Billy Taylor, jazz pianist, composer, and educationalist, has died in Manhattan at the age of 89. He took an academic route into music, then started playing professionally in 1944 with the Ben Webster Quartet in New York. A spell as house pianist at Birdland followed, and in the sixties his trio was a regular feature at Hickory House. He worked a lot in tv, hosting one of the first shows devoted to jazz on NBC in 1958, and became the first African American to lead a talk show band, for David Frost's US series. He worked as a DJ at WNEW in the sixties, and hosted a jazz programme on NPR for five years from 1977. His great educational outreach started in 1961, founding Jazzmobile, which ran outdoors concerts, workshops and projects around New York.
He wrote "I wish I knew how it would feel to be free" in 1954, for his daughter Kim. Words seemed to follow way behind the tune, and there's a co-credit, presumably for lyrics, to Dick Dallas, apparently an alias for one Richard Carroll Lamb (who needs more research). It was then recorded by Nina Simone in 1967.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Four
The BBC usually gets four names into the New Year's Honours list - and I think I've spotted them. Mark Damazer, lately Controller, Radio 4, is made a CBE. The former head of the Science Unit, John Lynch has been awarded the OBE. Ray French, BBC Rugby league commentator becomes an MBE.
John Lloyd is, I think, the fourth, made a CBE to mark a career producing Not The Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image and QI. He may, however, count as an "indy", so if anyone else spots a BBC gong somewhere, please post a comment.
John Lloyd is, I think, the fourth, made a CBE to mark a career producing Not The Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image and QI. He may, however, count as an "indy", so if anyone else spots a BBC gong somewhere, please post a comment.
Less, please
I apologise in advance for the dyspeptic tone of this post; I promise a more optimistic and positive approach as the year turns. Here's a list of ten things I would like to see less of in 2011, in reverse order.
2. EastendersForced to watch by relatives over the festive break, I remain of the view that this is the single most important reason for the BBC's failure to connect with the wider UK. It's miserable stuff. Free from humour, aspiration, hope - and plummeting into tawdry, tabloid plotlines. I'd make Thommo sit down in front of a full week's episodes and sort it out, or tell me how it meets Putting Quality First.
The laziest pundit on the telly. The quality of his analysis is now woeful - especially when compared to that offered by the doyennes of Fleet Street, filed within moments of the final whistle. There has to be more to talk about than who'll win the Premiership. I suspect one HD close-up of Alan will sort his exit - focus on where the perma-tan meets the application of Just For Men (Moustache, Beard and Sideburns gel). Scarier than Gordon Ramsay's surgical bandana.
10. BBC Political Correspondents
There has always been too many of them, and they all want to be on the air, opining like Nick Robinson. I don't mind that filling up the News Channel, but on bulletins, the BBC is micro-covering half-hints of policy changes, fall-outs, and general posturing - neither information or analysis. 9. Anything with Watch in the title
Springwatch, Badgerwatch, Desertwatch, Oddiewatch, Watchdog. Cheap tv, from the people who used to bring you Blue Planet8. Take That
The BBC and ITV are equally guilty. 7. Formulaic TV News graphics
I mean those where the reporter stands next to a bank, house, ship, road - and hey presto, stats about interest rates, mortgages, exports and deaths appear by tv magic. Out of perspective, and often difficult to read. In a world where these is now genuine invention in visualising stats on the web, this cliche should be banned. 6. Scottish folk singers in country houses
The errant Richard Klein, Controller of BBC4, refuses to show decent classical music apart from the Proms, despite the admonitions of the BBC Trust, and the fact that the BBC has all those orchestras. Instead he takes refuge in regular repeats of Gaelic sessions, Folk Britannia and lumpen bits of the Old Grey Whistle Test. A disgrace, when Sky Arts is doing so much more with so much less. 5. Nigel Slater
His books are great, Toast was brilliant, the recipes are engaging, but the camp close-ups of him chewing and simpering on his current BBC1 series say it's time for a rest. Plus I cannot forgive him for cooking four chicken breasts on screen just to create "leftovers". 4. Reporters at closed airports
Yes, just far enough away from the terminal for the wide shot, so that they have to ring up like everyone else for information about flights, or get fed copy from London. Never first with the "latest". You get more detail out of one answer from Simon Calder in the studio. Don't tell me to go to your website, either. That's useless too. 3. Cooking competitions
We're missing out on showing real technique, in favour of the spurious drama of cooking against a clock and a "vote". No wonder Nigel just cooks chicken breasts.2. Eastenders
1. Alan Hansen's eyebrows
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Measure for measure
Whilst Piers Morgan is enjoying the build-up to his CNN show launch on January 17, I hope someone explains how viewing figures work to him pretty quickly.
He's enormously taken with the idea that CNN is available in "300 million homes worldwide", and that his weekday interviews will be on three times a day in most CNN International schedules. There is an equally enormous difference between availability and viewers making use of that availability.
In the UK, CNN does not subscribe to BARB, the non-profit making audience research service supported by most major broadcast organisations. Nor does Bloomberg or MSNBC. Fox News does - and recorded a UK weekly reach (viewers have to tune in for 3 consecutive minutes over a seven day period to count) of 190,000 in December. Euronews scored 341,000. Current TV hit 631,000.
Compare those with Sky News at just over 6.3 million, and the BBC News channel at 11 million. All of them chasing a potential UK tv population of 54.3 for just three minutes of their attention span. The news channel interview audience in the UK will be with Adam Boulton, Jeff Randall and Stephen Sackur for some time, however much Piers blusters.
He's enormously taken with the idea that CNN is available in "300 million homes worldwide", and that his weekday interviews will be on three times a day in most CNN International schedules. There is an equally enormous difference between availability and viewers making use of that availability.
In the UK, CNN does not subscribe to BARB, the non-profit making audience research service supported by most major broadcast organisations. Nor does Bloomberg or MSNBC. Fox News does - and recorded a UK weekly reach (viewers have to tune in for 3 consecutive minutes over a seven day period to count) of 190,000 in December. Euronews scored 341,000. Current TV hit 631,000.
Compare those with Sky News at just over 6.3 million, and the BBC News channel at 11 million. All of them chasing a potential UK tv population of 54.3 for just three minutes of their attention span. The news channel interview audience in the UK will be with Adam Boulton, Jeff Randall and Stephen Sackur for some time, however much Piers blusters.
The problems of "extra" scheduling
The festive vagaries of the sporting schedule have been cruel to Radio 5 Live. Last night Talksport had its first "dog in the manger" upper hand over BBC, with three exclusive Premiership commentary matches - Chelsea v Bolton, Wigan v Arsenal and Liverpool v Wolverhampton. 5 had to make do with Nottingham Forest v Derby in the Championship - a mid-table clash that ended in a comfortable 5-2 win for the home side.
It's a reversal from the days when the BBC had all the Premiership rights, and could fire up 5Live Sports Extra to cover "second" matches. It would be interesting to know what sort of audience the fans of six Premier League clubs can drive.
In cricket, learned correspondents more awake than me have complained about poor trailing as the Ashes were retained. Listeners to Test Match Special on Radio 4 dreaded the Shipping Forecast, at 0050, spoiling their night, and were urged at around 0030 by Jonathan Agnew to re-tune to, as normal, to Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Unfortunately the commissioning team at 5 had dropped Sports Extra for the momentous night, and assembled a parallel commentary team on 5Live proper, chaired by Mark Pougatch. There was no mention of this on the tape loop that sustains Sports Extra. So back to Radio 4 for our listener, where finally Aggers is up to speed with the fact that he should be trailing 5Live - but 0049 comes, the penultimate Aussie wicket falls and the shipping forecast ensues.
So it's back to 5Live for the denouement - and the Pougatch team is in the chair for the final wicket at 0054. The Ashes retained, but not under the Test Match Special banner. Not quite right.
It's a reversal from the days when the BBC had all the Premiership rights, and could fire up 5Live Sports Extra to cover "second" matches. It would be interesting to know what sort of audience the fans of six Premier League clubs can drive.
In cricket, learned correspondents more awake than me have complained about poor trailing as the Ashes were retained. Listeners to Test Match Special on Radio 4 dreaded the Shipping Forecast, at 0050, spoiling their night, and were urged at around 0030 by Jonathan Agnew to re-tune to, as normal, to Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Unfortunately the commissioning team at 5 had dropped Sports Extra for the momentous night, and assembled a parallel commentary team on 5Live proper, chaired by Mark Pougatch. There was no mention of this on the tape loop that sustains Sports Extra. So back to Radio 4 for our listener, where finally Aggers is up to speed with the fact that he should be trailing 5Live - but 0049 comes, the penultimate Aussie wicket falls and the shipping forecast ensues.
So it's back to 5Live for the denouement - and the Pougatch team is in the chair for the final wicket at 0054. The Ashes retained, but not under the Test Match Special banner. Not quite right.
Extra Extra
Neil Midgely in The Telegraph has discovered what a range of radio producers know - that the BBC is stockpiling programmes with a view to changing the much-loved Radio 7 into the marketeers' and strategists' dream, Radio 4 Extra, in Spring 2011.
In many ways, 7 has been the most successful of the BBC's digital offerings - offering largely comedy and drama from the archive round the clock, with a daily burst of children's programmes. The audience has grown from just over 200,000 in 2003, to a million at the end of 2010. Clearly Tim Davie, and thinkers John Tait and Will Jackson, believe the "shift, preview and repeat" mantra of ITV2 etc is the right way for the service, and are confident it'll go through the Trust on the nod in January.
Mr Davie has said 4 Extra will preserve the best of Radio 7, but there will be fans who need convincing by a detailed schedule. The production staff will have mixed feelings - the increased ties with Radio 4 probably mean they're safe from a late run to Salford, but it will be a very different station from the one they joined. Actors, playwrights and comedy writers will lose repeat fees, and there be less children's output. Gillian Reynolds and the radio critics will go apoplectic at the increased cross trailing at every Radio 4 junction when the thing starts - but will there be enough fire all round to start #saveBBCradio7 ?
In many ways, 7 has been the most successful of the BBC's digital offerings - offering largely comedy and drama from the archive round the clock, with a daily burst of children's programmes. The audience has grown from just over 200,000 in 2003, to a million at the end of 2010. Clearly Tim Davie, and thinkers John Tait and Will Jackson, believe the "shift, preview and repeat" mantra of ITV2 etc is the right way for the service, and are confident it'll go through the Trust on the nod in January.
Mr Davie has said 4 Extra will preserve the best of Radio 7, but there will be fans who need convincing by a detailed schedule. The production staff will have mixed feelings - the increased ties with Radio 4 probably mean they're safe from a late run to Salford, but it will be a very different station from the one they joined. Actors, playwrights and comedy writers will lose repeat fees, and there be less children's output. Gillian Reynolds and the radio critics will go apoplectic at the increased cross trailing at every Radio 4 junction when the thing starts - but will there be enough fire all round to start #saveBBCradio7 ?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Don't be my guest
Though my record shows two spells in the production team of Today, I find I now listen less and less, and have missed all this season's guest editors. Reading the sages of Twitter, the efforts of today's celebrity have fallen short. "The Today programme informs me that Sam Taylor-Wood, surprisingly for a conceptual artist, is a boring lump of self-regard" "I am starting to think Jordan would have been a brilliant guest editor, by comparison. It'd certainly have lightened the mood of the nation."
A correspondent who also has "previous" on Today has forwarded a copy of his letter to the programme condemning the very concept of guests editors. He is, of course, a notorious old curmudgeon, and regular writer to the show, but is pretty certain it won't be read out. So here's his PS.
Incidentally I would like to be "guest coach" for England during the final test in Sydney. Do you think Andy Flower will step aside and the ECB agree - after all I have been watching Test cricket since the Australian tour of 1948 ?
Maybe I am aiming a little high - perhaps an Old Bailey judge for a day, or I should be content with "guest manager" at Manchester United next Saturday at Old Trafford ? After all I can chew gum and rant and rave with the best of them at referees and players, as many a BBC producer will tell you (but I can't manage the Scottish accent).
