** Found this on Biased BBC site - link on sidebar... and a link above to a bit on this in the Times Online...
The BBC was embarrassed last night by e-mails that showed it "invented" a justification for spending £60,000 of licence payers’ money commissioning a Tracey Emin sculpture.
Emin's Roman Standard sculpture of a bird on a post was bought by the BBC at a time when Mark Thompson, its director-general, was announcing big cost cuts.
Internal e-mails revealed serious doubts within the organisation about spending so much on a sculpture that had no links to the corporation.
An e-mail dated February 22 from senior BBC publicist Janet Morrow to Vanda Rumney, head of communications, gave warning that the commission could create a "sticky situation on the public art front which could blow up".
Morrow noted that the sculpture "is not connected to a BBC building, nor is it linked in any way to a BBC broadcast or BBC activity — the BBC has purely used licence fee money to create a public sculpture".
She then said she had "invented" a "plausible line" to justify the commission.
Emin was surprised by the revelations last night. “The BBC told me they were very, very happy with the commission. Roman Standard is very low-cost considering the time and effort it took. I think the BBC should have spent £300,000 on it. They got a bargain as far as I’m concerned.”
Her work, which was unveiled in February, stands outside Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.
It was commissioned by the BBC to mark the city’s role as the European City of Culture.
** Well guess thats why we get such shoddy news reporting and constant re-runs of Last of the Summer Wine as they seem to enjoy spending our tax money on anything except decent programs....
3 people have spoken:
£60,000? Oh, come on, you're just being kind. The BBC actually waste £3b a year. And, hey -- Nice new layout.
True, but this is bad even by BBC standards, low though those standards are
... Or maybe we're both looking at this in entirely the wrong way. After all, I'm sure the sculpture has at least some practical uses.
"Bend over please, John Simpson. Here comes your six-foot sparrow-on-a-stick."
Hmm. Like I often say about modern art -- It's not so bad so long as you're looking at it from the right angle.
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