The BBC

Jonathan Ross: The BBC is 'over cautious'

TV Gossip

31 Aug 2011

Jonathan Ross has blasted the BBC as "over cautious and defensive". The TV star - who resigned from the channel in the wake of the Andrew Sachs prank phone-call scandal with Russell Brand in 2008 - will launch his new chat show on ITV1 on Saturday…

Jonathan Ross: The BBC is too cautious

TV Gossip

15 Jun 2011

Jonathan Ross thinks the BBC is too "cautious". The 50-year-old TV presenter - who quit his long-running chat show on BBC One 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' in January 2010 - thinks the broadcaster has gone "too far" because they are so worried…

BBC's 800k Sherlock mistake

TV Gossip

27 May 2010

The BBC has been criticised for spending £800,000 on an unused episode of 'Sherlock Holmes'. The expensive pilot show of the network's new drama programme will never be watched by viewers after bosses decided it wasn't good enough - before…

Andrew Lloyd Webber over the BBC

TV Gossip

21 May 2010

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber won't do any more shows with the BBC. The musical maestro is currently searching for a girl to take on the role of Dorothy in his new stage version of 'The Wizard of Oz' via the BBC programme 'Over The Rainbow' - but this…

BBC head signals end to high presenter salaries

2 Nov 2007

The head of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, has signalled an end to the high wages paid to the corporation’s star presenters. Admitting the BBC may have responded ‘too meekly’ to demands in the past, he said the licence fee would not be abused in…

Unions look to strike ballot as BBC jobs to be axed ‘as soon as possible’

19 Oct 2007

The director general of the BBC yesterday (18/10) outlined his vision of a smaller corporation, but one which ‘packs a bigger punch’, in an attempt to plug a £2 billion funding shortfall. In a speech broadcast to 18,000 workers, Mark Thompson…

BBC strikes expected as staff hear fate today

18 Oct 2007

The BBC is expected to be hit by strike action in the run up to Christmas, as staff today (18/10) hear how the corporation plans to save £2 billion. As part of his ‘fewer, bigger, better’ strategy, which was approved by chairman Sir Michael Lyons…

BBC morale low as staff await cost cutting news

10 Oct 2007

BBC staff are preparing for news of cost-cutting at the corporation, with fears that as many as 2,800 posts could be axed. Director general Mark Thompson will next week present proposals to save the BBC some £2 billion over five years. Morale is…

Moira Stuart says bye to the beeb after 30 years

4 Oct 2007

Veteran newsreader Moira Stuart has announced that she is to leave the BBC after more than 30 years with the corporation. The 58-year-old, who was the first black female newsreader on television, declined to give any reasons for her departure but it…

Jo Whiley to apologise on air for BBC Radio 1 slip up

3 Oct 2007

Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley is to apologise to viewers today (3/10) after it emerged that a BBC worker posed as a phone-in competition caller. It is the latest incident to come to light in which the broadcaster has been shown to mislead viewers. A…

Repeats on the cards for BBC

28 Sep 2007

Television viewers should expect to see more repeats on the BBC, with many shows set to be broadcast on two different channels. The move is a bid to close the funding gap left by a less-than-expected licence fee settlement set by the…

Scottish TV output to grow

21 Sep 2007

The BBC’s director-general Mark Thomson has pledged an extra £50 million for television programmes north of the border. BBC Scotland’s contribution to UK programming is expected to lift from £38 million to £90 million. Mr Thomson said the new…

High definition TV channel on the cards for BBC

19 Sep 2007

The BBC is expected to launch a high definition TV channel later this year after getting the green light from media regulator Ofcom and the BBC Trust. The format promises pictures four times sharper than standard broadcasts, with programmes such as…

BBC drops Planet Relief project

6 Sep 2007

The BBC has gone cold on a climate change event after concerns were raised over the corporation’s objectivity. The Planet Relief project planned to raise awareness about the effects of human behaviour on the environment and encourage viewers to do…