A correspondent who also has "previous" on Today has forwarded a copy of his letter to the programme condemning the very concept of guests editors. He is, of course, a notorious old curmudgeon, and regular writer to the show, but is pretty certain it won't be read out. So here's his PS.
Incidentally I would like to be "guest coach" for England during the final test in Sydney. Do you think Andy Flower will step aside and the ECB agree - after all I have been watching Test cricket since the Australian tour of 1948 ?
Maybe I am aiming a little high - perhaps an Old Bailey judge for a day, or I should be content with "guest manager" at Manchester United next Saturday at Old Trafford ? After all I can chew gum and rant and rave with the best of them at referees and players, as many a BBC producer will tell you (but I can't manage the Scottish accent).
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Complaining by numbers
The BBC has turned down an FoI request to reveal the number of complaints it has received about interviews with Jody McIntyre conducted on 13th and 14th December. Jody has cerebral palsy and took part in student protests around Parliament in a wheelchair. He was interviewed on the News Channel by Ben Brown, and then again on Breakfast tv. Controller of the News Channel Kevin Bakhurst invited comments on The Editors' Blog, where they remain frozen at 1,065 - public information.
The corporation says information on the number of complaints is held for "the purposes of journalism" and therefore protected. The longer piece of the argument goes thus...
If the content of individual criticisms were available for public scrutiny on a regular basis then
programme makers would be under even greater pressure to respond to lobbies or vocal
individuals than they are already. They might be reluctant to make changes that reflect the views
in the complaints in that they could be accused of “caving in to pressure” and other viewers would
make judgements about the apparent impartiality of the programme. Conversely, if their
judgement was to ignore the complaints, as they believed them to be invalid or outweighed by
other factors, they will be accused of ignoring public opinion, without the opportunity to explain
the reasons for their editorial judgement. The BBC also believes that publication could lead to a
tit-for-tat escalation of complaints, particularly from lobbying groups or political parties, as
opponents competed with each other in terms of volume and strength of a complaint to the BBC.
Yet Kevin invited people to complain, as long as they explained their rationale.
I am aware that there is a web campaign encouraging people to complain to the BBC about the interview, the broad charge being that Ben Brown was too challenging in it. However I am genuinely interested in hearing more from people who have complained about why they object to the interview. I would obviously welcome all other views.
Transparency and openness v lobbying and "hacktivism". A Mexican stand-off, methinks.
The corporation says information on the number of complaints is held for "the purposes of journalism" and therefore protected. The longer piece of the argument goes thus...
If the content of individual criticisms were available for public scrutiny on a regular basis then
programme makers would be under even greater pressure to respond to lobbies or vocal
individuals than they are already. They might be reluctant to make changes that reflect the views
in the complaints in that they could be accused of “caving in to pressure” and other viewers would
make judgements about the apparent impartiality of the programme. Conversely, if their
judgement was to ignore the complaints, as they believed them to be invalid or outweighed by
other factors, they will be accused of ignoring public opinion, without the opportunity to explain
the reasons for their editorial judgement. The BBC also believes that publication could lead to a
tit-for-tat escalation of complaints, particularly from lobbying groups or political parties, as
opponents competed with each other in terms of volume and strength of a complaint to the BBC.
Yet Kevin invited people to complain, as long as they explained their rationale.
I am aware that there is a web campaign encouraging people to complain to the BBC about the interview, the broad charge being that Ben Brown was too challenging in it. However I am genuinely interested in hearing more from people who have complained about why they object to the interview. I would obviously welcome all other views.
Transparency and openness v lobbying and "hacktivism". A Mexican stand-off, methinks.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Still searching
Well-intentioned people at the BBC are still trying to build a better search engine. The latest effort is explained on the BBC Internet blog by Matthew McDonnell, as part of a continuing drive to "deliver a single, unified and consistent discovery experience for the BBC". ("Deliver" is the BBC buzz word of 2010 - retired sages note its use, poorly, once in Mark Thompson's Christmas message to staff, and three times in an e-billet-doux from Helen Boaden)
This [search engine development], for me, is the sort of thing Mark Thompson should stop, if the BBC is serious about cutting 25% of online spending, and committing to fewer landmark sites. Reasons ? One: There are some good, proprietary brands out there. Anyone heard of Google, Yahoo !, Bing, Ask etc ? Two: a little or no cost, you can embed a proprietary engine within your site. Three: the results of specifically designed BBC search engines are aimed at keeping you within "BBC content", and that's not a good thing these days.
So let's see the costs of the development team so far (right back to the beginning) and the hits that come from use of a BBC search box compared to those that come via by Google et al.
This [search engine development], for me, is the sort of thing Mark Thompson should stop, if the BBC is serious about cutting 25% of online spending, and committing to fewer landmark sites. Reasons ? One: There are some good, proprietary brands out there. Anyone heard of Google, Yahoo !, Bing, Ask etc ? Two: a little or no cost, you can embed a proprietary engine within your site. Three: the results of specifically designed BBC search engines are aimed at keeping you within "BBC content", and that's not a good thing these days.
So let's see the costs of the development team so far (right back to the beginning) and the hits that come from use of a BBC search box compared to those that come via by Google et al.
Constituency news
Donald Trelford in The Independent ponders on the rights and wrongs of the two Telegraph hackettes who visited LibDem MPs undercover in search of fodder to keep their editors happy over Christmas.
The Telegraph is confident that it can pass the public interest test. If Lib Dem MPs were saying one thing in public about their coalition partners and something else in private, then it can be argued that voters were entitled to know this. Likewise with Cable: if he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch's media empire, then it was clearly inappropriate for him to have a quasi-judicial role in weighing the rights and wrongs of a BSkyB business deal.
I'm afraid the Telegraph exercise looks more like a fishing expedition than a rigorous investigation of wrong-doing, in the public interest. It's the spread that clinches it for me - the range of people questioned, the range of questions asked, and the range of answers used. And, as Donald says, fishing expeditions are banned by the Press Council's code of conduct.
The Telegraph is confident that it can pass the public interest test. If Lib Dem MPs were saying one thing in public about their coalition partners and something else in private, then it can be argued that voters were entitled to know this. Likewise with Cable: if he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch's media empire, then it was clearly inappropriate for him to have a quasi-judicial role in weighing the rights and wrongs of a BSkyB business deal.
I'm afraid the Telegraph exercise looks more like a fishing expedition than a rigorous investigation of wrong-doing, in the public interest. It's the spread that clinches it for me - the range of people questioned, the range of questions asked, and the range of answers used. And, as Donald says, fishing expeditions are banned by the Press Council's code of conduct.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Breaking verticals
Brightcove, which supplies technology to help big websites stream videos and more, has spotted an emerging trend. In a snapshot sample of 10,000 websites that use Brightcove around the world, "newspaper" sites now take the lead in posting videos. In Quarter 3, 2010, newspapers streamed 313 million minutes of content, compared with 290 million for "broadcasters". Another trend is for newspapers to put up more, shorter, titles, whilst broadcasters major on longer-form stuff.
Will 2011 be the year the Mail overtakes BBC News Online ?
Will 2011 be the year the Mail overtakes BBC News Online ?
Now, in sport...
As hinted here earlier this month, BBC Sport management seems to have bowed to presenter power, ousting Jonathan Legard from his role as lead F1 commentator on tv; and giving "summariser" Martin Brundle both the hot seat and his choice of side-kick for the forthcoming season.
Boss Barbara Slater will have been involved. It's a year of big decisions for her; she hasn't publically declared what her address will be when Sport move to Salford, but it's believed the principal home will remain Ealing, with a weekday flat in Manchester - the Van-Klaveren solution. Good to have management on hand when sport's at its busiest. Some of her staff are also concerned that there might be "exceptions" to the new, "tough" rule that key duty editors live within 40 miles of the Quays - unless, of course, there are new appointments to come in 2011.
Boss Barbara Slater will have been involved. It's a year of big decisions for her; she hasn't publically declared what her address will be when Sport move to Salford, but it's believed the principal home will remain Ealing, with a weekday flat in Manchester - the Van-Klaveren solution. Good to have management on hand when sport's at its busiest. Some of her staff are also concerned that there might be "exceptions" to the new, "tough" rule that key duty editors live within 40 miles of the Quays - unless, of course, there are new appointments to come in 2011.
Tacsi !
Wales On Sunday has discovered that BBC Wales has spent £595,551 on taxis in the eighteen months since April 2009. The biggest spending department was drama, at £170,342. It's not clear if that element will reduce when the new Drama Village opens - I can't see our London luvvies taking the bus from the train station, can you ?
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Succession planning
Ben Fenton of the FT has the runners and riders for the BBC Trust Chairman Stakes, and, he believes, and the major hurdle they'll all face at the interview panel. Ben reckons the big question for the candidates is "Who'll follow Mark Thompson as DG ?"
Mark himself will find this a bit previous. I'm guessing he'll stay in post until at least the Olympics, when he'll be 55. He'll want to enjoy some of the six-year licence fee deal - and see how the land lies with a new Chairman, ideally running a much less interventionist Trust. Our Mark's main problem for the start of 2011 is to find a new head of BBC Vision. Insiders at Television Centre want George Entwistle, currently minding the shop, as their long-term protector; his specialism, in "knowledge", is flavour of the month with the DG. I'm still hoping for a more radical organisational change; if that doesn't happen, Mark may still opt for a sharp outsider to carry out the budget surgery that will be needed over the next year.
This bit is for Lord Patten's ears only. Chris, you're presumably curtailing Xmas dinner to mug up on broadcasting matters. So, the BBC will need a DG with an understanding of journalism and politics after Thommo goes. Inside, that means only Caroline Thomson and Helen Boaden are really in play; outside, we've occasionally looked at Fleet Street in the past - and might want to watch James Harding at The Times and Tony Gallagher at The Telegraph. There's time. If they push you further, just talk about process - you'll be in the middle of one, after all.
Mark himself will find this a bit previous. I'm guessing he'll stay in post until at least the Olympics, when he'll be 55. He'll want to enjoy some of the six-year licence fee deal - and see how the land lies with a new Chairman, ideally running a much less interventionist Trust. Our Mark's main problem for the start of 2011 is to find a new head of BBC Vision. Insiders at Television Centre want George Entwistle, currently minding the shop, as their long-term protector; his specialism, in "knowledge", is flavour of the month with the DG. I'm still hoping for a more radical organisational change; if that doesn't happen, Mark may still opt for a sharp outsider to carry out the budget surgery that will be needed over the next year.
This bit is for Lord Patten's ears only. Chris, you're presumably curtailing Xmas dinner to mug up on broadcasting matters. So, the BBC will need a DG with an understanding of journalism and politics after Thommo goes. Inside, that means only Caroline Thomson and Helen Boaden are really in play; outside, we've occasionally looked at Fleet Street in the past - and might want to watch James Harding at The Times and Tony Gallagher at The Telegraph. There's time. If they push you further, just talk about process - you'll be in the middle of one, after all.
Giving
This year, the nice young lady from Europe who helps us keep our house clean once a week has...
Knocked a large framed print off its hanger to a shattered life on the floor
Destroyed a Miele hoover
Washed the remote control for the bedroom tv with the sheets
Broken two night-lights, two plates and three mugs
Damaged beyond repair a piece of treasured pottery made by number 2 daughter as a child
Made a small, and in theory, indestructible, Le Creuset omelette pan (also ideal for making tarte tatin) disappear, on the same day a kitchen floor tile turned out to be cracked and crazed
We gave her money for Christmas. I got a new omelette pan. I hope all readers get what they want in 2011. Merry Christmas !
