Out with the old... Under pressure over ‘ageism’ – page 8 October 2009 Number 7 STEAM RADIO Back tracking on the Blackburn Special centre pages With highlights from Ariel Sixty Years On... What do you remember of the BBC Riding Club? - page 4 News Top award for communications and services The BBC Pension Scheme has won a top award for the ‘added Communications channels and services include: value’ that it provides to its pensioners. • the dedicated pension service line (029 2032 2811) The scheme won the Professional Pensions Best Pensioner • pension website (bbc.co.uk/mypension) Communication Award not only for the way it communicates with • the Volunteer Visiting Scheme (see opposite) retired pensioners, but for the range of services it offers in • Pensioner liasion meetings retirement. • Prospero It is the first time the scheme has won this award, and Jan • myDeals for pensioners. Killick, head of Pensions, says it’s an endorsement of the work The judges were impressed with the scheme’s in-house done by the Trustees and the pension and benefits team communications, house style and branding, and in particular with ‘It is nice to get external acknowledgment of what we do as it adds the pension in payment guide that complies with the clear print to our sense of pride in the services we provide.’ guide lines as set out by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. The scheme was praised for providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for BBC A copy of the pension in payment guide is available by visiting pensioners, through regular and varied communications. bbc.co.uk/mypension. PROSPERO Trustee Geoff gets October 2009 pensioners’ vote Geoff Jones has expressed gratitude to those who Ballot result Prospero is provided free to supported his re-election as the BBC Pension Trustee Geoff Jones (left) 2,435 retired BBC employees. It can chosen by pensioners. Jo Wymer 589 also be sent to spouses or He emerged as comfortable winner from a Christine Reside 562 dependants who want to keep field of 20 candidates, polling more than four In all 6,954 votes were cast. Salute to in touch with the BBC. It times his nearest rival. includes news about former He said he was humbled both by the • Developing a long-term route-map for volume of the support for him, and by the the scheme over the next 20 years a great colleagues, pension issues, quality of candidates against whom he • Revising the way the Trust makes its and developments at the stood. decisions – for example, about investments. newsman ‘I read their manifestoes, and I must say He reiterates, as he did to the BBC BBC. Prospero includes that the BBC fund is extremely fortunate to Pensioners Association recently, that the BBC war correspondent Brian Barron, who have so many people well qualified for this scheme is in good shape compared to most has died from cancer at the age of 69, was classified advertisements. To role. Many other schemes find it very others, and has not had to sell any assets to ‘simply the most distinguished correspondent advertise in Prospero or the difficult to get anyone to take on the job.’ pay pensions. of our age’, said World News editor Jon As an employee, Geoff was closely And he told Prospero : ‘I take heart from Williams. BBC Staff magazine, Ariel, involved in running the scheme for 25 the fact that media commentators, who Barron covered wars across five decades, years, and rose to become head of BBC frequently report on the BBC pension fund from Aden in 1967 to Iraq in 2003, and see page 11. Pension and Benefits when he retired in as a high profile public service scheme, have served as the BBC’s man in some of the 2001. never suggested that it is mis-managed.’ world’s major cities. But he says the circumstances in which Joining the BBC World Service in 1965, Subscription information for the fund now finds itself mean the work is he witnessed the fall of Saigon and reported more interesting than ever. The Voice of the from Africa on the demise of Idi Amin. Ariel is on page 12 ‘We have new regulations to contend He covered the Falklands War from Chile, with, we are employing a different kind of Listener & Viewer as well as working as Ireland correspondent thinking, and of course we find ourselves in The Voice of the Listener & Viewer will at the height of the Troubles in the early very different economic circumstances.’ mark its 25th anniversary this month by 1980s. His work was recognised in several He says one of the reasons he wanted to identifying the programmes that Royal Television Society awards including continue was his involvement in meeting industry professionals best represent Reporter of the Year in 1980 and the ongoing priorities. They are the ethos of public service International Reporting Prize for his cover - • The triennial valuation of the scheme, broadcasting. age from Latin America. which will take place in April next year. The The event, hosted by Andrew Marr, is After his official retirement, Brian and Trust and the BBC are already considering on October 7 at Bafta’s Princess Anne Eric Thirer, his friend and long-time cam - how they will bridge any shortfall in the Theatre in Piccadilly eraman, continued to work together in value of the fund against commitments. New York. Editorial contributions CROSPERO 142 1 2 Devised and compiled by Jim Palm • • 3 4 Write to Robin Reynolds Complete the square using the clues; these apply only to words • • The Editor, Prospero running across. Then take these words in numerical order and 5 6 BBC Pension & Benefits Centre extract the letters indicated by a dot. If your answers are correct, these letters will spell out the names of a BBC series of yesteryear. • • Broadcasting House 7 8 Cardiff, CF5 2YQ Please send your answers in an envelope marked Crospero to The • Editor, Prospero, BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Broadcasting • Tel: 020 7765 1414 House, Cardiff CF5 2YQ by October 16. 9 10 [email protected] • • Clues: 1. Diagram (3); 2. Quickly (5); 3. Small mammal (6); 4. Eggs 11 12 (3); 5. Fruit (3); 6. Make happy (5); 7. Avid follower (3); 8. Make Please make sure that any digital • • alternations (5); 9. Very cold (3); 10. Unruly crowd (3); 11. Space (4); 13 14 pictures you send are scanned 12. Language (4); 13. Bright person (3); 14. Expose to moisture (3); 15. Goblin (5); 16. Wet earth (3); 17. Gangway (5); 18. Tear (3); 19. • • at 250 dpi Small measurement (3); 20. Logic (6); 21. French school (5); 22. 15 16 Design & production editor: Ann Ramsbottom Through (3). • • 17 Solution to Crospero No. 141: Desk; Sails; Shire; Oak; Son; 18 Aston; Hew; Obi; Ten; Tie; Millimetres; Apt; Oat; End; Etc; Stoma; • • Mixed Sources Ape; Piep Miner; Arkle; Dene. 19 20 Product group from well-managed forests, controlled sources and • • recycled wood or fiber The two transmitters were Kirk O’Shotts and Pontop Pike. WWW.fsc.org Cert no. SA-COC-1468 21 22 c 1996 Forest Stewardship Council The winner of Crospero 141 is Mr J Dean of London SW4 0RW. • • 2 • • October • 2009 News Pension visitors focus TV news seeks older on crime and safety woman... How to secure your home and minimise the Magazine Best Communications award won The BBC is actively seeking an older female chance of falling victim to crime were among by the BBC Pension Scheme recently. newsreader, as it seeks to counter issues aired at the recent BBC Pension Each visitor has a patch to cover, and accusations of ageism. Visitors’ Scheme conference in Cardiff. they have their own ways of operating. Director general Mark Thompson asked Some 130 retired staff involved in the Alison Florence was featured in Prospero news director Helen Boaden to find the scheme heard from experts on subjects recently after she established ‘the Claygate presenter. ranging from state benefit entitlement to Nine’ – an informal luncheon club in The BBC has recently denied accusations learning opportunities provided through the Surrey. As she explained at the conference, of ageism after replacing Strictly Come U3A – the University of the Third Age. the nine are now 22, and rising. But other Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, 66, with In all the BBC Visiting Scheme has a visitors, some of whom have large geo - former winner Alesha Dixon, 30. network of 180 pension volunteers – mobile graphical areas to cover, prefer one-to-one BBC News confirmed that Thompson and active pensioners who provide a link or in some instances simply telephone con - had spoken to Helen Boaden ‘and other between the BBC and many of its older tact with those pensioners who indicate directors about the need to have a broad retired staff. that they want to take advantage of the range of presenters on air – including older It is 15 years since the Visiting Scheme was scheme. women’. set up, at a time when the BBC was scaling Each visitor has a list of retired staff who BBC News channel controller Kevin down its welfare function. Christine Geen qualify for a visit under the scheme’s policy. Bakhurst told Radio 5 live the move was who co-ordinates the Scheme says: ‘Initially It covers people who are: part of ‘an ongoing review of the presenter there were worries about it among some • aged 70 or over; or line-up we have across BBC News’. retired staff, and some of the pensioners were • left the BBC on health grounds: or ‘Most of our woman presenters are aged afraid that it was intrusive.