The BBC cuts running costs in spite of a turbulent year
THE BBC cut its running costs further in the last financial year, which saw three probes into Jimmy Savile, extensive Olympics coverage and the move to New Broadcasting House.
The broadcaster’s annual report said it delivered £580m efficiency savings in the final year of its five-year cost-cutting drive, exceeding its goal to save three per cent a year.
The corporation paid £5.3m during the year to investigate decades of sexual assault claims against Savile.
Director general Tony Hall said the BBC was not the “steward of public money” it should have been.
And the BBC also found more than £14m for Jeremy Clarkson, a Top Gear presenter and the corporation’s best-paid star. Most of the sum was paid by the BBC’s commercial arm to take over Clarkson’s stake in Bedder 6, which distributes Top Gear abroad. BBC Worldwide made £1.12bn in total headline sales, mostly through international distribution. It returned £156m to the corporation, which is otherwise funded by the licence fee.