The BBC spent £199.3m on its BBC Online service in 2009/10, according to its annual report – 12% more than the previous year.
The outlay is 6% of the £142.50 annual licence fee, or the equivalent of £0.67 per month…
BBC Online spend breaks down as: £126.7m content budget, £22.3m on distribution and £50.3m on infrastructure and support.
Future media and technology director Erik Huggers’ salary totalled £407,000 – that’s £330,000 base pay, £15,000 in taxable benefits and £62,000 in cash-based pension supplements.
More stats…
• BBC Online reaches 37% of the population each week and therefore costs 8.9 pence per user hour.
• On a per user user basis, that makes it amongst the most costly of the BBC’s main services, with only BBC Alba costing more.
• More than 18m iPlayer requests per week.
• Monthly mobile users up from 4.4m to 7.8m.
• External suppliers received 26% of BBC Online spend – slightly more than its 25% quota.
Coinciding with the annual report, the BBC Trust has published its response to the BBC’s Putting Quality First strategic review proposals. Regarding online, it says: “The Trust endorses the Executive’s proposed 25% budget reduction, although it will want to understand and approve the editorial changes involved. In line with the Executive’s proposals, the BBC should sharpen online’s focus so that it is truly distinctive and has clearer editorial vision and control….
“The BBC needs to identify future tipping points where reassessment of the structure will become necessary, such as full digital switchover in 2012 and 50% of viewing on a non-linear basis.
“The case has not been made for the closure of 6 Music. The Executive should draw up an overarching strategy for digital radio.”
Meanwhile, BBC is now rolling out “BBC Fabric”, “a desktop-based digital production tool that allows content to be accessed, edited, and shared remotely across the entire BBC” and “will fundamentally change the way we make programmes”, according to the annual report.