BBC reorganisation holds up agency review

The BBC has delayed a review of its creative agency roster by up to a year while the corporation continues to restructure its marketing department.

The broadcaster had been expected to begin the review of its &£20m above-the- line account before the contracts’ expiry in February this year. Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO, DFGW and Fallon were appointed in December 2000.

A BBC spokesman has confirmed that the review will not begin until the restructure has been completed, which is not now expected until autumn at the earliest.

The contract was supposed to have run for a maximum of five years, after which the BBC was required to hold a statutory review.

The BBC’s restructure of its marketing, communications and audiences division will see the number of departments cut from 20 to eight with a loss of more than 100 posts (MW July 7, 2005). It is part of BBC director-general Mark Thompson’s plans to overhaul the broadcaster by cutting costs and jobs.

Tim Davie, who joined the BBC as director of marketing, communications and audiences in March last year from PepsiCo, was expected to launch a roster review within months of his arrival but he is now overseeing the restructure.

AMV is the lead agency across all television work, while Fallon is the strategic agency for the BBC’s youth brands and for its radio and music channels.

DFGW is the strategic and creative lead agency for the BBC’s children’s and sports output.