Here’s how the Beeb might save some cash

Good point made by Charlie Brooker in today’s Guardian. If the BBC wishes to save a bit of money without affecting quality of output —indeed, by improving it — the corporation should stop making vastly expensive trailers for its forthcoming programmes. Brooker says it “turns him silver with rage” when he sees these specially shot montages: “It’s like watching the BBC shit money into a big glittery bin.”

Quite right. If I were a better journalist I’d have added up the number of minutes per hour which the BBC gives over to advertising itself and compare it with the figure from 10, 20 and 30 years ago. I am absolutely certain it has increased dramatically. And — another point Charlie B did not make — it is yet another example of the BBC undermining its own reason for existence, ie to have a channel free of adverts.

But this advice will not be heeded. Back when I was at the BBC, we on the Today programme used to become enraged by the superfluity of trails, at both half past and leading up to the hour. Often an important interview would need to be cut short so that they could play some overlong clip of a ghastly forthcoming series called “Living With Fibromyalgia” presented by the You and Yours team and to be aired at 2250 on a Sunday night. I was told that this was something called “signposting” which the “audience really appreciates”. And the more expensive the signpost, the better it is, apparently. What a lot of cock.