Comments on: Editorial independence, the Daily Mail and the BBC http://www.sandlines.net/editorial-independence-the-daily-mail-and-the-bbc/ Drawing new lines in the shifting sands of marketing Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:09:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: MJW http://www.sandlines.net/editorial-independence-the-daily-mail-and-the-bbc/comment-page-1/#comment-72 MJW Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:04:44 +0000 http://www.sandlines.net/?p=202#comment-72 While it is of course true that the BBC is publicly funded, it is also true that they compete for talent with organisations who are not. The expectation that public sector employees would work for less than private sector ones is surely evaporating? Is it appropriate to underpay public servants simply because the tax payer is responsible for the bill? There's an<a href="http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12552390" rel="nofollow"> interesting piece on The Economist</a> about that question. There will be public applause for doing so initially - until we recognise that the quality of output will likewise suffer... just consider the reputation for PBS in the US. Is that what we want the BBC to end up as? That said, I do find Jonathan Ross's salary a little hard to justify... but I'd be curious to learn the comparable salaries of top brass in News International and Sky as a point of comparison with the NOTW's publication of salaries at the Beeb. While it is of course true that the BBC is publicly funded, it is also true that they compete for talent with organisations who are not. The expectation that public sector employees would work for less than private sector ones is surely evaporating? Is it appropriate to underpay public servants simply because the tax payer is responsible for the bill?

There’s an interesting piece on The Economist about that question.

There will be public applause for doing so initially – until we recognise that the quality of output will likewise suffer… just consider the reputation for PBS in the US. Is that what we want the BBC to end up as?

That said, I do find Jonathan Ross’s salary a little hard to justify… but I’d be curious to learn the comparable salaries of top brass in News International and Sky as a point of comparison with the NOTW’s publication of salaries at the Beeb.

]]> By: Kate http://www.sandlines.net/editorial-independence-the-daily-mail-and-the-bbc/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Kate Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:12:46 +0000 http://www.sandlines.net/?p=202#comment-71 To be fair, the BBC is taxpayer (well, licence payer) supported - i.e. public money, whilst the newspapers aren't. The bbc is therefore expected to maintain higher standards (though our publicly funded employees don't necessarily - politicians anyone?) of neutrality and behaviour (yadda yadda) than privately funded enterprises. Having said that, I'll happily Daily Mail bash at any opportunity. To be fair, the BBC is taxpayer (well, licence payer) supported – i.e. public money, whilst the newspapers aren’t.

The bbc is therefore expected to maintain higher standards (though our publicly funded employees don’t necessarily – politicians anyone?) of neutrality and behaviour (yadda yadda) than privately funded enterprises.

Having said that, I’ll happily Daily Mail bash at any opportunity.

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