Value judgement

Plain-speaking John Myers has been hired by the BBC Trust for yet-another-look at value for money in BBC Network Radio. John, formerly with GMG, and quite fond of appearing at the microphone himself in the north-east, has had a year off after stepping down from the group, and will act as an independent consultant leading the review, before taking up a new role as head of the Radio Academy in April 2011. 


Commercial radio spokesman Andrew Harrison is moderately gracious about the exercise, looking at Radio 1, 1Xtra, 2 and 6Music. "Although this falls some way short of a formal benchmarking exercise with Commercial Radio, as requested by both the NAO [National Audit Office] and the BBC Trust, we would still expect John Myers, who is greatly respected across all of the radio industry, to identify both areas of best practice and possible savings". 


The only way he can properly assess the value-for-money of the music networks is if the BBC has really responded to the NAO report from 2009, which was scathing about the corporation's lack of both cost-benefit analysis and work on benchmarking. Otherwise it'll be another document for the shelf. 

• 1300 Monday update. Phil Riley, formerly of LBC, now with Midland radio group Orion, says "I think it's an inspired choice, because the commercial sector know John well, know he's got the best interests of radio at heart and will not let the BBC off the hook. At the same time, the BBC knows he's got the best interests of radio at heart and he's not going to recommend things that would damage the BBC."  John Myers will look at Radio2 and 6Music. Radio2 and 6Music are controlled by Bob Shennan. Bob is also President of the Radio Academy.