Knocked a large framed print off its hanger to a shattered life on the floor
Destroyed a Miele hoover
Washed the remote control for the bedroom tv with the sheets
Broken two night-lights, two plates and three mugs
Damaged beyond repair a piece of treasured pottery made by number 2 daughter as a child
Made a small, and in theory, indestructible, Le Creuset omelette pan (also ideal for making tarte tatin) disappear, on the same day a kitchen floor tile turned out to be cracked and crazed
We gave her money for Christmas. I got a new omelette pan. I hope all readers get what they want in 2011. Merry Christmas !
Friday, December 24, 2010
Odd ?
You hardly ever see Ed Miliband and BBC Sports News' Joe Wilson in the same room. Maybe after the Ashes...
It's only words
It's tragic when a valued colleague dies in harness. It's really difficult when that colleague is a fund of knowledge vital to your operation. Production staff at BBC News this year lost a true friend to their output, who shall, for the purposes of this post, remain anonymous. He'd kept programmes on air since the start of News 24 with his understanding of pioneering but temperamental digital play out systems and associated software. All his detailed records of modifications, work-rounds and re-boot tricks, were locked in his various computer accounts.
However, the passwords have finally been cracked. The major breakthrough came with a bad word now, thanks to Jim Naughtie, forever associated with the Culture Secretary, made plural. The other two were creative combinations of some equally bad words, in adjectival and adverbial juxtaposition with nouns. He probably logged on with relish.
However, the passwords have finally been cracked. The major breakthrough came with a bad word now, thanks to Jim Naughtie, forever associated with the Culture Secretary, made plural. The other two were creative combinations of some equally bad words, in adjectival and adverbial juxtaposition with nouns. He probably logged on with relish.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Aussie opinion former
Either a funny piece of code or a little bit of festive fun from an online sub ? When you read the Guardian's editorial on Vince Cable, Jeremy Hunt, BSkyB and News International, etc, via RSS on Google Reader, the item gets a surprising byline...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Appraisal time
As the Daily Mail soars above 3 million browsers in a month, I feel sure faithful readers of this blog would like an update on how things are going at Tradingaswdr.
2010 has seen 5,000 unique visitors, reading, on average, four pages each. The Daily Mail ranks at No 17 in the UK on Alexa, but I am catching up fast, at 23,602.
Top post was Less Comment", about the impact of Talksport winning some exclusive Premiership commentaries on 5Live audiences. It was given a boost by a link from the Guardian's cheeky Monkey, John Plunkett. Second place went to the BBC News Breakfast host on the first penson strike day, Gavin Grey.
Most typed letter, I'm guessing, was "I", as I have broken the button on this Dell Inspiron 9400 - and it's now impeding productivity. This sentence alone has taken eight minutes to construct.
In case readers worry that my fearless integrity and capacity for meretricious gossip might be corrupted by commercial judgements, total earnings from Google Ads stand at £6.90. Barely enough for a large glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc at the Crown and Sceptre. Might have to spend more time in the Yorkshire Grey.
Here's to more clcks in 2010. Merry Chrstmas to all readers and valued sources !
2010 has seen 5,000 unique visitors, reading, on average, four pages each. The Daily Mail ranks at No 17 in the UK on Alexa, but I am catching up fast, at 23,602.
Top post was Less Comment", about the impact of Talksport winning some exclusive Premiership commentaries on 5Live audiences. It was given a boost by a link from the Guardian's cheeky Monkey, John Plunkett. Second place went to the BBC News Breakfast host on the first penson strike day, Gavin Grey.
Most typed letter, I'm guessing, was "I", as I have broken the button on this Dell Inspiron 9400 - and it's now impeding productivity. This sentence alone has taken eight minutes to construct.
In case readers worry that my fearless integrity and capacity for meretricious gossip might be corrupted by commercial judgements, total earnings from Google Ads stand at £6.90. Barely enough for a large glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc at the Crown and Sceptre. Might have to spend more time in the Yorkshire Grey.
Here's to more clcks in 2010. Merry Chrstmas to all readers and valued sources !
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Scots wha hae
And the wise men and women of the BBC Trust spake thus just in time for Xmas.
BBC ALBA should be carried on Freeview. The Trust has approved the BBC Executive's proposal to remove the BBC's thirteen radio stations from Freeview, in Scotland only, during the hours BBC ALBA is broadcasting, as the most technically and financially viable way of enabling BBC ALBA to be carried on Freeview.
The Trust ruled out, for example, putting Alba where BBC Parliament is, north of the border, on the grounds of "public value". So apparently it makes more sense to knock off 13 radio stations for one Gaelic tv channel. The logical conclusion is to do the same for S4C in Wales and save money on transmission costs. The BBC Executive are as much to blame as the Trust. Next from the SNP, a channel for the mither tongue...
BBC ALBA should be carried on Freeview. The Trust has approved the BBC Executive's proposal to remove the BBC's thirteen radio stations from Freeview, in Scotland only, during the hours BBC ALBA is broadcasting, as the most technically and financially viable way of enabling BBC ALBA to be carried on Freeview.
The Trust ruled out, for example, putting Alba where BBC Parliament is, north of the border, on the grounds of "public value". So apparently it makes more sense to knock off 13 radio stations for one Gaelic tv channel. The logical conclusion is to do the same for S4C in Wales and save money on transmission costs. The BBC Executive are as much to blame as the Trust. Next from the SNP, a channel for the mither tongue...
Gerard Mansell
Gerard Mansell, who died at the weekend, has probably indirectly given me more fun than any other BBC executive.
Born and educated in Paris, this small dapper man was one half of a duo that reshaped Auntie's UK radio services in the late 60s. Given licence by Director General Hugh Carleton Greene, Gerard and Frank Gillard transformed the Light Programme, Home Service and Third Programme into Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4, and set the hare that was to be BBC local radio running. I tracked, more often from bed than anywhere else, the changing shape of Radio 1 from my sixth form to university, and the development of its news service Newsbeat (a mash-up of pop magazine Scene and Heard with US news radio styles). It was obvious to me it was THE place (trendy, huh ?) to work, and I got there, first on attachment in 1974, and later on staff for nearly eight years. It was fun. I met Gerard on a plane to Toronto for an EBU-NANBA radio news conference - and he explained how the news service was crucial to differentiate Radio 1 from the "pirate" stations it competed with, and more or less wiped out; so he could genuinely claim to be "the man who invented Newsbeat". (There are, of course, many other claimants).
But, as Chief of the Home Service, Gerard was also big on change there. Carleton Greene had already moved the Nine O'Clock News to Ten (and added reporting and interviews in the first known outbreak of "news and current affairs".) Gerard followed by creating The World At One, and much of the tenor of Radio 4 which remains today. As a part author of Broadcasting in the 70s, he was at the centre of the firestorm over the changes - particularly in closing down the powerful features department (outer office "The George"), taking most "talk" out of The Third Programme in the change to Radio 3.
Opponents of his handiwork called him "The Butcher of the BBC". One wag characterised his Radio 4 schedule thus: "The trend is for it to develop into one continuous programme called "Jack de Manio Today Out Of This Week At One with The World and William Hardcastle's Womans' Hour at Home This Afternoon with Monty Modlyn" . They'd have been more shocked if Gerard had gone ahead with his intention to end "The Archers", as he revealed recently.
Gerard moved upwards from 4 very quickly, and then back to his beloved External Broadcasting, becoming the first Managing Director of the renamed World Service - the scene of many more stories, and battles, fought, won and, only occasionally, lost. You'll read them in proper obituaries.
The stitching together of news and current affairs in radio in general has been an surgical operation that's only been partially successful - the limbs may be together, but the different mindsets of how the beast should work survive separately. This leads to much fanciful posturing, and the occasional heated internal conversation, which, after Newsbeat, has given me immense amusement over the years. Thanks, Gerry.
Born and educated in Paris, this small dapper man was one half of a duo that reshaped Auntie's UK radio services in the late 60s. Given licence by Director General Hugh Carleton Greene, Gerard and Frank Gillard transformed the Light Programme, Home Service and Third Programme into Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4, and set the hare that was to be BBC local radio running. I tracked, more often from bed than anywhere else, the changing shape of Radio 1 from my sixth form to university, and the development of its news service Newsbeat (a mash-up of pop magazine Scene and Heard with US news radio styles). It was obvious to me it was THE place (trendy, huh ?) to work, and I got there, first on attachment in 1974, and later on staff for nearly eight years. It was fun. I met Gerard on a plane to Toronto for an EBU-NANBA radio news conference - and he explained how the news service was crucial to differentiate Radio 1 from the "pirate" stations it competed with, and more or less wiped out; so he could genuinely claim to be "the man who invented Newsbeat". (There are, of course, many other claimants).
But, as Chief of the Home Service, Gerard was also big on change there. Carleton Greene had already moved the Nine O'Clock News to Ten (and added reporting and interviews in the first known outbreak of "news and current affairs".) Gerard followed by creating The World At One, and much of the tenor of Radio 4 which remains today. As a part author of Broadcasting in the 70s, he was at the centre of the firestorm over the changes - particularly in closing down the powerful features department (outer office "The George"), taking most "talk" out of The Third Programme in the change to Radio 3.
Opponents of his handiwork called him "The Butcher of the BBC". One wag characterised his Radio 4 schedule thus: "The trend is for it to develop into one continuous programme called "Jack de Manio Today Out Of This Week At One with The World and William Hardcastle's Womans' Hour at Home This Afternoon with Monty Modlyn" . They'd have been more shocked if Gerard had gone ahead with his intention to end "The Archers", as he revealed recently.
Gerard moved upwards from 4 very quickly, and then back to his beloved External Broadcasting, becoming the first Managing Director of the renamed World Service - the scene of many more stories, and battles, fought, won and, only occasionally, lost. You'll read them in proper obituaries.
The stitching together of news and current affairs in radio in general has been an surgical operation that's only been partially successful - the limbs may be together, but the different mindsets of how the beast should work survive separately. This leads to much fanciful posturing, and the occasional heated internal conversation, which, after Newsbeat, has given me immense amusement over the years. Thanks, Gerry.
Going for gold
A correspondent suggests the creation of a new honour, after the confirmation by Mark Byford that he's "leading" on coverage of the Royal Wedding before his departure from the BBC - the cherry on the top of a cake/life devoted to public service broadcasting.
He'll want to do better than his former No 2 at World Service, Nigel Chapman, who was made Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order as he left. He'll want to do better than Jenny Abramsky, made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009.
2011 is surely the year for the creation of the Order of Gold Commanders, and its first honoree (as the Americans say).
Another American alternative would be for the BBC to "retire the shirt" as Mark quits, and create a new title for those who sit at the heart of crisis management. Any suggestions ?
,
He'll want to do better than his former No 2 at World Service, Nigel Chapman, who was made Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order as he left. He'll want to do better than Jenny Abramsky, made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2009.
2011 is surely the year for the creation of the Order of Gold Commanders, and its first honoree (as the Americans say).
Another American alternative would be for the BBC to "retire the shirt" as Mark quits, and create a new title for those who sit at the heart of crisis management. Any suggestions ?
,
Monday, December 20, 2010
Brian Hanrahan
Many inside and outside the BBC will be shocked today by the news of the death of Brian Hanrahan, at the age of 61. There are, and will be, plenty of tributes to his straightforward and commonsense reporting - so I'll remember the days when he was a sub in the TV Newsroom.
In the early seventies the Newsroom was home to more "characters" than the most challenging Tim Robbins' fantasy. Duty editors with eye-patches, dapper producers in crisp pink shirts and cavalry twill, bearded fixers with arms like Bluto, languid reporters with minor public school drawls, and Brian. Conscientious, reliable and, in the days when developing film still meant pictures were two to four hours behind events, fast.
We met when I was a news trainee, and allowed to make a film to mark the end of my formal tv training. The only problem was that I had to film on a Sunday. I choose to visit the Royal Horticultural Halls for the semi-final stages of a competition to find Britain's best sausage. On arrival, my allotted cameraman, Derek, took over - and filmed away with relish, getting close-ups of the judges' prodding, chewing and muttering, from long distance with available light. Derek, I learned later, was a sound-man desperate to be appointed as a cameraman. After a couple of hours, we parted; I went home, and Derek took to the rushes back to TVC.
