's no record of a train or plane to Glasgow in the expenses and travel bookings of the Creative Director/Imagine presenter. Imagine is a BBC Scotland Arts Production.

The commitment to fill empty space at the BBC Mailbox offices in Birmingham with HR, internal comms and training, means the loss of Anne Morrison, Director of the Academy, who's decided to leave Auntie's bosom after a working lifetime and stay in London for personal and professional reasons. It must be a big loss - how many other organisations reward their head of training with a package of £217,750 ?

Peter Salmon, once Director of North, is now Director of England.  Presumably "The Rest of England". He once committed to buying a family home in Manchester. A Thames-side Twickenham address is still all I can find - not, sadly, Tameside. Salmon's job scope has increased without a salary rise; but Bob Shennan has secured extra dosh for becoming Director of Music, on top of his existing portfolio.

11 local radio stations have made their contribution to the DG's target of 50% women at breakfast by going for co-presentation, which, inevitably, is more expensive. Something else must be suffering.

The acting chair of the BBC Trust says BBC1 must be less predictable, lifting the spirits of previous custodian of the channel, Danny Cohen, now Director of Television, awaiting the insights of Trustees on the remainder of his portfolio. Still Lord Hall has provided £20m extra for tv drama - where from ?

We've mentioned before the conundrums in News, where the hiring sprees of Ian Katz at Newsnight, Jonathan Munro in Newsgathering, and James Harding in the creation of News Editors, will have to be squared with announcements of sweeping cuts in two weeks' time.

Meeting rooms at new Broadcasting House are in overdrive as strategists look for big and quick wins to steer the boat towards final Delivering Quality First targets - the waters are getting choppy.