In the past there were times when I had truck with the BBC, both radio and TV, here and in the 'field'. It is a huge institution with many tendrils stretching into government, the state and their various agencies.
On several occasions abroad I found its presence helpful and reassuring. I generally get on well with the sort of person it had in those days as staff. Its slow-moving, complex bureaucracy meant that when you did anything for it you had to jump through hoops and wait for the rather stingy money it paid freelances. I guess you might say it was 'overstaffed'.
But so what? A lot of institutions are. The Beeb isn't 'a public broadcasting service': it's the world's oldest, biggest and most respected one worldwide. It is what it is. This mercantilist fixation on 'efficiency' could end by turning it into another CNN if the powers that be take any notice. Leave the damn thing alone FMR (unless you can discourage it from buying half-witted software packages from spivs).
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 8 Dec 13 at 15:21
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