In the morning, I was expecting to rise leisurely, come in and try to stitch together a package to show to my trainer, Ivor Yorke, and fellow trainees. Instead, Brian Hanrahan rang; the duty editor of the Nine O'Clock News had seen the bits of film that were to hand, and wanted the story for that Monday night. I was dispatched with a different crew to get the remaining shots necessary - the final winner. But Brian said, don't overdo it - it's the pictures we've already got we want. I revisited the Halls with a little more swagger in my stride, elbowed out some minor celebrities who were presenting the prizes, asked the winner what made his sausage special - and got a nice shot of all the failed entries - hundreds of pounds of cooked and uncooked snarlers - heading for skips and a journey back, probably, to pig-land.
Was I needed back at base to voice the film ? Unsurprisingly, and with Brian's sensible judgement, no. The Nine was no place for the combination of an odd film, and a trainee's new and unmusical delivery. So I retired to my flat in Greencroft Gardens, and thence to a pub with tv and chums, to watch the bulletin. Richard Baker introduced the two and half minute film with the words "And now for something completely different", and Brian had produced an elegant, slice-of-life, but longer-than-usual newsreel package. The pictures told the story, apart from a few deft pointers Brian had scripted.
I got to crow over fellow trainees, including auteurs like Tony Hall, Tom Gutteridge and Simon Berthon. Derek got his promotion to cameraman. Brian, when I returned to the newsroom for an attachment, was a chief sub.
In the early seventies the Newsroom was home to more "characters" than the most challenging Tim Robbins' fantasy. Duty editors with eye-patches, dapper producers in crisp pink shirts and cavalry twill, bearded fixers with arms like Bluto, languid reporters with minor public school drawls, and Brian. Conscientious, reliable and, in the days when developing film still meant pictures were two to four hours behind events, fast.
We met when I was a news trainee, and allowed to make a film to mark the end of my formal tv training. The only problem was that I had to film on a Sunday. I choose to visit the Royal Horticultural Halls for the semi-final stages of a competition to find Britain's best sausage. On arrival, my allotted cameraman, Derek, took over - and filmed away with relish, getting close-ups of the judges' prodding, chewing and muttering, from long distance with available light. Derek, I learned later, was a sound-man desperate to be appointed as a cameraman. After a couple of hours, we parted; I went home, and Derek took to the rushes back to TVC.
In the morning, I was expecting to rise leisurely, come in and try to stitch together a package to show to my trainer, Ivor Yorke, and fellow trainees. Instead, Brian Hanrahan rang; the duty editor of the Nine O'Clock News had seen the bits of film that were to hand, and wanted the story for that Monday night. I was dispatched with a different crew to get the remaining shots necessary - the final winner. But Brian said, don't overdo it - it's the pictures we've already got we want. I revisited the Halls with a little more swagger in my stride, elbowed out some minor celebrities who were presenting the prizes, asked the winner what made his sausage special - and got a nice shot of all the failed entries - hundreds of pounds of cooked and uncooked snarlers - heading for skips and a journey back, probably, to pig-land.
Was I needed back at base to voice the film ? Unsurprisingly, and with Brian's sensible judgement, no. The Nine was no place for the combination of an odd film, and a trainee's new and unmusical delivery. So I retired to my flat in Greencroft Gardens, and thence to a pub with tv and chums, to watch the bulletin. Richard Baker introduced the two and half minute film with the words "And now for something completely different", and Brian had produced an elegant, slice-of-life, but longer-than-usual newsreel package. The pictures told the story, apart from a few deft pointers Brian had scripted.
I got to crow over fellow trainees, including auteurs like Tony Hall, Tom Gutteridge and Simon Berthon. Derek got his promotion to cameraman. Brian, when I returned to the newsroom for an attachment, was a chief sub.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Quantity surveyors
Peter Preston has an excellent piece in today's Observer on the BBC Trust's obsession with measuring creativity through polls of viewers and listeners. The obsession with attempting to measure the intangible comes down a lineage of John Birt, through Patricia Hodgson, to Mark Byford and Sir Michael Lyons. What is being measured is "public opinion", the major component of the Reach, Quality, Impact and Value mantra. I'm ok with audience figures, or "Reach", clearly understandable to all. The BBC doesn't like to go too big on league tables of Value - which is "cost per listener and viewer", because many offers (BBC Alba, for example) would be closed in any rational comparative assessment. Quality is subjective; and Impact means was there was a fuss in the papers.
As Sir Michael says a lingering farewell in the New Year, he leaves us with the closing chapter of Putting Quality First - now largely meaningless in the light of the licence-fee settlement. Mark Thompson was kind enough to say in the Commons last week that it still provided a road map for the organisation. In the sense of trying to making programmes people appreciate.
Sir Michael has trumpeted the requirement for the Executive to provide forward looking business plans as a big new deal. Sadly, it actually flows from the Coalition Government's adoption of "project and programme" disciplines. The BBC needs simply to lock in with the DCMS business plan of November 2010 - where the key objective is to sort out the S4C and World Service elements of the licence fee settlement. Lord Patten will look forward to making 16% cuts or more in the activities and staffing of the Trust over his tenure.
As Sir Michael says a lingering farewell in the New Year, he leaves us with the closing chapter of Putting Quality First - now largely meaningless in the light of the licence-fee settlement. Mark Thompson was kind enough to say in the Commons last week that it still provided a road map for the organisation. In the sense of trying to making programmes people appreciate.
Sir Michael has trumpeted the requirement for the Executive to provide forward looking business plans as a big new deal. Sadly, it actually flows from the Coalition Government's adoption of "project and programme" disciplines. The BBC needs simply to lock in with the DCMS business plan of November 2010 - where the key objective is to sort out the S4C and World Service elements of the licence fee settlement. Lord Patten will look forward to making 16% cuts or more in the activities and staffing of the Trust over his tenure.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Tom navigation
Greg Dyke says of Baldwin: "When I was still running the BBC I once asked Robert Thomson, Baldwin's editor at the Times, why he didn't sack Baldwin, as he wasn't an independent journalist at all but a mouthpiece for Downing Street. He replied: 'He gets good stories,' which missed the whole point. The reason that Baldwin got good stories from Downing Street was that he was [Alastair] Campbell's man; he acted as their messenger."
In 2005, Tom was given a transcript of private remarks made by Today presenter John Humphrys, handed over by Tim Allan, then running his own lobbying firm, Portland, but previously a senior advisor to Tony Blair. The lead story that resulted was something of a squib, and not long afterwards, Tom embarked on four years as Washington Correspondent, taking Rebecca and their two children with him.
Last year he came back. To the large Georgian terraced family home in Highbury with a very red door. And a spell as Chief Reporter for The Times. Now, however, the direction of travel is explicitly left.
.
Too much information
The M6, from the Catthorpe interchange with the M1, to just short of the Scottish border, is Britain's longest motorway. 232.2 miles, or 373.7km.
The BBC Breakfast service on television this morning spent two hours telling us some motorists had been trapped in their cars overnight after an accident on the M6. It's the inquiring minds of the editors, producers and presenters on the show that I worry about.
The BBC Breakfast service on television this morning spent two hours telling us some motorists had been trapped in their cars overnight after an accident on the M6. It's the inquiring minds of the editors, producers and presenters on the show that I worry about.
Taking issue
Dialogue through social media can head off in difficult directions. Kevin Bakhurst of BBC News posted his thoughts about a Ben Brown interview with tuition fee protestor Jody McIntyre on the BBC Editors' Blog, inviting readers' views. He's now got (close of moderation Friday) 1065 comments - most of them arguing that the interview was poorly handled. He engaged three times on the 14th, and then his twitter feed directed followers to Jody's own view of the interview. Jody says there are a total of 5,000 complaints for the BBC to answer. He may be right - there's a Facebook fan page entitled "Menacing rolling towards Ben Brown in my wheelchair" which has scored 4,482 "likes".
What's odd is that the BBC's prime forum for comments and discussions about editorial issues - Ray Snoddy's weekly Newswatch - made no mention of the debate this morning. It was devoted to an edited, apparently valedictory, interview with the BBC's Deputy DG and Director of Journalism Mark Byford - who told the audience impartiality was safe in his hands, and that he'd be looking after the Royal Wedding arrangements before he goes...
What's odd is that the BBC's prime forum for comments and discussions about editorial issues - Ray Snoddy's weekly Newswatch - made no mention of the debate this morning. It was devoted to an edited, apparently valedictory, interview with the BBC's Deputy DG and Director of Journalism Mark Byford - who told the audience impartiality was safe in his hands, and that he'd be looking after the Royal Wedding arrangements before he goes...
Friday, December 17, 2010
A day trip to a car park ?
Let's hope Trafford Council planning officials don't just roll-over and die in front of the ITV plans for the Coronation Street production village. More documents have just been made public, and show nearly half the site devoted to car parking. Apparently 190 are vital for the drama team, but another 200 are sought for ITV staff working across the canal in MediaCityUK. There's no mention of bike sheds or bicycle stands.
Fenced-in car parks surround and shield the outdoor set on three sides, with production buildings on the south side. The "public realm" offer is just walkways, with views of either parked cars, or ITV adverts on the side of the studio block. No sign of transparency, engagement, or commitment to green transport. Not a sausage to encourage you to walk across the footbridge unless you work for ITV. No added value to MediaCityUK as a destination whatsoever. Boris wouldn't let it happen in London...
Fenced-in car parks surround and shield the outdoor set on three sides, with production buildings on the south side. The "public realm" offer is just walkways, with views of either parked cars, or ITV adverts on the side of the studio block. No sign of transparency, engagement, or commitment to green transport. Not a sausage to encourage you to walk across the footbridge unless you work for ITV. No added value to MediaCityUK as a destination whatsoever. Boris wouldn't let it happen in London...
Burke at the BBC
Simon, 51, qualified as an accountant with Binder Hamlyn in Dublin in 1980, joining Coopers & Lybrand in London in 1982. In 1987 he joined Virgin Retail, and then Virgin Entertainment, where he was CEO from 1996 to 1999. Then he chaired Hamley's PLC for four years - just down Regent Street from Broadcasting House - turning round the nation's most famous toyshop and selling it on. He's also served as non exec and then Chairman of Majestic Wines, until August this year. It would be interesting to know how many accounts the BBC has with Majestic Wines - I bet Simon has an idea.
He's kept an interest in alcohol sales with a move to deputy chairman of Mitchell & Butlers, piloted into the company with the backing of Irish horse-race tycoons John Magnier and J.P. McManus. In striding distance of BH, they run All Bar One on Regent Street, the Phoenix in Cavendish Square, the Argyll, near the Palladium, the Albany in Great Portland Street, the Green Man in Riding House Street, and the Crown and Sceptre in Great Titchfield Street. Plenty of opportunities to engage with BBC staff there...
He's Chairman of Superquinn, a chain of 23 supermarkets in Ireland; this month he's also become Chairman of Hobbycraft UK; and he's a columnist for Retail Week (which seems to break a lot of news about Burke's appointments). He has a pilot's licence, and likes astronomy, music and medieval history.
Piers and plonk
A commenter using the name MikeyGow on the Telegraph website offers this restrained opinion on Piers Morgan's future as a US interview host.
I hate CNN. Which is why I'm delighted that pug-faced celebrity arse-licker and all-round talent vacuum Piers Morgan has secured gainful employment with the odious affront to press freedom. I wish him all the best and similar longevity to the man he replaces. May he never grace a UK TV channel ever again.
There are a range of ways Morgan winds people up. For me, recently, it's a sort of "Loadsamoney" approach to French wine, made more conspicuous via Twitter. I hope it's not product placement.
There are a multitude of charmless similar offences to consider. Here, Puligny Montrachet with Jeremy Bowen, and spillages of "half a pint of St Julien Grand Cru". Here, a Puligny Montrachet 1998 and another Grand Cru St Julien.
