Days of lavish BBC Christmas parties are over

August 27, 2010

The boss of the BBC has issued a stark warning to his employees that the era when they could take over the Science Museum for a decadent Dr Who-themed Christmas party is well and truly over.

Director-general, Mark Thompson, laid down the line to an irate audience of employees this month, following the publication of the planned pension scheme cuts.

While employees are angry that such draconic cuts are being made, Mr Thompson is being put under increasing pressure from the government to cut costs. This was exacerbated when culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, threatened to cut the licence fee when it comes up for renegotiation next year.

One of the first budgets he reined in was hospitality. Employees of different BBC departments were accustomed to spirited Christmas parties that were often as innovative and exciting as much of the broadcaster's new content. Different divisions of the company staged individual parties, the costs of which were partially subsidised by the tax-payer-funded organisation.

The Dr Who party – which was organised as a special viewing session for the Christmas episode of the hit show – took place before the recession, in 2007, and is thought to have had a six-figure price tag.