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BBC faces criticism over advert costs amid job cuts and licence fee rise
The BBC spent at least £820,000 promoting a four-minute advert featuring comedian Romesh Ranganathan, with industry experts estimating production cost at a further £1 million or more. The spending has drawn criticism because the broadcaster is raising the licence fee while planning major savings and job cuts.
The BBC has not disclosed the production cost or Ranganathan’s fee, citing commercial interests in his case. The advert, directed by Dougal Wilson, featured more than 100 people and aired this summer; the BBC said it promotes its services to help audiences get value from them. The corporation is planning to cut up to 2,000 jobs and save £500 million, while the annual licence fee has risen to £180.
In short
- BBC spent £820,000 promoting its latest advert.
- Production is estimated to have cost at least £1 million.
- The spending comes amid plans for 2,000 job cuts.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “What has the BBC ever done for us? Corporation spent around £2million on promotional advert despite plans for huge job losses”.