BBC Scotland: what creative future?

BBC Scotland has announced that it wants to shed more than 70 posts in round two of its poorly named Creative Futures project.

The planned cuts for year two of a five year programme seek further restructuring affecting staff in news, management and support areas, and in production departments.

More than 100 staff left BBC Scotland in 2007 and whilst the BBC has stated that it is willing to consider volunteers, BECTU is not convinced that significant voluntary cuts in production will be possible.

BECTU’s Scottish Organiser, Paul McManus, re-emphasised the concerns of the joint unions following yesterday’s announcement: "Naturally the joint unions are deeply concerned about all the proposed cuts especially when you understand the immense pressure being put on the remaining staff, on a daily basis, to keep producing high quality work.

“But we believe the cuts in TV production will have a hugely detrimental impact on BBC Scotland's ability to make programmes.”

Of the 70 plus posts put at risk yesterday, 20 are in news and a further 20 are in management and support areas. Over 30 are in mainly TV production areas and hit producers, assistant producers, directors and researchers hardest.

Management believe that the coming weeks may provide investment in the news areas to offset some, if not all, the losses there. In addition, it is believed, there may be a number of volunteers amongst management and support staff.

However, the production and talent areas give the unions most cause for concern given the severe cutbacks caused by the Value for Money reorganisation in these departments 18 months ago.

The BBC can expect a strong challenge from the joint-unions given yesterday’s announcement.

“On the one hand staff in Scotland are being assured that more network programmes will be made in Scotland yet now we are told that a lack of network programmes next year means that BBC Scotland can afford to lose over half of its programme producers, assistant producers and researchers.

“If these proposals are not rethought, then Scotland will not have the staff to create, pitch for or produce these mythical new programmes. The BBC is well aware that the joint unions will vigorously oppose any plans for compulsory redundancies in Scotland." explained Paul McManus.

The BBC has agreed to step up efforts to secure the job losses through voluntary means and will be writing to all staff in the coming days. Management will then meet the joint unions again in January to assess the situation and the number of any volunteers.

BECTU will also be setting up meetings and writing to its members to brief them in full on the cuts.

The Creative Futures cuts programme was one response by the BBC to its poor licence fee settlement.

BBC Scotland announced last year that over the five years of the plan they intend to lose a total of 230 staff with most of these redundancies front loaded into the first two years.

Just two months ago the BBC announced the results of its Network Supply Review, which is aimed at ensuring a fairer spread of production for the network throughout the UK’s nations and regions.

If the Review’s findings are implemented production of several high profile programmes, including the Weakest Link and Question Time, is set to move to Scotland.

The BBC has said that by 2016 nine per cent of its income should be spent in Scotland to reflect the size of the audience there.