WARNING!
Anyone posting a link to this page on any bbc blog or message board risks having their membership summarily terminated.
You may also receive threatening emails
In any event, the message containing the link will be immediately "removed because it broke the House Rules" There is a special "house rule" which forbids mentioning the moderation company, believe it or not!
Members thus barred will also be informed that they will be prevented from opening new membership accounts,
and, if discovered to have done so, will find those accounts summarily cancelled. You may also receive threatening emails
Proceed with caution! These creatures are in possession of almost God-like powers.
The blogs and "message boards" on the BBC's huge web presence are moderated by an external private company.
Although deeply shrouded in "commercial confidentiality", there is reason to believe this company is Tempero who are
Doing Very Nicely, thank you!
BBC Annual Accounts show the Budget Spend for 2009 for the online service to be :
Content - £112.2m
Distribution - £18.5m
Infrastructure and Support - £46.5m
So our friends in moderation must be taking a large slice of the £46.5m
Total Online Spend for 2009 is budgetted at £177.2m (2008 - £182m)
A little research on Tempero at Companies House provides:
Who the directors are
2006 accounts
2008 accounts,
accounts 2009
directors 2009
and
The rules for avoiding the need to file detailed accounts See update below:
(3) The qualifying conditions are met by a company in a year in which it satisfies two or more of the following requirements—
Small company
1. Turnover Not more than £2 million
2. Balance sheet total Not more than £975,000
3. Number of employees Not more than 50
See update below
And what the exemption allows:
Companies Act 1985
SCHEDULE 6
Section 13(2).
[Schedule 8 to the Companies Act 1985]
Exemptions for Small and Medium-sized Companies
Part I
Small Companies
Balance sheet
1.—(1) The company may deliver a copy of an abbreviated version of the full balance sheet, showing only those items to which a letter or Roman number is assigned in the balance sheet format adopted under Part I of Schedule 4, but in other respects corresponding to the full balance sheet.
(2) If a copy of an abbreviated balance sheet is delivered, there shall be disclosed in it or in a note to the company's accounts delivered—
(a) the aggregate of the amounts required by note (5) of the notes on the balance sheet formats set out in Part I of Schedule 4 to be shown separately for each item included under debtors (amounts falling due after one year), and
(b) the aggregate of the amounts required by note (13) of those notes to be shown separately for each item included under creditors in Format 2 (amounts falling due within one year or after more than one year).
(3) The provisions of section 233 as to the signing of the copy of the balance sheet delivered to the registrar apply to a copy of an abbreviated balance sheet delivered in accordance with this paragraph.
Profit and loss account
2. A copy of the company's profit and loss account need not be delivered.
In other words, if they can keep employees below 50 and pay out profits to the shareholders (all 3 of them), they don't need to report turnover or profit.
I suspect they probably also contract out most of the work to either another wholly-owned company or even third parties, simply pocketing a nice fat percentage...
Why not send them an email (or two)?
"Europe's largest moderation company - Protecting users & brands 24/7"
Bragging, but taking advantage of the "Small Company" loophole in the Companies Act!
Managing Director:
Dominic Sparkes
* E: dominic.sparkes@tempero.co.uk
* T: +442076361200
* Tempero Ltd
An example of The Revolving Door?
or just evidence of cozy connections?
It might be advisable to Wash your hands and wipe your wellies ("powercycle" your router) before and after, and go in disguise, e.g. anyone@anywhere.com
Clarification from a law firm (Gillhams Solicitors)
Term: small or medium sized company
1.
Companies qualifying as small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) qualify for certain exceptions and exemptions from the usual statutory obligations under the Companies Act.
The size, turnover, balance sheet total and number of employees are used to calculate whether the company qualifies as an SME.
Small companies are those that have:
1. an annual turnover of £5.6 million or less
2. total fixed and current assets on its balance sheet of £2.8 million or less and
3. 50 employees or less.
Medium sized enterprises are those that have:
1. an annual turnover of £22.8 million or less
2. total fixed and current assets on its balance sheet £11.4 million or less and
3. 250 employees or less.
These are the statutory criterion since 30 January 2004. Prior to that date the criterion for the first two items in each list above was half its present value. When assessing holding companies, the balance sheet, turnover and number of employees of its subsidiaries are taken into account when determining the relevant statistics. Special rules apply to companies qualifying for exemptions, and an audit must prepared.
Public companies, companies that are subsidiaries of public companies, Also companies in certain regulated sectors are not capable of qualifying as SMEs.