How this plays in the Midwest is anybody's guess. It maybe why Piers has a separate Twitter account for the CNN Show.
A couple of other observations - Piers' contributions to CNN will be recorded and edited. He argues that it's easier to drive publicity with clips. It's also odd for a live news network. The recorded interview is easier for the questioner, who no longer has to listen and think on their feet - an army of producers can help make the whole thing seem sharper than it ever was, probably while Piers is up and away for another vintage bottle or two. Meanwhile, the stats for 2010 will show that CNN in US "prime time" has fallen behind MSNBC in the rankings.
At the Daily Beast, Sean Macaulay (brother-in-law to Gordon Brown) has this tale of how Morgan and his US agent secured the CNN deal. And there's another commenter worth quoting who's added his two pence worth there...
As a Brit, may I apologize to America, the rest of the world and any alien civilizations that can pick up our high frequency signals, for Piers Morgan ? I'm deeply, deeply sorry.
I hate CNN. Which is why I'm delighted that pug-faced celebrity arse-licker and all-round talent vacuum Piers Morgan has secured gainful employment with the odious affront to press freedom. I wish him all the best and similar longevity to the man he replaces. May he never grace a UK TV channel ever again.
There are a range of ways Morgan winds people up. For me, recently, it's a sort of "Loadsamoney" approach to French wine, made more conspicuous via Twitter. I hope it's not product placement.
There are a multitude of charmless similar offences to consider. Here, Puligny Montrachet with Jeremy Bowen, and spillages of "half a pint of St Julien Grand Cru". Here, a Puligny Montrachet 1998 and another Grand Cru St Julien.
How this plays in the Midwest is anybody's guess. It maybe why Piers has a separate Twitter account for the CNN Show.
A couple of other observations - Piers' contributions to CNN will be recorded and edited. He argues that it's easier to drive publicity with clips. It's also odd for a live news network. The recorded interview is easier for the questioner, who no longer has to listen and think on their feet - an army of producers can help make the whole thing seem sharper than it ever was, probably while Piers is up and away for another vintage bottle or two. Meanwhile, the stats for 2010 will show that CNN in US "prime time" has fallen behind MSNBC in the rankings.
At the Daily Beast, Sean Macaulay (brother-in-law to Gordon Brown) has this tale of how Morgan and his US agent secured the CNN deal. And there's another commenter worth quoting who's added his two pence worth there...
As a Brit, may I apologize to America, the rest of the world and any alien civilizations that can pick up our high frequency signals, for Piers Morgan ? I'm deeply, deeply sorry.
Along the towpath
The original Coronation Street opening titles were filmed in Archie Street, in the Ordsall area of Salford. There's no opportunity to use the real thing again; all gone in the earlier industrial estate redevelopments along the Quays in the 70s and 80s.
So ITV moving to the Trafford side of canal for a new outdoor set and two soundstages makes sense. There are, as always, odds and ends to sort out. So far we only have one visualisation of the building (below) and we learn that the development in Trafford will have car parks and public open space. The hint of a tram link, one of the teasers of the early MediaCityUK proposal, has disappeared. The principal piece of "architecture" looks like a tarted up metal box more in keeping with the warehouses of Ordsall than a world class 21st century development. The Museum deserves a more beautiful neighbour. Jenkins Design have been partners with ITV/Granada for years, but their media speciality is inside studios, rather than exteriors and public open space.
Then we have the issue of the outdoor set. Will it have a replacement high level tram line that is "pretend", rather than a real Metrolink service ? And how will they explain the inevitable seagull cries, more or less unavoidable in every street scene ?
Finally, on the people front, there are some staff who'll be worried about the move - those working for 3sixty Media. It's a joint venture between the BBC and ITV. With Peel signing up with SIS to provide studio support, how many of the 360 team will be needed at MediaCityUK ?
So ITV moving to the Trafford side of canal for a new outdoor set and two soundstages makes sense. There are, as always, odds and ends to sort out. So far we only have one visualisation of the building (below) and we learn that the development in Trafford will have car parks and public open space. The hint of a tram link, one of the teasers of the early MediaCityUK proposal, has disappeared. The principal piece of "architecture" looks like a tarted up metal box more in keeping with the warehouses of Ordsall than a world class 21st century development. The Museum deserves a more beautiful neighbour. Jenkins Design have been partners with ITV/Granada for years, but their media speciality is inside studios, rather than exteriors and public open space.
Then we have the issue of the outdoor set. Will it have a replacement high level tram line that is "pretend", rather than a real Metrolink service ? And how will they explain the inevitable seagull cries, more or less unavoidable in every street scene ?
Finally, on the people front, there are some staff who'll be worried about the move - those working for 3sixty Media. It's a joint venture between the BBC and ITV. With Peel signing up with SIS to provide studio support, how many of the 360 team will be needed at MediaCityUK ?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Vroom vroom
The speculation that Jonathan Legard, a most excellent alumni of BBC Radio Merseyside and 5Live, will lose his role as lead commentator on F1 next season is growing. The blogs, forums and websites have been increasingly cruel to him this season - yet seem to forget that even the legendary Murray Walker a) made mistakes and b) occasionally, stated the bleedin' obvious.
Will BBC Sport boss Barbara Slater bow to presenter-pressure, and put two pundits in the box, with David "Tight White Trousers" Coulthard alongside his former manager Martin Brundle ? Or will the gig go to Hammers fan David Croft ?
Will BBC Sport boss Barbara Slater bow to presenter-pressure, and put two pundits in the box, with David "Tight White Trousers" Coulthard alongside his former manager Martin Brundle ? Or will the gig go to Hammers fan David Croft ?
Taking sides
I'm in no great position to judge the current WikiLeaks outpouring of diplomatic bag chaff, and its sponsor, Julian Assange. I am prepared to say that portraying him as a potential martyr (in the lineage of Jesus Christ Superstar and Tommy) is uncomfortable, though the boy seems to enjoy it. I'm a little more worried about Vaughan Smith and the Frontline Club ("championing independent journalism" and, by the by, a neat wine list) in Paddington. Apparently, its 1500 members, through informal canvassing, are right behind Julian. Vaughan's wife, Pranvera is equally in thrall to Julian. Their blog quotes Charles Glass saying Julian is the victim of a secular fatwa.
There are many BBC staff who are also members of the Frontline Club - some currently reporting on the Assange case - and perhaps there's a need for some transparency about that, given Vaughan's assertion.
There are many BBC staff who are also members of the Frontline Club - some currently reporting on the Assange case - and perhaps there's a need for some transparency about that, given Vaughan's assertion.
Bennett's babes
Zai Bennett, the new man at the helm of BBC3, seems to have an eye for the ladies. In web searches, they come up more often than more useful biographical details. I'm guessing he's around 36 years old.
The only university I can find in his connections is fictional - Bridgeford University, home to Trinity College, in the eight part drama series "Trinity" for ITV2 in 2009, commissioned in the end for one run only by Zai. (Kathryn Flett in the Observer was not a fan : "charmlessly crass, cynically smutty, joyless, unfunny and badly written and acted". Perhaps not great value at an estimated £4m).
Zai does reveal to the BBC Press Office that he started his working life in the post-room at Carlton TV, at the age of 21. From there, he made a leap to be a presentation scheduler for the launch of Channel Five in 1997. A year later, he was with ITV, where he rose to be "creative leader" of the digital channels, ITV2, 3 and 4, as well as CITV.
One important lady at ITV was his PA, Penny White, now Mrs Bennett. They live happily in Highbury Fields, north London, and enjoy the many restaurants of Upper Street, Islington. There's clearly exercise to balance things out - they both completed a triathlon for charity in September. Penny now works as an self-employed image consultant and stylist, with clients including Abigail Clancy and Natalie Pinkham, both of whom have made appearances on ITV's digital channels.
Zai's schedules have also featured Billie Piper in The Secret Diary of A Call Girl; Katie Price in What Katy Did Next; a host of lycra-lovelies in The Only Way Is Essex; Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby in Celebrity Juice; Paris Hilton in My British Best Friend; and currently Kerry Katona: The Next Chapter. At this year's Edinburgh Festival, Zai said Katy Perry was "a target for us currently. She's a brilliant bullseye person".
Perhaps this is why the BBC's Jana Bennett (no relation, I think) said of Zai today "He brings with him a real connection with the audience, a deep understanding of the digital landscape... His experience in developing original scripted drama and comedy along with his fantastic relationship with presenters and performers makes Zai perfect for this role."
The only university I can find in his connections is fictional - Bridgeford University, home to Trinity College, in the eight part drama series "Trinity" for ITV2 in 2009, commissioned in the end for one run only by Zai. (Kathryn Flett in the Observer was not a fan : "charmlessly crass, cynically smutty, joyless, unfunny and badly written and acted". Perhaps not great value at an estimated £4m).
Zai does reveal to the BBC Press Office that he started his working life in the post-room at Carlton TV, at the age of 21. From there, he made a leap to be a presentation scheduler for the launch of Channel Five in 1997. A year later, he was with ITV, where he rose to be "creative leader" of the digital channels, ITV2, 3 and 4, as well as CITV.
One important lady at ITV was his PA, Penny White, now Mrs Bennett. They live happily in Highbury Fields, north London, and enjoy the many restaurants of Upper Street, Islington. There's clearly exercise to balance things out - they both completed a triathlon for charity in September. Penny now works as an self-employed image consultant and stylist, with clients including Abigail Clancy and Natalie Pinkham, both of whom have made appearances on ITV's digital channels.
Zai's schedules have also featured Billie Piper in The Secret Diary of A Call Girl; Katie Price in What Katy Did Next; a host of lycra-lovelies in The Only Way Is Essex; Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby in Celebrity Juice; Paris Hilton in My British Best Friend; and currently Kerry Katona: The Next Chapter. At this year's Edinburgh Festival, Zai said Katy Perry was "a target for us currently. She's a brilliant bullseye person".
Perhaps this is why the BBC's Jana Bennett (no relation, I think) said of Zai today "He brings with him a real connection with the audience, a deep understanding of the digital landscape... His experience in developing original scripted drama and comedy along with his fantastic relationship with presenters and performers makes Zai perfect for this role."
First trawl
Some readers are keen for me to help them with runners and riders for the 5Live Breakfast vacancy, arising in Spring next year, when Shelagh Fogarty moves to lunchtime. They'll need to start their contract in London, then move to Salford, probably in October/November.
Let's make some assumptions. The track record is for a female co-host. Peter Allen and Jane Garvey, Julian Worricker and Victoria Derbyshire; Nicky Campbell and Victoria Derbyshire, then Shelagh.
There are other women to consider already at the station. Rachel Burden currently presents Weekend Breakfast. The pedigree is right - Dublin University, Cardiff School of Journalism, Radio Suffolk and Radio Bristol. But she's married with three kids. Not great for breakfast hosts - and the issue of moving schools will be there.
Anita Anand, until recently paired with Peter Allen on Drive, has been away from the mike giving birth to baby Hari in March; she's married to Simon Singh. She's returned to her gig on the Daily Politics with Andrew Neil, but not yet to Drive. I'm guessing tv will keep her in London. Aasmah Mir, brought up in Bearsen, near Glasgow, has more flexibility. Until recently, she would travel to Pacific Quay to co-host Good Morning Scotland on Fridays, as well as her Five Live duties. She might expect to stay with Drive if Anita declines the Salford option. Her husband, Piara Powar, however, is pretty London-based.
The hunting ground outside is usually BBC local radio. Jane Garvey came from BBC Hereford & Worcester; Victoria Derbyshire co-presented the BBC Radio Manchester (then GMR) breakfast show with Mike Hancock before moving south. Shelagh Fogarty was a BBC Local Radio trainee, before joining The World at One as a reporter.
The problem with looking at BBC local radio now is that few can afford double-headed presentation at Breakfast, or indeed, at any time in the schedule - and many stations now rely on men to wake you up. Looking round the patch that might provide someone already comfortable in the north, it is very masculine. Radio Manchester has Allan Beswick, Radio Merseyside has Tony Snell, Radio Lancashire has Graham Liver, Radio Sheffield has Toby Foster, Radio York has Adam Tomlinson.
