MUMBAI: BBC has cut down expenses and central bookings by 4 per cent in the fiscal-fourth quarter, with particular savings on hotels, taxis and hospitality.

This is down 11 per cent since it first started publishing in 2009.

BBC published details of the expenses, central bookings and gifts and hospitality for the fourth quarter ended March 2012, and the salaries as of June 2012, of most of its senior managers.

This publication is part of the pubcaster?s continued commitment to provide more transparency in how it is spending the License Fee and is the 12th expenses isclosure.

A BBC spokesperson said, "Expenses have fallen 4 percent this quarter and remain within a range proportionate to running a media organisation of this size. We continue to be mindful of how we spend public money and to drive down costs wherever possible."

MUMBAI: BBC has said that the London 2012 Olympic Games delivered the biggest television event in the UK since current measuring systems began, with 51.9 million (90 per cent of the UK population) watching at least 15 minutes of coverage. 24.2 million (42 per cent of the UK population) also watched at least 15 minutes of coverage on the BBC Red Button.

The Closing Ceremony was watched by a peak audience of 26.3 million and an average audience of 23.2 million (82 per cent share). This compares to an Opening Ceremony peak audience of 27.3 million and an average audience of 23.4 million (84% share).

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said, "It has been an absolute privilege to broadcast the London 2012 Olympics on BBC One. It?s been a phenomenal Games and Team GB?s amazing achievements have helped draw huge audiences to BBC One and put the channel right at the heart of the action. We?ve had fantastic feedback about the quality of the BBC?s coverage and all the teams involved deserve huge thanks and praise."

Top 10 viewing peaks:
1. Opening Ceremony, Friday 27 July - 27.3 million
2. Closing Ceremony, Sunday 12 August - 26.3 million
3. Men?s 100m Final ? Bolt wins gold, Sunday 5 August - 20 million
4. Mo Farah wins 10000m gold, Saturday 4 August - 17.1 million
5. Jess Ennis wins Heptathlon gold, Saturday 4 August - 16.3 million
6. Tom Daley win?s diving bronze, Saturday 11 August - 15.9 million (inc. BBC One/Three and BBC Red Button)
7. Greg Rutherford Long Jump gold, Saturday 4 August - 15.6 million
8. Men?s 200m Final ? Bolt wins second gold, Thursday 9 August - 15.4 million
9. Mo Farah wins 5000m gold, Saturday 11 August - 12.9 million
10. Sally Pearson wins 110m hurdles gold, Tuesday 7 August - 12.1 million

MUMBAI: US newspaper organisation New York Times has announced that BBC DG Mark Thompson will become its next president and CEO. He will also become a member of the Company?s Board of Directors.

Thompson will report to the board of directors and to Times Company chairman Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. He is relocating to New York and is expected to start his new role in November.

The decision to hire a non American who does not comes from print has surprised some people. At the same time, The New York Times is one ofthe few newspapers in the US which has survived the onslaught on the Internet and has a pay model online.

Sulzberger said, "Mark is a gifted executive with strong credentials whose leadership at the BBC helped it to extend its trusted brand identity into new digital products and services. Our board concluded that Mark?s experience and his accomplishments at the BBC made him the ideal candidate to lead the Times Company at this moment in time when we are highly focused on growing our business through digital and global expansion."

Thompson said, "The New York Times is one of the world?s greatest news providers and a media brand of immense future potential both in the U.S. and around the world. It is a real privilege to be asked to join the Times Company as it embarks on the next chapter in its history. I?m particularly excited to be coming to The New York Times Company as it extends its influence digitally and globally. I look forward to working with the board, Arthur and his highly talented management team to build on the success that has already been achieved and to explore new ways of bringing journalism of exceptional quality, integrity and depth to readers and users everywhere."

At the BBC, Thompson developed new products and generated new revenue streams on multiple platforms. The businesses he supervised included BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, a fast-growing media and entertainment company designed to maximise BBC profits by creating,acquiring and developing media content and media brands around the world. It has annual revenues of approximately $1.5 billion.

Most recently, he has led the BBC?s multimedia coverage of the London Olympic Games, coverage which has won near universal acclaim at home and around the world. While reaching historically high audiences in TV and radio, the BBC also used London 2012 to pioneer multiple new digital services and technologies.

Thompson has been responsible for the BBC?s services across television, radio and online including 10 national TV channels and 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive global Web site. The BBC World Service broadcasts to the world on radio, on TV and online, providing news and information in 27 languages. With a global workforce of more than 20,000 people, the BBC produces over 400,000 hours of content each year.

MUMBAI: The opening ceremony of the London Olympics set a new viewership record with 26.9 million viewers in UK tuning in, according to public broadcaster BBC.

The average viewing figure for Friday?s four-hour show was 22.4 million thereby becoming UK?s 13th most-watched programme ever.

In contrast, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games in 2008 averaged at 5 million and peaked at 5.4 million.
The programme also had an 82 per cent share - almost twice that of the previous high for an Olympic opening ceremony, in Barcelona in 1992.

In US, The Nielsen Company said London?s ceremony was the most-watched opening ceremony of any summer or winter Olympics with a record 40.7 million watching it on NBC.

The viewership topped the previous mark of 39.8 million people who watched the 1996 Atlanta Olympics begin, and the 34.9 million who watched the opening ceremony of Beijing games four years ago.

MUMBAI: BBC One has launched its new Original British Drama campaign to the UK nation throughout the Olympic Games period.

Over the next two weeks audiences will get a sneak preview of the new British drama coming up on the channel. including ?Good Cop?, ?Accused?, ?Doctor Who;, ;Merlin? and ?EastEnders?.

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said, "The London 2012 London Olympics provides a rare and unique opportunity to showcase some of BBC One?s very best forthcoming programmes to our audiences. At approximately 8 pm across the 17 days of The London Olympics, we will give viewers the first exclusive look at a range of brand new original British drama coming up on BBC One - in the form of

specially-made feature length trailers. From Hunted to The Paradise, Good Cop and The Secret of Crickley Hall, Shetland to Ripper Street, these new series highlight the exciting and broad range of tones, stories and worlds we want drama on BBC One to encapsulate.

"Plus viewers will get an exclusive look at what?s coming up on Eastenders, Merlin Accused and Dr Who. It?s a fantastically diverse and ambitious combination of fiction coming up on BBC One in the coming months."