Tony: Are you listening to this? Or more likely Tim Davie if the rumours are true....
Cbeebies is good and useful. Keep it.
CBBC: I've never understood why CBBC is on during the day when kids are at school. CBBC content could be put on BBC2 early morning before school and again after 3. Weekend mornings too. Don't worry about the school holidays, the kids can operate iPlayer.
BBC1 is the general channel and should continue. 2/3/4 stuff can be merged into 1&2 with the recognition that iPlayer can be used to watch stuff when you want.
BBC Scotland should never have got the green light. Scotland already had regional control of BBC1 Scotland and BBC2 Scotland. Arguably the BBC Scotland Channel is just the old BBC2 Scotland re-branded with an expensive Regional News showpiece.
Actually I'd scrap the nations variants, branding and timeshifting of BBC1. Keep a window in the BBC1 and 2 schedules for regional focussed programming. (The normal network approach used by the rest of the world). Put more of the regional stuff in the standard channels - look at the success of Keeping Faith and the regions childrens stuff like Morag.
That cuts at least 3 channels saving the distribution costs across freeview, freesat, sky and virgin. Also saves money due to ceasing the nations playout and regional marketing and creative teams. Maybe less programme hours, although I'd prefer to reduce repeats, iPlayer removes the need for repeats.
Next: remove the weather presenters from vision. Keep to voice over only. No weather studios required, no make up costs.
Slash the top paid on-air talent as other posters have already suggested. Cheaper presenters would help the pubic perception of money well spent. In the current market they are welcome to see if the ad-funded stations want to pay them more. Value based 'talent' salaries need to be re-assessed to reflect the market.
Ensure news presenters are reminded that they are presenting the news, not building a personal brand.
Reduce the branding in News. There is BBC news. Cut the constant sub-branding for channels and radio stations and you'll save all that branding cost and help re-use of news bulletins.
Management can be reduced. The organisation is top heavy, not helped by that edict that no one should manage more than 10 direct reports. Simplify the organisational responsibilities, remove the grey areas. Empower people to make decisions in their area - rather than the continued consensus approach.
Be clear in your communications. Use fewer words so less working time is spent on reading / watching / listening to woolly corporate comms.
Remove the management overhead of each nation having their own org structure, especially back office functions.
It may look like I'm anti-nations in my previous comments, I'm not - they are great people who get stuff done. It is the organisational construct that is broken and causes duplication. The Nations and Regional teams are usually better than the central teams, and for lower cost too. Cardiff finance has worked pretty well, HR in Birmingham too. With the current remote working we are all doing it will help the transition. More Central roles should be remote from London. News, TV, radio, marketing, IT, legal could be more dispersed.
Don't make the mistake of a wholesale lift and shift approach like Salford was though. That sort of relocation is expensive. Allow people to work from where they want to so the work is dispersed across the country rather than create another BBC hub location.
The news channels:
Parliament should probably be on-line only now (more broadcast distribution cost saving).
World News is often better than the UK news channel. Merge them as they pretty much are now during coronavirus. Or just cease the 24/7 rolling news completely. Most people get news from an app or website anyway. If something is really big you can interrupt BBC1 to show it anyway.
Radio: there are too many stations, the number has to be reduced. probably by ceasing the regional radio stations - but having local opts on radio 2.
I'd be really sad to see 6 music go because it is the only station that actually plays music rather than have hours of inane chat. If 1 or 2 were to re-focus onto music then a merger could remove it though.
Decide whether you are providing a public service, or providing a service to all of the public.
I feel the latter has driven too much fragmentation and specialisation. Alba and Asian network feel too niche to me, but I can see a similar argument for Radio 3 and 4.
A previous poster suggested there are perks for staff. Not any more, things were rightly pretty 'normal' when I left:
25 days leave.
Standard defined contribution pension: max of 10% employer contribution. 4 x salary death benefit
Flexible working is possible, not guaranteed.
Maternity leave is above statutory, but not outstanding.
No creche on any sites I've been to.
No gym really. Central London has a small multi-gym
Canteens are not subsidised, are run by concessions like most offices.
Long service leave is not available for new employees
Expenses policy is tight (£16 for a meal when away overnight)
No bonuses.
Pay increases are negotiated by the joint unions, salary progression is pretty much down to getting a new job internally and negotiating at that point.
So the immediate competition (Sky, ITV, Channel 4) are either the same or slightly better.
I think the BBC is good, but can be better. I'd hate to see it become yet another commercial station or disappear entirely.
It will be interesting what happens with the next Director General.