But at Radio Leeds, the estimable Martin Kelner is partnered by Katharine Hannah, and, occasionally Julie Langford. So I reckon the suits at 5Live will be sampling them on the iPlayer. Elsewhere, the station is also giving a run out to Frances Finn of Radio Nottingham, covering some festive holes left by Stephen Nolan. We've tipped her before.
That's enough to be going on with. Not enough, however, to make a book. So we'll return to the topic soon.
Let's make some assumptions. The track record is for a female co-host. Peter Allen and Jane Garvey, Julian Worricker and Victoria Derbyshire; Nicky Campbell and Victoria Derbyshire, then Shelagh.
There are other women to consider already at the station. Rachel Burden currently presents Weekend Breakfast. The pedigree is right - Dublin University, Cardiff School of Journalism, Radio Suffolk and Radio Bristol. But she's married with three kids. Not great for breakfast hosts - and the issue of moving schools will be there.
Anita Anand, until recently paired with Peter Allen on Drive, has been away from the mike giving birth to baby Hari in March; she's married to Simon Singh. She's returned to her gig on the Daily Politics with Andrew Neil, but not yet to Drive. I'm guessing tv will keep her in London. Aasmah Mir, brought up in Bearsen, near Glasgow, has more flexibility. Until recently, she would travel to Pacific Quay to co-host Good Morning Scotland on Fridays, as well as her Five Live duties. She might expect to stay with Drive if Anita declines the Salford option. Her husband, Piara Powar, however, is pretty London-based.
The hunting ground outside is usually BBC local radio. Jane Garvey came from BBC Hereford & Worcester; Victoria Derbyshire co-presented the BBC Radio Manchester (then GMR) breakfast show with Mike Hancock before moving south. Shelagh Fogarty was a BBC Local Radio trainee, before joining The World at One as a reporter.
The problem with looking at BBC local radio now is that few can afford double-headed presentation at Breakfast, or indeed, at any time in the schedule - and many stations now rely on men to wake you up. Looking round the patch that might provide someone already comfortable in the north, it is very masculine. Radio Manchester has Allan Beswick, Radio Merseyside has Tony Snell, Radio Lancashire has Graham Liver, Radio Sheffield has Toby Foster, Radio York has Adam Tomlinson.
But at Radio Leeds, the estimable Martin Kelner is partnered by Katharine Hannah, and, occasionally Julie Langford. So I reckon the suits at 5Live will be sampling them on the iPlayer. Elsewhere, the station is also giving a run out to Frances Finn of Radio Nottingham, covering some festive holes left by Stephen Nolan. We've tipped her before.
That's enough to be going on with. Not enough, however, to make a book. So we'll return to the topic soon.
New development gets old buildings
Weatherfield is, after all, coming to Trafford. Part of the ITV move to MediacityUK gives a long lease on 7.7 acres of land, across the canal from the main site, next to the Imperial War Museum North. There will be a full and bigger outdoor set for Coronation Street, two sound stage buildings, edit and post-production facilities, rehearsal, meeting and dressing rooms.
Trafford Council are the planning authority, and seem delighted. There are, however, a few issues. If the site is also to be a tourist attraction, I suspect it will attract a few more coaches than the Museum currently gets. At one stage in the original plan for the wider Peel development, there was talk of extending the Metrolink out of MediacityUK across the water and on to The Trafford Centre. Let's hope the councillors push for that in a deal.
In the move of the old "Granada" operation to the Orange Building, 500 staff will share the lifts with students from Salford University. Adam Crozier and Archie Norman are pleased with the deal, but there are those who believe it might have been cheaper if the previous Michael Grade regime had signed on the dotted line earlier.
Trafford Council are the planning authority, and seem delighted. There are, however, a few issues. If the site is also to be a tourist attraction, I suspect it will attract a few more coaches than the Museum currently gets. At one stage in the original plan for the wider Peel development, there was talk of extending the Metrolink out of MediacityUK across the water and on to The Trafford Centre. Let's hope the councillors push for that in a deal.
In the move of the old "Granada" operation to the Orange Building, 500 staff will share the lifts with students from Salford University. Adam Crozier and Archie Norman are pleased with the deal, but there are those who believe it might have been cheaper if the previous Michael Grade regime had signed on the dotted line earlier.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
I went to a marvellous party (2)
In the sometimes odd world of construction, they call it "practical completion". Lawyers enjoy debating its precise meaning, but it's probably better defined by negatives. It means a building is handed over from builder to owner when it would be impractical or inconvenient to delay for minor reasons such as single items of missing or defective work, e.g.paint marks on door furniture.
In the construction world, it's also the occasion for a nice party, and yesterday there was one at Broadcasting House, to mark the handover of Phase 2 of the redevelopment. The BBC's Chris Kane has more detail on his blog, and I've "borrowed" this excellent photograph, taken at the end of last month. It looks good from many other angles too, if you're in the area. Shape and strategy from Sir Richard McCormac of MJP, followed through by Sheppard Robson. The redoubtable Lucy Homer worked for both and deserves more than a mention, as does Peter Frackiewicz of Land Securities, who sneaked me in to the "do".
In the construction world, it's also the occasion for a nice party, and yesterday there was one at Broadcasting House, to mark the handover of Phase 2 of the redevelopment. The BBC's Chris Kane has more detail on his blog, and I've "borrowed" this excellent photograph, taken at the end of last month. It looks good from many other angles too, if you're in the area. Shape and strategy from Sir Richard McCormac of MJP, followed through by Sheppard Robson. The redoubtable Lucy Homer worked for both and deserves more than a mention, as does Peter Frackiewicz of Land Securities, who sneaked me in to the "do".
- Thursday update: There are more pictures on the Guardian website
Beating around Bush
If you worked in the BBC World Service, there are times you would shake your head in disbelief at the many and varying statements made about its financial future. Today, BBC DG Mark Thompson told the Commons DCMS Select Committee that the current deal with the Foreign Office would mean making savings of 19% between April 2011 and April 2014. Then, in an adjacent breath, he said there were still conversations going on with the Foreign Secretary about making those savings over a longer period. It's hard to know how "a longer period" can be created. From April 2014, the BBC takes responsibility for funding from the licence fee.
World Service staff will not be chuffed to learn their cuts are higher than the wider BBC because Bush House has to bear directly the costs of redundancy payments. Though, again, in an adjacent breath, the DG said he was looking to see whether or not domestic services can help out before 2014.
Clear as mud.
World Service staff will not be chuffed to learn their cuts are higher than the wider BBC because Bush House has to bear directly the costs of redundancy payments. Though, again, in an adjacent breath, the DG said he was looking to see whether or not domestic services can help out before 2014.
Clear as mud.
Not as first visualised...
For this reader, there's a real sense of disappointment in this image of the latest proposal to bring a large tv screen to the piazza at MediaCityUK. It really doesn't look much like an architect, or indeed, a graphic designer of top quality took too much time over it. Let's hope the planners of Salford make them have another go.
It's clearer now that the new site is to the left front of the Studio Block, and not, as I had imagined, in front of a BBC building. Nonetheless it is still a long way from the original vision we were promised.
It's clearer now that the new site is to the left front of the Studio Block, and not, as I had imagined, in front of a BBC building. Nonetheless it is still a long way from the original vision we were promised.
UKTV on the move
It looks like UKTV will have a new home somewhere in London in 2011. The landlords of 160 Great Portland St, W1 have done a deal to end their leases, and re-furbish the 86,000 sq foot block. So the people who bring you Gold, Watch, Eden, Dave and Dave Ja Vu are on the move - but there's no clue yet as to where. I wonder if the BBC has any ideas ?
UKTV is a joint venture between Virgin Media and BBC Worldwide. There have been rumours in previous years that Worldwide was ready to buy Virgin out, but the latest buzz is that US group Scripps Network are looking at the Virgin share.
It's the third time Number 160 has been "made over". Great Portland Estates created it as a unit in 1968, then again in 1996. One enterprise will be more than interested in a good new tenant - next door restaurant, bar and gourmet food shop, Villandry.
UKTV is a joint venture between Virgin Media and BBC Worldwide. There have been rumours in previous years that Worldwide was ready to buy Virgin out, but the latest buzz is that US group Scripps Network are looking at the Virgin share.
It's the third time Number 160 has been "made over". Great Portland Estates created it as a unit in 1968, then again in 1996. One enterprise will be more than interested in a good new tenant - next door restaurant, bar and gourmet food shop, Villandry.
Less active
One of those who set standards in UK political blogging is pulling back from the keyboard. Iain Dale has announced that in the New Year, he'll concentrate on publishing and radio broadcasting. He's also re-positioning himself as a Conservative party supporter, rather than "activist".
In October, I did push the great man on whether or not he could keep everything going, and front an LBC show five days a week. At that stage, the blog had dropped 7% in daily reach as measured by Alexa; now it's down 23%, and ranks at 6,804 in the UK, from a previous standing of 5,524.
Iain does promise a relaunched personal blog in the New Year. No word on the future of his football blog, West Ham Till I Die. Will that survive longer with the Hammers in the Championship ? Iain is certainly clear he'll fall out with the club if they appoint Sam Allardyce as manager....
In October, I did push the great man on whether or not he could keep everything going, and front an LBC show five days a week. At that stage, the blog had dropped 7% in daily reach as measured by Alexa; now it's down 23%, and ranks at 6,804 in the UK, from a previous standing of 5,524.
Iain does promise a relaunched personal blog in the New Year. No word on the future of his football blog, West Ham Till I Die. Will that survive longer with the Hammers in the Championship ? Iain is certainly clear he'll fall out with the club if they appoint Sam Allardyce as manager....
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Important people thinking hard
I know it's anxious and stressful to work for all sorts of organisations under threat of change. However, I ask you to spare a thought for the excellent people who bring you the BBC's Asian Network, condemned to closure, apparently, in a leak of a BBC strategy paper to The Times in February this year. Today, they were offered the gracious view of the BBC Trust in their Strategy Review Paper. "We will also consider carefully any formal proposal to close the Asian Network". 13 words, no ifs, buts, or rationale.
Open audition
I think those wacky 5Live boys are taking that social media thingy too far. After the announcement that Shelagh Fogarty is leaving Breakfast for lunchtime, the station's head of news, Stephen Mawhinney has tweeted thus.
Sadly, Steve has only 105 followers at the moment, so perhaps he could get NickyAACampbell to re-tweet. Or perhaps he doesn't want Nicky to know it's an open trawl to find him a new co-presenter ?
Sadly, Steve has only 105 followers at the moment, so perhaps he could get NickyAACampbell to re-tweet. Or perhaps he doesn't want Nicky to know it's an open trawl to find him a new co-presenter ?
Logan's run
The departure of Gabby Logan from 5Live in the New Year seems straightforward enough. We knew about it in September - presumably contract re-negotiation time.
Gabby started a three-year contract with the BBC in January 2007. It was, probably, one of those portfolio deals that were so favoured by the organisation then - this is the money, we'll sort out the programmes later. Sometime in late 2009, it probably looked like Gabby should do more radio to make up the deal; there seemed to be less tv work around, with Lineker and Chiles ensconced fronting football on BBC1 and BBC2. So Gabby's weekend role at 5Live was extended, with the weekday lunchtime show starting in January this year. With Salford on the horizon, the question of how long she might stay should have been raised by Controller Adrian Van Klaveren. But maybe it wasn't.
The reason for her departure in March is "family and work commitments". If you live in London, a lunchtime show is the top deal for a working mother. Gabby's twins are five. So I'm guessing that the family commitment is to school in London, not Manchester. The work commitment is interesting; Gabby is having a bigger and better year with BBC Sport, fronting Final Score after the departure of Ray Stubbs to ESPN - and getting the odd Match of the Day too. She's also proved a reliable dep on The One Show. So maybe there'll be a commitment to some time spent in Salford in any new deal, but only on matchdays.
