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WS 10: E-mail and briefing note to the Chair of the Committee from Peter Horrocks, BBC World Service
bbc world service and bbc global news
As you may be aware, I announced some changes to the BBC's Global News Division last week affecting the management structure of both BBC World Service and BBC World News.
I wanted to reassure you that these changes do not impact on the portfolio of language services offered by BBC World Service- they are internal changes intended to strengthen both World Service and World News by streamlining and simplifying the Global News Division's senior management structure to respond to seismic changes in audience demands; use of technology; and their consumption of news in increasingly crowded marketplaces around the world.
As I mentioned in my written evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee, no firm decisions have been made yet about major strategic priorities for BBC World Service and we don't expect to make any announcements in this respect prior to the general election.
The changes announced last week will strengthen the editorial systems and business operations of a division that is increasingly operating in ever more complicated and fast-moving international multimedia markets with compelling and distinctive multimedia content; while integrating senior roles across BBC Global News wherever possible, reducing the size and cost of senior management in line with proposals put forward by the BBC Trust. Five senior management posts are closing.
Whilst the main pan-divisional business will be carried out at the BBC Global News Direction Group (our equivalent of a Global News Board), the BBC World Service Board will remain in place (as will the Boards for BBC WN, BBC Monitoring and the BBC WS Trust). All Board-level roles in BBC Global News will have responsibility across BBC World Service and BBC World News to promote the widest and efficient sharing of our content. There will also be a clearer distinction between editorial and business responsibilities.
I have discussed these changes with the FCO and they have agreed that I will continue in my role as Accounting Officer for BBC World Service. In terms of fair trading, our auditors KPMG will continue to report annually to the BBC's Executive Fair Trading Committee in order to establish that there has been no material cross-subsidy between Grant-in-Aid and Licence Fee funds or between Grant-in-Aid and the BBC's commercial subsidiaries.
More details are attached.
Do let me know if you have any questions about the reorganisation.
24 March 2010
Briefing note from Peter Horrocks, BBC Work Service bbc global news restructure The principles of this senior management reorganisation are: · Integration of senior roles across BBC Global News wherever possible, reducing the size and cost of senior management in line with the proposals by the BBC Trust. · All Board-level roles in Global News will have responsibility across BBC World Service and BBC World News to promote the widest and efficient sharing of our content. · The main business of the division will be carried out at the divisional-level BBC Global News Direction Group (our equivalent of a Global News Board), with operational-level Boards keeping responsibility for financial approvals and accountability to stakeholders as required by the separate funding streams. · Clearer distinction between editorial and business responsibilities. · The changes made at Board level will be a demonstration of a new pan-BBC Global News way of working which the new post holders will be expected to lead and deliver. · All roles will be required to put collaboration at the heart of everything they do. Summary of senior management changes Director Global News will take on all the Director BBC World Service's editorial and management responsibilities and he remains the Accounting Officer for BBC World Service. Reporting to him are four key new roles. Controller, Languages, Global News The new role of Controller
Languages BBC Global News will be responsible for all Global News language
output, comprising World Service languages, (including African English, English
for the Controller, English, Global News The new role of Controller English BBC Global News will be responsible for multiplatform commissioning of all BBC Global News English output. Business Director, Global News The new role of Business Director BBC Global News will be responsible for coherence of all business relationships, for growing commercial and business skills across the whole of BBC Global News and an integrated approach to distribution of all our content to ensure its effective distribution. The Business Director will also be Managing Director of BBC World News Ltd.
Controller, Digital & Technology, Global News The new role of Controller Digital & Technology BBC Global News is responsible for the delivery of the web and mobile-based services, including leading on editorial development for those platforms. This will include managing the relationship with BBC World Service's Future Media team. They will also be the lead for BBC Global News' relationship with the BBC's FM&T division, commissioning the services which moved there in 2009 as part of Project Next. There are some other changes: World Service Future Media World Service Future Media will eventually transfer to the wider BBC FMT division. Timing and details are still to be finalised. Professional Service & Operations Most professional service senior managers report in both to their own professional area in the corporate centre and to the Director BBC Global News. As part of this restructure, a new Operations Group meeting will be chaired by one of the senior managers who already has responsibilities within this area. The Chair of the Operations Group is not an extra role, but will take overall responsibility for Operations. The following roles within Operations will change their reporting lines, reporting into the Chair of the Operations Group: GNW1, Studio Operations, Health & Safety and Board management. |