Mr Anthony Reville
Email: [FOI #39995 email]
8 July 2010
Dear Mr Reid,
Freedom of Information request – RFI20100878
Thank you for your request to the BBC of 28 June 2010, seeking the following information under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘FOIA’) in regards to the coverage of the World Cup 2010
in South Africa:
“1. The number of staff, both employed and freelance that you have used to provide cover. This includes
both front of screen and back-room staff.
2. The total cost of international transport for these staff and for the equipment taken over there
necessary for the production.
3. The total cost of internal transport for these staff and for the equipment taken over there necessary for
the production.
4. The total cost of accommodation for those staff who are salaried and employed by the BBC
5. The total cost of salaries for your staff for this period
6. The total of all payments made to freelance staff for them to cover this event. This should include
transport, hotel and all other fees.
7. The total contract fees that you paid or will pay to allow you to screen the event.
8. The total amounts saved by the early exit of England from the World Cup.” The information you requested is not covered by FOIA; however, we are happy to volunteer the
following information.
We can tell you that the number of BBC staff travelling to South Africa is likely to be 295 or less.
Sport will send 190 (20 fewer than went to Germany in 2006); the BBC Radio contingent will be
48 (also 20 down on 2006); and News promises to send fewer than its team of 57 in 2006. More
than 70 Sport staff will be based in Johannesburg to access feeds coming into the IBC. And around
35 people will travel back to the UK early as the number of games reduces.
BBC TV will be covering 32 games live and will have around 110 hours of domestic World Cup
coverage across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Three. In around 250 hours of coverage, BBC
Radio will take all matches live, including all the 5 live programmes being presented from South
Africa. More than 100 hours of red button coverage and 100 hours of content on the BBC Sport
website are also planned.
The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes
of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ Part VI of Schedule 1 to FOIA provides that information held by
the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for
‘purposes
other than those of journalism, art or literature” 1. The BBC is not required by the Act
to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that
supports and is closely associated with these creative activities; however, on this occasion we’re
happy to provide the above information in response to your request.
Appeal Rights
The BBC does not offer an internal review when the information requested is not covered by the
Act. If you disagree with our decision you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. Contact
details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF telephone 01625 545 700. http://www.ico.gov.uk
Please note that should the Information Commissioner’s Office decide that the Act does cover
this information, exemptions under the Act might then apply.
Yours sincerely,
Brendan Knox-Peebles,
Head of Legal, Sport
1 For more information about how the Act applies to the BBC please see the enclosure that follows this letter Please
note that this guidance is not intended to be a comprehensive legal interpretation of how the Act applies to the BBC.
Freedom of Information
From January 2005 the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives a general right of access to all
types of recorded information held by public authorities. The Act also sets out exemptions from that
right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. The term “public authority” is defined
in the Act; it includes all public bodies and government departments in the UK. The BBC, Channel 4
and S4C are the only broadcasters covered by the Act.
Application to the BBC
The BBC has a long tradition of making information available and accessible. It seeks to be open and
accountable and already provides the public with a great deal of information about its activities. BBC
Information operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week handling telephone and written comments
and queries, and the BBC’s website bbc.co.uk provides an extensive online information resource.
It is important to bear this in mind when considering the Freedom of Information Act and how it
applies to the BBC. The Act does not apply to the BBC in the way it does to most public authorities
in one significant respect. It recognises the different position of the BBC (as well as Channel 4 and
S4C) by saying that it covers information “held for purposes other than those of journalism, art or
literature”. This means the Act does not apply to information held for the purposes of creating the
BBC’s output (TV, radio, online etc), or information that supports and is closely associated with
these creative activities.
A great deal of information within this category is currently available from the BBC and will continue
to be so. If this is the type of information you are looking for, you can check whether it is available
on the BBC’s website bbc.co.uk or contact BBC Information.
The Act does apply to all of the other information we hold about the management and running of the
BBC.
The BBC
The BBC's aim is to enrich people's lives with great programmes and services that inform, educate
and entertain. It broadcasts radio and television programmes on analogue and digital services in the
UK. It delivers interactive services across the web, television and mobile devices. The BBC's online
service is Europe's most widely visited content site. Across the world, the BBC broadcasts radio
programmes in 32 languages on the BBC World Service and the 24 hour television service, BBC
World News.
The BBC's remit as a public service broadcaster is defined in the BBC Charter and Agreement. It is
the responsibility of the BBC Trust (the sovereign body within the BBC) to ensure that the
organisation delivers against this remit by setting key objectives, approving strategy and policy, and
monitoring and assessing performance. The Trustees also safeguard the BBC's independence and
ensure the Corporation is accountable to its audiences and to Parliament.
Day-to-day operations are run by the Director-General and his senior management team, the
Executive Board. All BBC output in the UK is funded by an annual Licence Fee. This is determined
and regularly reviewed by Parliament. Each year, the BBC publishes an Annual Report & Accounts,
and reports to Parliament on how it has delivered against its public service remit.
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