Gabby started a three-year contract with the BBC in January 2007. It was, probably, one of those portfolio deals that were so favoured by the organisation then - this is the money, we'll sort out the programmes later. Sometime in late 2009, it probably looked like Gabby should do more radio to make up the deal; there seemed to be less tv work around, with Lineker and Chiles ensconced fronting football on BBC1 and BBC2. So Gabby's weekend role at 5Live was extended, with the weekday lunchtime show starting in January this year. With Salford on the horizon, the question of how long she might stay should have been raised by Controller Adrian Van Klaveren. But maybe it wasn't.
The reason for her departure in March is "family and work commitments". If you live in London, a lunchtime show is the top deal for a working mother. Gabby's twins are five. So I'm guessing that the family commitment is to school in London, not Manchester. The work commitment is interesting; Gabby is having a bigger and better year with BBC Sport, fronting Final Score after the departure of Ray Stubbs to ESPN - and getting the odd Match of the Day too. She's also proved a reliable dep on The One Show. So maybe there'll be a commitment to some time spent in Salford in any new deal, but only on matchdays.
The value of MediaCityUK
The Peel Media division of the giant Peel Group published its accounts up March last year yesterday, which have left this reader puzzled. The division's principal asset is MediaCityUK Phase 1; around 1.5million sq foot has been developed; there's planning permission for a further 2m sq foot; and there's undeveloped land which could form Phase 2.
The books show a writedown of £3.2m because of a property revaluation. I'd have thought, as construction completes, assets become more valuable, not less. Or is it the undeveloped land that's worth less - there is, after all, plenty around in Manchester ?
Or perhaps it's like new cars, which lose a lot of value once a new owner drives them off the forecourt. I'd be grateful if erudite readers could help me out on this one.
The books show a writedown of £3.2m because of a property revaluation. I'd have thought, as construction completes, assets become more valuable, not less. Or is it the undeveloped land that's worth less - there is, after all, plenty around in Manchester ?
Or perhaps it's like new cars, which lose a lot of value once a new owner drives them off the forecourt. I'd be grateful if erudite readers could help me out on this one.
- While we're here, the view from London is that lawyers for both sides are working feverishly on the detail of a contract for ITV to take space at MediaCityUK, with a view to an announcement before Christmas.
A spot of lunch
Congratulations to Shelagh Fogarty, who'll be getting up in time for lunch on Radio 5Live in May next year, rather than 3.30am. Gabby Logan is "moving on" from this daily mix of news, sport and politics. Some listeners will hope for slightly fewer discussions about football.
"Revealing" the news on Twitter was all a bit cutsie, with NickyAACampbell, 19,310 followers and an extraordinary 5,990 tweets, teeing up his fanbase yesterday at 3pm to get across Foggyon5 (3,214 followers and a miserly 16 tweets) at 7.15am this morning.
Controller Adrian Van Klaveren promises a new co-host for Nicky in the New Year. Breakfast editor Scott Solder will be presumably drawing up a "grid" of the skillset required, as demonstrated in the Countryfile employment tribunal....
"Revealing" the news on Twitter was all a bit cutsie, with NickyAACampbell, 19,310 followers and an extraordinary 5,990 tweets, teeing up his fanbase yesterday at 3pm to get across Foggyon5 (3,214 followers and a miserly 16 tweets) at 7.15am this morning.
Controller Adrian Van Klaveren promises a new co-host for Nicky in the New Year. Breakfast editor Scott Solder will be presumably drawing up a "grid" of the skillset required, as demonstrated in the Countryfile employment tribunal....
Monday, December 13, 2010
Oy
Is there a rota for nice Jewish ladies on Radio London at the weekends ? I notice that Jeni Barnett (quietly dropped by LBC in September) will reappear on the dial on Sunday mornings in the New Year; current hostess Lesley Joseph is already being covered by deps, to allow her to give her "Queen Lucretia" in Snow White and Seven Dwarfs at the Grand Opera House in Belfast.
Weekend slots were the start for Vanessa Feltz. Going back to the seventies, it was a bloke, Michael Freedland, a serial biographer, who hosted "You don't have to be Jewish..."
Weekend slots were the start for Vanessa Feltz. Going back to the seventies, it was a bloke, Michael Freedland, a serial biographer, who hosted "You don't have to be Jewish..."
Bob Longman
C R Longman (better known as Robert, or even Bob) has died. He rose through the ranks of BBC engineering from the 60s to be Controller, Engineering and Operations BBC TV.
He was famously "on duty" at TVC as BBC2 tried to launch in 1964, and talked about it in an interview with BBC News Online in 2004. A power cut hit the building, and he remembers trying to negotiate the confusing corridors of Television Centre with a candle stuck in a paper cup as they desperately tried to find a way to get the new channel on air. "It got to about 6.30pm when I noticed that the power frequency was falling slightly... then we lost power completely, I went around telling everyone that we would be able to sort it out and not to panic... then we found out the whole of west London had gone. I just froze and thought 'oh dear', because it was an engineering problem - my problem - and the place was packed with people. In the end, we just sent everyone up to the BBC Club for a drink where there was emergency lighting." They spent some time trying to find some form of back up power for the scheduled 1920 BST opening, but finally had to admit defeat at midnight. ""Michael Peacock (BBC Two controller) was quite pleased about it because, although BBC Two was known, it wasn't terribly well-known and all the following day's papers had headlines 'BBC Two Fails - Corporation to try again tonight' It was wonderful publicity and made sure people tuned in."
He was at the heart of the BBC's move into colour transmissions in the late 60s, with a range of off-air experiments, then trial coverage of Wimbledon, and then fully on BBC2 in 1968. There's an engineering monograph by Bob in this BBC publication from 1970
In 1974, I got a job with CEEFAX as a sub-editor. In those days, our dots and dashes were added into spare tv lines by a humming Winchester drive, which was forever crashing. So, out of hours, subs added the skill of "re-booting" to their tiny editorial efforts on the bicycle of the digital age. (I can even remember the code for re-booting, punched in on the bay after easing off the write/protect button - 5DFOX, enter, etc) Bob would pop his head round the door of our "newsroom", 7059, on the roof of TVC most weekdays, to give us thanks and encouragement - needed on days of up to 50 "freezes" at its height.
He was instrumental in setting up the cameras that first appeared in the House of Lords in 1983, and then were finally introduced to the Commons in 1989, and received tributes in Parliament.
He was famously "on duty" at TVC as BBC2 tried to launch in 1964, and talked about it in an interview with BBC News Online in 2004. A power cut hit the building, and he remembers trying to negotiate the confusing corridors of Television Centre with a candle stuck in a paper cup as they desperately tried to find a way to get the new channel on air. "It got to about 6.30pm when I noticed that the power frequency was falling slightly... then we lost power completely, I went around telling everyone that we would be able to sort it out and not to panic... then we found out the whole of west London had gone. I just froze and thought 'oh dear', because it was an engineering problem - my problem - and the place was packed with people. In the end, we just sent everyone up to the BBC Club for a drink where there was emergency lighting." They spent some time trying to find some form of back up power for the scheduled 1920 BST opening, but finally had to admit defeat at midnight. ""Michael Peacock (BBC Two controller) was quite pleased about it because, although BBC Two was known, it wasn't terribly well-known and all the following day's papers had headlines 'BBC Two Fails - Corporation to try again tonight' It was wonderful publicity and made sure people tuned in."
He was at the heart of the BBC's move into colour transmissions in the late 60s, with a range of off-air experiments, then trial coverage of Wimbledon, and then fully on BBC2 in 1968. There's an engineering monograph by Bob in this BBC publication from 1970
In 1974, I got a job with CEEFAX as a sub-editor. In those days, our dots and dashes were added into spare tv lines by a humming Winchester drive, which was forever crashing. So, out of hours, subs added the skill of "re-booting" to their tiny editorial efforts on the bicycle of the digital age. (I can even remember the code for re-booting, punched in on the bay after easing off the write/protect button - 5DFOX, enter, etc) Bob would pop his head round the door of our "newsroom", 7059, on the roof of TVC most weekdays, to give us thanks and encouragement - needed on days of up to 50 "freezes" at its height.
He was instrumental in setting up the cameras that first appeared in the House of Lords in 1983, and then were finally introduced to the Commons in 1989, and received tributes in Parliament.
- Read Bob Chaundy's much fuller obit in The Guardian here.
Katie and Cher "saved" twice
More detail on the XFactor votes here, though not absolute figures. Over the series, nearly 15.5m votes were cast.
If there had been no judges, just public votes - Katie Waissel would have gone in live show 1; John Adeleye would have stayed, rather than Treyc Cohen in live show 3; Treyc Cohen would have stayed rather than Katie Waissel in round 5; Paije Richardson would have stayed, and Cher Lloyd would have left in show 7, and Mary Byrne would have indeed have stayed rather than Cher in show 9.
If there had been no judges, just public votes - Katie Waissel would have gone in live show 1; John Adeleye would have stayed, rather than Treyc Cohen in live show 3; Treyc Cohen would have stayed rather than Katie Waissel in round 5; Paije Richardson would have stayed, and Cher Lloyd would have left in show 7, and Mary Byrne would have indeed have stayed rather than Cher in show 9.
Cutting deals
One won, one lost, 28 "sorted", one way or another, and 4 still to be decided. Overall, two-thirds settled out-of-court. Cost to BBC so far £600k, plus the time and salaries of HR specialists, in-house lawyers, and the witnesses called on both sides. That's the story of industrial/employment tribunals at the Beeb in 2009/10, as discovered by an FoI request just published on the excellent What Do They Know? site.
1. In the last financial year (2009/10), how many employment tribunal claims were taken against the BBC?
34 Claims (by 33 claimants)
2. What was the estimated total cost in defending these claims? Do not include costs covered by any insurance policy.
For industrial and employment tribunals for the financial year 2009/10, the fees for our external specialist counsel/solicitors amounted to £203,627 plus VAT. In house employment lawyers also acted on these cases.
3. How many of these claims were won by the BBC?
One Claim was won in its entirety: One Claim was won on all counts apart from Unfair Dismissal
4. How many of these claims were lost by the BBC?
One Claim was lost in part - Unfair Dismissal
5. How many were settled and what was the total cost?
22 Claims settled: Total cost £ 379,125. In addition, £24,386 plus VAT was paid as a contribution towards Claimant’s legal costs.
6. How many have not been concluded?
Four. The other five claims were withdrawn or dismissed.
1. In the last financial year (2009/10), how many employment tribunal claims were taken against the BBC?
34 Claims (by 33 claimants)
2. What was the estimated total cost in defending these claims? Do not include costs covered by any insurance policy.
For industrial and employment tribunals for the financial year 2009/10, the fees for our external specialist counsel/solicitors amounted to £203,627 plus VAT. In house employment lawyers also acted on these cases.
3. How many of these claims were won by the BBC?
One Claim was won in its entirety: One Claim was won on all counts apart from Unfair Dismissal
4. How many of these claims were lost by the BBC?
One Claim was lost in part - Unfair Dismissal
5. How many were settled and what was the total cost?
22 Claims settled: Total cost £ 379,125. In addition, £24,386 plus VAT was paid as a contribution towards Claimant’s legal costs.
6. How many have not been concluded?
Four. The other five claims were withdrawn or dismissed.
Dynasty news
The Telegraph believes it's the end of an era - no Dimbleby in the coverage of a major Royal event for perhaps the first time since the 1953 Coronation of Granny, sorry, Queen Elizabeth. Huw Edwards, 49, gets his first Royal Wedding with the nuptials of William and Kate; and David Dimbleby, 72, consoles himself with the thought that the BBC now views him "primarily as a political anchor". I wonder who was charged with breaking the news to him - Jana Bennett as a fond farewell, or George Entwistle as the new acting boss of BBC Vision ?
