Via email:

18 February 2009

Dear Mr

Request for Information – RFI20080111

Thank you for your request of 22nd January 2009 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 seeking the following information:

Is it possible to tell me how much the BBC spends on entering external awards, for example the Sony Radio Academy awards, BAFTA Television awards, Online Journalism awards etc? Would you be able to break it down to radio, TV and online entries?

By way of background, it may be helpful for me to provide some explanation of the way in which the BBC manages entry into external awards and how such expenditure is recorded. The BBC submits entries to a huge number of awards across multiple divisions. Entry into awards is coordinated differently within the BBC, depending on the awards in question and there is no general ledger code for this type of expenditure which means that we are unable to obtain a report on this category of expenditure from our central finance system. Entry into a number of identified “priority” awards is coordinated centrally by BBC Vision’s Awards Unit – this includes the BAFTA Television Awards, RTS Programme Awards and international events such as the International Emmys and the Banff World Television Festival. Where this is the case, information about the cost of entering these awards is centrally collated and readily accessible. Entry into a wide range of other awards is either partly or wholly managed locally by individual divisions. In this case cost information is not necessarily collated centrally by that team and is therefore not readily accessible.

I therefore estimate that to deal with your request for all awards entered by all divisions would take more than two and a half days. This is because in order to identify the information we would need to contact every department of the BBC and ask them to search through their records for details of any awards they have entered and the cost of those entries. Where entry to awards is managed locally and entry costs are not specifically recorded, identifying these costs would involve looking through individual files and invoices. Under section 12 of the Act, we are allowed to refuse to handle the request if it would exceed the

appropriate limit. The appropriate limit has been set by the Regulations (SI 2004/3244) as being £450 (equivalent to two and a half days work, at an hourly rate of £25).

However, we have taken the liberty of providing some information which we have been able to find within the appropriate limit. This expenditure relates to: • entry to awards by BBC Vision’s Awards Unit for the last 4 financial years • entry to the Sony Radio Awards for National Radio (not including Local Radio or News) for the last 3 financial years • all entries to awards by the BBC Global News division for 2008.

I should make clear that there will have been entries into a large number of awards by other divisions such as News and Nations & Regions, as well as entries by Audio & Music National Radio in awards other than the Sony Radio Awards, which are not included in the information provided for the reasons explained above. As such the cost information provided by no means represents the total cost to the BBC of entering external awards.

Awards entries managed centrally by the BBC Vision Awards Unit

The attached disclosure document provides the cost of entering a number of high profile awards over the last 4 financial years where those entries have been managed centrally by the BBC Vision Awards Unit. These figures do not include attendance at the ceremony which is an additional cost.

You will note that in the case of some awards the information is not available for more recent years. Where this is the case this is because the Awards Unit ceased coordinating entry into those particular awards centrally due to reorganisation, and entry into those is awards is now coordinated by the local divisions. Such instances are indicated within the attached document as the cost column is blank and the notes field states “stopped coordinating in…” followed by a date. Please note that where the 2008/2009 column is blank, and the notes field does not indicate that the central awards unit has stopped coordinating entry into the awards in question, this is because the cost for entering the particular award in this financial year has not yet been incurred.

Please also note, that where the attached disclosure document provides the cost of entry to the Sony Radio Awards for financial year 05/06, this relates to entries on behalf of Nations & Regions only (and does not include cost of any entries made for National Radio or News).

Entry into the Sony Radio Awards for BBC National Radio

As you specifically mentioned the Sony Radio Awards in your request I have also located the cost information for entries to these awards for BBC National Radio. Please note that figures for National Radio include Religion, Light Entertainment and Current Affairs but do not include BBC News or BBC Nations & Regions. I can therefore confirm that the cost of entering the Sony Radio Awards for National Radio for the last 3 financial years is as follows:

06/07 - £24,682 07/08 – £28,340 08/09 - £25,363

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BBC Global News Division awards entries:

The following provides a comprehensive breakdown of expenditure by the Global News Division (which incorporates BBC World News and BBC World Service) on entering awards in 2008.

SERVICE AWARD COST

Chinese Service BBC Global Reith Award No Cost Central Asia BBC Global Reith Award No Cost Persian/Pashto Service BBC Global Reith Award No Cost Bengali Service BBC Global Reith Award No Cost Regional Operations Team Sony Radio Academy Awards 2008 No Cost Hindi Service CBA-World Bank £20 Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union's External Broadcast Prize No cost WS Future Media Webby's 2009 (paid in Oct 08) £670 English News and Networks Sony Radio Academy Awards 2008 £4,000 Worldwork Awards 2008 No cost Business Journalist of the Year Awards 2008 (2 entries) No cost

British Archaelogical Awards 2008 (1 entry) No Cost

Mental Health Awards 2008 (2 entries) £180

One World Media Awards 2008 (13 entries) £801 Association of International Broadcasters 2008 (13 entries) £1,000 Amnesty International Media Awards 2008 (10 entries) £1,300 Commonwealth Broadcasters Association 2008 (8 entries) £140 Foreign Press Association (13 entries) No Cost

Association of International Broadcasting Media Russian Service Excellence Awards £150 Portuguese Service AIB Awards £500 African Productions AIB Awards £600 Arabic Service Hot Bird Awards £150 AIB Awards £150 Peoples' Choice Awards £150 10,111

Finally I can also tell you that in terms of marketing awards, our advertising agencies do enter BBC work into awards, but normally pay for the costs themselves.

3 If you are unhappy with the information we have provided to you, you may wish to consider submitting a narrowed your request. For example you may wish to ask for the costs incurred by all divisions, for entering one or two specific named awards, in the last 2 financial years.

Appeal Rights If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior manager or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address above, explaining what you would like us to review and including your reference number. If you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The contact details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or see http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Kind Regards

Louise Wright Advisor, Information Policy & Compliance

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