From Seattle writer and consultant Matt Rosenberg...: Beeb Reaches Out To Provinces

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Beeb Reaches Out To Provinces

December 08, 2004

Anyone who finds the U.S. MSM too obsessed with the politics and personalities of America's culturally-dominant metropoli (NY, DC, LA) will find this tidbit of interest.

The Scotsman (free reg. req.) reports that not only is the BBC cutting staff by almost 10 percent, and its budget by 15 percent, it is also re-locating some programming-related staff from London to Manchester in order to connect better with listeners in the provinces.

BBC staff were also told that 1,800 employees would be transferred to Manchester, over the next five years, in order to build up a new regional centre. This is designed to counter the image of the BBC as London-centric and will mean the transfer of BBC Sport, Radio 5 Live and children’s TV and radio.
(BBC Director General Mark) Thompson said the new BBC media centre in Manchester would help the corporation reconnect with communities across the UK: "It will change our tone of voice and open our doors to new talent and perspectives."

I'm just a war-mongering Yank, but I think The Beeb could certainly stand a change in "tone of voice." I recall hearing it piped onto Seattle's KUOW-FM public radio station days after our 2003 entry into Iraq and was jarred by the unctuous and sneeringly anti-American tone of the announcers, one after another.

On the plus side, I have to say that as a blogger, I've been impressed with the BBC's web news side. I'm sure I'm forgetting about some or another black eye that division has suffered, but it's often been a solid resource with valuable background links and first-rate on-site reporting and commentary. One example being The Congo.