Funny business at the BBC

There’s a serious shake-up underway at the BBC – a “bloodbath”, says one insider.

Middle-aged men who have been at the Beeb for decades seem to be the biggest casualties, but that’s just an observation rather than a scientific fact.

Complaints that the BBC is too London-centric have been around for ages, and it is probably a fair point.

Then again, London is quite important and there are certain branches of its operations that it surely makes no sense to put anywhere else.

If my job is to report on the City of London, the Evening Standard isn’t, presumably, going to ask me to do that from an office in Luton.

No such luck for hacks at the BBC which is moving its business unit to Salford.

Salford may have much to recommend it, but it’s very hard to see how this shift can possibly improve the broadcaster’s business coverage.

Most likely, the top talent either stays in town, causing resentment among colleagues, or moves to rivals. I’d expect notable departures before long.

The BBC’s tech coverage has been one of its strengths during the pandemic, with lots of really good, accessible journalism.

Moving the tech team to Glasgow, a city not exactly renowned for its tech sector, has caused some head scratching and a fair amount of personal unhappiness.

It is mental health awareness week, and we can assume the Beeb will be doing plenty on that.

Hacks asked what their employer can do to improve their mental health might reply:

How about you don’t suddenly tell me to move 300 miles away if I want to keep my job?