The newspaper for retired BBC Pension Scheme members • August 2020 • Issue 4 PROSPERO PENSION 20 years of bbc.co.uk/sport SCHEME PAGE 8 | BACK AT THE BBC TIM DAVIE TO REPLACE TONY HALL AS DIRECTOR-GENERAL The BBC Chairman, Sir David Clementi, sent the following email to all BBC staff on the day that Tim Davie’s appointment was announced: am delighted to be able to let you His leadership and experience, both Tim during this time. There will be time know that the Board has this morning outside the BBC and within, will ensure later to reflect on Tony’s significant Iappointed Tim Davie as the BBC’s that we are well placed to meet the achievements as Director-General, not next Director-General, to succeed opportunities and challenges of the least his inspirational leadership during Tony Hall when he steps down from coming years. this recent period. I, and the whole Board, the role later in the summer. Tim has an enthusiasm and energy for are grateful for all that he has done for us – and the efforts that everyone is The Board has conducted an independent reform, while holding dear to the core making during this unprecedented time. and highly competitive process and is mission of the BBC. He has demonstrated convinced that Tim will be an excellent himself to be a passionate defender of I am sure that you will join me in wishing successor to Tony. Tim is someone who our values. I know that he will be a Tim your warmest congratulations. proud ambassador for the magnificent brings together the commitment to work that you do each day. Best wishes, public service, commercial acumen and Tim Davie. editorial judgement that are all vital to Tony will continue as Director-General Sir David Clementi leading the BBC. until the end of August and handover to BBC Chairman BBC INTRODUCES VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCY SCHEME Director-General Tony Hall has announced a voluntary redundancy scheme across the UK Public Service as part of meeting the financial challenges facing the corporation. ll UK-based Public Service There is, however, no guarantee of explained that the BBC was already The upshot is the corporation must save employees are to be given the voluntary redundancy as certain facing financial pressures – with 24% an extra £125 million this year and more Achance to express interest in parts of the corporation may have less to spend on UK public services next year too. taking voluntary redundancy. than if the licence fee had risen with skills shortages which prevent requests On the call to all staff, Tony Hall said: inflation over the last decade. Announcing the scheme, which launched being granted. ‘We know hard choices are necessary. on 18 June 2020, Tony Hall said the But this ‘register of interest’ will help the Add to this, a year of transition with no Over a third of our costs – across the tough financial environment faced since business identify possible opportunities government funding for licence fees for BBC – relate to our people. That’s why the start of the year had been made to do things differently in the future. people over 75 – and then the we’re introducing this voluntary even more challenging by the coronavirus crisis. redundancy programme.’ coronavirus pandemic. A calculator will be made available on Gateway so people can estimate what It’s hoped that the voluntary they might receive if they were to be redundancy programme will help offered voluntary redundancy. offset the possibility of compulsory redundancies in the future. The business says it is committed to carrying out the programme with There will be a six-week window where maximum fairness and transparency. anyone, of any grade in UK Public Service, can register their interest in Announcing the scheme on a Stay voluntary redundancy. Connected staff call, Tony Hall 2 Available throughout the UK to VOLUNTEER VISITING BBC pensioners over age 70 SCHEME PROSPERO Visitors are also Visitors carry ID cards Prospero is provided free of charge to retired Scheme BBC pensioners members or to their spouses and dependants. with them for your Prospero provides a source of news on former security colleagues, developments at the BBC and pension issues, plus classified adverts. It is available online at bbc.com/mypension Would you welcome To advertise in Prospero, please enclose a cheque occasional contact with made payable to: BBC Central Directorate. Rate £6 former colleagues? We can also offer for 20 words. Please include your pension number support during in a covering letter. difficult times such as Please send your editorial contributions, Over 2,000 pensioners bereavement comments or feedback to: already