BBC cuts champagne and first class air bill because of soaring energy costs

The BBC's lavish spending on first-class flights, champagne, and limouisines is to be cut to foot the bill for the corporation's soaring energy costs. Well done: Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC Photo: OLI SCARFF The £50,000 annual budget for champagne, which is couriered to the homes of award-winning staff and presenters, has already been axed on the personal orders of Mark Thompson, the director-general. They will receive instead a well done card from the director-general. A new round of savings has been ordered as a result of energy bills that are expected to climb £50 million more than anticipated by 2010. A worse than expected licence fee settlement has already led to the axeing of 1,800 staff. Employees have been ordered to make significant reductions after the taxi bill rose to £13.8 million, up six per... [read full story]