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Dyke shows BBC yellow card

Dyke took over as director general in January 2000

He said BBC staff had a unique opportunity to be innovative and appeal to sections of the public that do not currently feel served by the BBC.

Mr Dyke was launching a new scheme called Making It Happen, designed to give staff the power to implement changes, in a speech to mark two years in the job.

"To help me, I've had a yellow card printed which says on it 'cut the crap and make it happen' which I plan to bring out at every meeting when someone is trying to stop a good idea rather than make it happen," he said.

The priorities were to encourage creativity and connect with all audiences, he said.

"Our purpose is public service broadcasting and that means we must have something to offer all our audiences.

"Remember, everyone pays for the BBC, everyone should get something back," he told staff.

The BBC must not just meet the hopes and expectations of viewers and listeners, he said, but must exceed them.

"It is absolutely essential that we don't become the preserve of the south of England over-55s."

He also said he wants to make the BBC "the most creative organisation in the world".

"That will mean giving people the right to fail, encouraging new ideas in every part of the BBC and really changing some of the ways we work," he said.

Helen Boaden, controller of BBC Radio 4, will be in charge of stimulating innovation throughout the corporation.

Mr Dyke also told employees that his scheme to create "One BBC" and cut internal costs had already saved enough money to be able to pay for two new digital children's channels, to launch next week, and a new TV soap set in Glasgow.