use the scheme Prospero, BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Meet at home for a chat or Central Square, Cardiff CF10 1FT somewhere public like a Email: [email protected] Please make sure that any digital pictures you send coffee shop EE S FF HO O P C are scanned at 300dpi. Please also note that the maximum word count for obituaries is 350 words. Operates from the Pension and Benefits Centre Contents Want to know more about what the VVS has to offer? Back at the BBC 2-3 Call the pension service line on 029 2032 2811 or Tim Davie to replace Tony Hall as email [email protected] Director-General BBC introduces voluntary redundancy scheme Please note: in line with Government guidance, face-to-face visits by the Volunteer Visitors have been suspended. Mystery Sudoku However, our Visitors are still keeping in touch by telephone or via videocalls. If you haven’t received visits in the past but would welcome a friendly phone call, please send an email, quoting your BBC pension number, to [email protected] to opt in to receive a call or call Cheryl Miles on 0303 080 3558. Letters 4-5 Mystery Sudoku L O S Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the letters ACILMORST in some order. I T R One row or column contains a five or more letter word, S A Memories 6-8 name or programme title with a BBC connection. HMS Dreadnought Solve the Sudoku to discover what or who it is and S M T HIndi TV send or email your answer to: The Editor, Prospero, www.bbc.co.uk/sport is 20 BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Central Square, L C S I Cardiff CF10 1FT by Monday, 7 September 2020. The winner gets a £10 voucher. Many thanks to A O M Neil Somerville for providing this puzzle. L T The Sudoku winner in June 2020 Life after Auntie 9 WIN was Mrs MJ Bartlett who correctly C M L A fair few weddings and a funeral £10 identified the connection as ‘Last Word’. R O C Obituaries 10-11 NICK GILBEY WINS THE SHIERS TRUST AWARD 2020 Odds & ends 12 Lord Reith looks back Nick Gilbey (pictured) ‘The idea of putting together a biography on Calling ham radio enthusiasts has been announced Peter Dimmock stretches back to my visit to Classifieds as the winner of the his home in 2012. I got the impression then, that Caption competition Shiers Trust Award Peter did regret not writing an autobiography. 2020, worth £4,000. Although there are many interviews on record, nobody has brought them all together,’ said Nick. The grant will enable Nick to expand the ‘Peter Dimmock was a colourful figure who did a Prospero August 2020 TV Outside Broadcast tremendous amount to gain a mass audience for The next issue of Prospero will appear History website with a special section on Peter the BBC,’ Nick added. in October 2020. The copy deadline Dimmock’s work at the BBC. is Monday, 7 September 2020. This year, because of the coronavirus crisis, As BBC Head of Outside Broadcasts, Dimmock the judging of the Shiers Trust Award was carried made his mark organising the coverage of the 1948 out online. The Award is funded by a bequest from London Olympics and went on to commentate on George Shiers, a distinguished US TV historian and the Boat Race and present the BBC Sports member of the Royal Television Society, providing a Personality of the Year Award. grant towards work on any aspect of television history. PROSPERO AUGUST 2020 | 3 | LETTERS BBC Four: its possible demise Pebble Mill at One on Ark Royal Tom Ross’s article in Prospero on the Pebble Mill OB from the Ark Royal and impact on older BBC viewers brought back memories for me. It is actually my picture in Prospero showing BBC pensioner John Hale recently wrote to the BBC Director-General, Tony Hall, the crew on the flight deck. expressing his concerns about the future of BBC Four. We have published I was the VT Editor in LMVT4 with my colleague Steve Preston. It was a great John’s letter here, as well as the reply he received from the D-G. programme, as the Navy are always very friendly. To get from the gangway up to the flight deck to our vehicles, we had to find our own way through the ship, I am disturbed to have read in the press recently that the BBC is considering which was practically deserted over the weekend when we started. scrapping the BBC Four television channel in order to recoup finances in the current difficult financial climate. It was easy to get disorientated as one grey corridor looked very much like another. I asked about us seeing secret stuff and the reply was ‘we have closed If true, I know I speak for the silent majority of older viewers of BBC output the doors to secret stuff and we don’t think you will be able to open them’.