Danny Cohen has revealed that junior staff will sit on senior management interview boards to break up the “hierarchical” working structures at BBC television.
The director of television wants to send out a “powerful message” about giving less experienced employees a louder voice in the organisation, including a stake in some of the BBC’s biggest recruitment decisions.
Cohen outlined his idea, which he has picked up from studying US new media companies, to staff last week. It will conceivably change the way channel controllers and genre commissioners are appointed. “The US companies have very open, collaborative structures, where people can talk, embrace ideas and challenge. I want more of a culture where people are able to challenge, and speak up,” Cohen told Broadcast.
Perhaps if the BBC had some outsiders, from outside the ‘Bubble’, sitting in on the interviews, or indeed actually being interviewed for the jobs, it might make a difference to the homogenous, monotone make-up of the BBC staff profile.
Senior Management are already lacking experience, intelligence and competence.
So giving lefties with even less experience, intelligence and competence would only make things much worse.
Perhaps a few experts from the board of the Co-Op?
‘genre commissioners’….wtf?
Still, looks like a nice little earner…how do I apply?
If Cohen thinks US companies offer a model to be followed, he is an even bigger fool than I thought. And that is an achievement, I must say.
Mr. Cohen’s unique contributions to market rate talentdom continue to impress, if perhaps adding fuel to further laws of unintended consequences.
It does surprise that there was no obvious satirical homage for him in w1a, as he seems one of the richer (not just in remuneration) seams.
Maybe next season? Though possibly next season may more likely be released in the form of a Parliamentary inquiry transcript.
This is not unlike the current trend for pupils to be involved in teacher recruitment interviews. I reckon the BBC should take it a step further and involve a viewer sample – starting with their Cbeebies audience.
And the junior staff will be selected because they either follow the party line or are simply forelock tuggers who will do absolutely anything to suck up to the B-BBC hierarchy.