BBC Scotland sent a “freeloader” executive to the US for the World Cup despite apparently trying to reduce costs amid budget cuts, The National has been told.
Questions were raised after Tom Connor, an executive sport editor at BBC Scotland, was pictured in Times Square with other members of the broadcaster’s Scottish team.
A senior insider with knowledge of BBC Scotland’s sports operations questioned the reasoning behind sending Connor, suggesting his job would not have required him to be on location in New York.
“Tom is the original freeloader,” the insider said.
“He was always on trips hanging around when it was perfectly obvious he didn’t need to be there.”
Questions were also raised about Amy Irons and Steven Mill, the co-presenters of BBC Radio Scotland’s Saturday Show. The pair were both in the US for the World Cup, producing three episodes of their weekly radio show while out there.
Other BBC Scotland journalists including Chris McLaughlin, Tom English, Andy Burke, and Eilidh Barbour were also sent to the US to cover the tournament.
However, the BBC’s main team – including veteran host Gabby Logan and pundits such as Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer – have been based in Salford for the World Cup as a cost-cutting measure.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the director of BBC Sport, had been aiming to save money, reports have said. Last month, the BBC announced large-scale job cuts, with around 1800-2000 jobs to go, including 550 from BBC News and TV and radio-related roles.
Logan previously defended the BBC’s decision to anchor its coverage of the North American tournament in the UK, saying: "I think there are many, many good reasons why you would stay in one place in the UK in terms of sustainability of the event. It doesn’t cost as much – we have to think about that, and the belt is being tightened all the time with the licence fee."
A BBC Scotland spokesperson said: “The World Cup has been the biggest sporting event for Scotland’s National Team in decades and it should be no surprise that BBC Scotland’s Sport editor was there to edit the significant levels of original content our teams produced.”
The spokesperson said that Irons had “multiple presenting duties beyond The Saturday Show including frequently on Reporting Scotland”, while Mill is “freelance [and] went to America at his own expense”.
They went on: “It goes without saying that to produce content of this scale and volume requires the appropriate level of editorial oversight. BBC network news and sport services have teams working across the USA, Canada and Mexico right now, alongside some Salford-based presentation.
“It was quite right that BBC Scotland teams – along with their network colleagues – were broadcasting live from the tournament.”
The BBC will send its core presenting and punditry team out to the US for the final week, ahead of the final on July 19.
