Just how many people does it take to change a BBC light bulb?

For more than a month the iconic sign at BBC Television Centre on Wood Lane, west London, has been out of action.

But what should have been a simple job, to repair a light illuminating the second "i", has descended into farce.



So far two outside companies have been hired to fix the problem. One has been tasked with erecting a series of hydraulic platforms to reach the sign, 50 feet up in the air. The other is evaluating the damage.

It is estimated that it costs the corporation £1,100 each time this procedure is carried out.

Last year it emerged that the BBC had been charged £57 to change a light bulb by a property management company.