Never mind, David should have a free tv licence by the time of the next General Election.
Never mind, David should have a free tv licence by the time of the next General Election.
X Factor probabilities
Oh dear. Robin Goad, UK research director and blogger for Experian Hitwise, better stick to stats rather than their extrapolation. As we reported on Friday, he predicted a win for One Direction in the XFactor final. However, the limited detail revealed by Syco of the top two in each week's phone-in votes, shows Matt in front nearly all the way. Which is perhaps why he was favourite at the bookies.
Week
1 Mary Byrne/Matt Cardle
2 Matt Cardle/Mary Byrne
3 Matt Cardle/Mary Byrne
4 Matt Cardle/Cher Lloyd
5 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
6 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
7 Matt Cardle/Katie Waissel
8 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
9 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
These positions, however, are more than slightly at odds, at least in second place, with an alleged leak we picked up via Twitter after show 7, on Saturday 20 November, which read "Leaked votes MATT (25%) ... REBECCA (21%) ONE DIRECTION (15%) MARY (14%) ... WAGNER (8%) CHER (7%) KATIE (7%) PAIJE (3%)".
It's probably time someone (Ofcom ?) made the declaration of the actual numbers of votes cast in all phone polls compulsory.
Week
1 Mary Byrne/Matt Cardle
2 Matt Cardle/Mary Byrne
3 Matt Cardle/Mary Byrne
4 Matt Cardle/Cher Lloyd
5 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
6 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
7 Matt Cardle/Katie Waissel
8 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
9 Matt Cardle/Rebecca Ferguson
These positions, however, are more than slightly at odds, at least in second place, with an alleged leak we picked up via Twitter after show 7, on Saturday 20 November, which read "Leaked votes MATT (25%) ... REBECCA (21%) ONE DIRECTION (15%) MARY (14%) ... WAGNER (8%) CHER (7%) KATIE (7%) PAIJE (3%)".
It's probably time someone (Ofcom ?) made the declaration of the actual numbers of votes cast in all phone polls compulsory.
The weight of snow
For those of you interested in structural failure, try this roof collapse at the Minnesota Metrodome. Attempts to clear snow by hot air from below, and by workers on the roof failed to clear the weight, and at 5am on Sunday morning, it gave way, filmed by Fox cameras in spooky, well-lit conditions.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A matter of opinion
This blog will not stand in the way of Chris Patten's application to be the next Chairman of the BBC Trust.
Others may do. The current round of WikiLeaks revealed what the Chinese called him (on various separate occasions) in the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong - “an old whore”, "a sinner of a thousand generations”, "a serpent” and "a tango dancer". UKIP's Lord Pearson of Rannoch says Lord Patten is compromised because he has an EU pension, and to "have as the arbiter of impartiality one who owes a significant chunk of his income to the good will of the European Union would be plain wrong". In that ultra-sensitive area, the Middle East, Chris is still active - signing letters calling for a tougher stance on Israel, and this year becoming President of Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Let's hope BBC alumni Mark Damazer, at St Peter's, and Tim Gardam, at St Anne's, can use the odd high table chat to get him through the interview.
Others may do. The current round of WikiLeaks revealed what the Chinese called him (on various separate occasions) in the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong - “an old whore”, "a sinner of a thousand generations”, "a serpent” and "a tango dancer". UKIP's Lord Pearson of Rannoch says Lord Patten is compromised because he has an EU pension, and to "have as the arbiter of impartiality one who owes a significant chunk of his income to the good will of the European Union would be plain wrong". In that ultra-sensitive area, the Middle East, Chris is still active - signing letters calling for a tougher stance on Israel, and this year becoming President of Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Let's hope BBC alumni Mark Damazer, at St Peter's, and Tim Gardam, at St Anne's, can use the odd high table chat to get him through the interview.
- If you fancy another ex-diplomat, the Mail says Jonathan Powell has put his hat in the ring. This is the man dubbed "Tony's echo", at Mr Blair's side as we went to war in Iraq, and who told the Chilcot inquiry in January this year "Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction. We were wrong. The intelligence was wrong". Will the beard survive to interview time ?
Building previews
The BBC must be looking forward to a range of "nice building" features in the run-up to Christmas. The media turks of the Times, Mail and Telegraph (below) have been taken on a tour of bits of MediaCityUK - and the Guardian has been for a little peek around the new build at Broadcasting House. Neither sites have technical fit-out or working people in place, so let's hope they use their imaginations effectively and kindly.
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Saturday, December 11, 2010
More on George
George Entwistle will be one of the most important people in UK broadcasting in the New Year - and a least for a while, having been announced as interim Director of BBC Vision.
George, now 48, was brought up in Yorkshire, going to independent Silcoates School and then Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, before heading to Durham to study Philosopy and Politics.
With a 2.1 under his belt, in 1983 he joined Michael Heseltine's Haymarket Publications,
and gained a reputation as an "audiophile" with the readers of "Hi Fi Answers", who remember his preferred reference set up of Townsend Rock turntable/Audio Innovations amplifier/Snell speakers
He made it to the BBC in 1989 as a broadcast journalist trainee, then was appointed an assistant producer on Panorama. In 1993 he joined On The Record as a producer, where he won the nickname "General Sir George Entwistle", because of a track record of items about military history and "an obsession with tanks and guns and stuff". Then it was on to Newsnight, where he rose through the ranks - he took a year out to be deputy editor of Tomorrow's World in 1999, but was soon back with Paxo et al, eventually taking over as Editor less than 24 hours before the twin towers came under attack. His steady hand saw the programme through the Dr David Kelly/Andrew Gilligan period, when Susan Watts was also working on the story of the Iraq dossier.
In 2004 he moved to lead a newly-created Topical Arts Unit, which, with a budget of £8m over two years, brought us the Culture Show, and a less-remembered offering, The Desk, a weekly media show presented by Tyler Brule.
In 2005 George was back in the bosom of news, as Head of TV Current Affairs, overseeing the move of Panorama back from Sunday night, to a new Jeremy Vine-fronted version, at just half an hour on Mondays.
In 2007, he was asked to run BBC4, during Controller Janie Hadlow's sabbatical. There he commissioned a
Golden Age Of Steam season; Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks series and Ian Hislop's documentary on the Beeching closures remain among the most watched factual programmes in the channel's history (it says in the BBC Press office bio).
In 2008, George acquired two roles - Controller, Knowledge Commissioning, following the departure of Glenwyn Benson, and Controller Editorial Standards, BBC Vision (a job created in Byfordian response to a range of issues, including the Blue Peter phone-in scandal). That year he also had to front the decision to drop tv coverage of Cruft's.
Last year he was caught writing Birt-speak in a memo which found its way into the hands of C4's Jon Snow; it was all about how it was "imperative to engineer a major shift of commitment towards the devising and delivery of the integrated sub genre strategies essential to the next stage of the Knowledge strategy on all platforms". The Sunday Times thought he might have had a comment to make about the infamous talent league table leaked in December last year, but George shut the door on a visiting reporter. The bottom category was headed "Occasional sparkle (but limited appeal)", and featured Delia Smith, Michael Palin, Sophie Raworth and Giles Coren.
He lists his interests as reading, music, Gothic architecture, and watching rugby union.
George, now 48, was brought up in Yorkshire, going to independent Silcoates School and then Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, before heading to Durham to study Philosopy and Politics.
With a 2.1 under his belt, in 1983 he joined Michael Heseltine's Haymarket Publications,
and gained a reputation as an "audiophile" with the readers of "Hi Fi Answers", who remember his preferred reference set up of Townsend Rock turntable/Audio Innovations amplifier/Snell speakersHe made it to the BBC in 1989 as a broadcast journalist trainee, then was appointed an assistant producer on Panorama. In 1993 he joined On The Record as a producer, where he won the nickname "General Sir George Entwistle", because of a track record of items about military history and "an obsession with tanks and guns and stuff". Then it was on to Newsnight, where he rose through the ranks - he took a year out to be deputy editor of Tomorrow's World in 1999, but was soon back with Paxo et al, eventually taking over as Editor less than 24 hours before the twin towers came under attack. His steady hand saw the programme through the Dr David Kelly/Andrew Gilligan period, when Susan Watts was also working on the story of the Iraq dossier.
In 2004 he moved to lead a newly-created Topical Arts Unit, which, with a budget of £8m over two years, brought us the Culture Show, and a less-remembered offering, The Desk, a weekly media show presented by Tyler Brule.
In 2005 George was back in the bosom of news, as Head of TV Current Affairs, overseeing the move of Panorama back from Sunday night, to a new Jeremy Vine-fronted version, at just half an hour on Mondays.
In 2007, he was asked to run BBC4, during Controller Janie Hadlow's sabbatical. There he commissioned a
Golden Age Of Steam season; Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks series and Ian Hislop's documentary on the Beeching closures remain among the most watched factual programmes in the channel's history (it says in the BBC Press office bio).
In 2008, George acquired two roles - Controller, Knowledge Commissioning, following the departure of Glenwyn Benson, and Controller Editorial Standards, BBC Vision (a job created in Byfordian response to a range of issues, including the Blue Peter phone-in scandal). That year he also had to front the decision to drop tv coverage of Cruft's.
Last year he was caught writing Birt-speak in a memo which found its way into the hands of C4's Jon Snow; it was all about how it was "imperative to engineer a major shift of commitment towards the devising and delivery of the integrated sub genre strategies essential to the next stage of the Knowledge strategy on all platforms". The Sunday Times thought he might have had a comment to make about the infamous talent league table leaked in December last year, but George shut the door on a visiting reporter. The bottom category was headed "Occasional sparkle (but limited appeal)", and featured Delia Smith, Michael Palin, Sophie Raworth and Giles Coren.
He lists his interests as reading, music, Gothic architecture, and watching rugby union.
Tough at Smooth
Smooth Radio have made a slight tweak in the demographic of their presenter line-up for their national "launch" in the New Year. Dave Lincoln (estimated at 57) is being replaced in the 1pm-4pm weekday slot by David "Kid" Jensen, definitely 60.
The new station is almost a re-creation of Radio 1 in the 1980s, with Simon Bates getting his first proper pop breakfast show at the age of 62. The Smooth Network is already getting a reach of some 3m listeners, with average listening hours of 7.7. Let's see what 2011 will bring. If you can't wait for the nostalgia, many of the Smooth line-up (and the odd one from Radio 2) can be spotted in this finale to the 1981 Xmas Top of the Pops.
The new station is almost a re-creation of Radio 1 in the 1980s, with Simon Bates getting his first proper pop breakfast show at the age of 62. The Smooth Network is already getting a reach of some 3m listeners, with average listening hours of 7.7. Let's see what 2011 will bring. If you can't wait for the nostalgia, many of the Smooth line-up (and the odd one from Radio 2) can be spotted in this finale to the 1981 Xmas Top of the Pops.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Minder ?
Well done to George Entwistle, who will be acting as boss of BBC Vision in the New Year, as Jana Bennett heads to BBC Worldwide, and until a permanent replacement is found. Via Media Guardian.
This is a grand elevation for George, who ran BBC4 in an acting role in 2007, and will now have to resolve differences across BBC1, 2, 3, 4, BBCHD, and the Red Button, as well as taking some pastoral care of BBC Films. UKTV and BBC America. It's a bit odd that Jana can't stay a bit longer; Worlwide has managed without a President, Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer for some time. However, Jana's salary has always been a problem, with a total package of £517k. George can expect some acting pay on top of his current £197k, but not enough to close the gap.
This news doesn't quite scupper my theory that there's room for re-organisation of "output" departments to reduce overheads, crashing tv, radio and online commissioning budgets together. DG Thommo may be hoping this, or something like it, gets some traction in his "big conversations" with staff promised for 2011.
This is a grand elevation for George, who ran BBC4 in an acting role in 2007, and will now have to resolve differences across BBC1, 2, 3, 4, BBCHD, and the Red Button, as well as taking some pastoral care of BBC Films. UKTV and BBC America. It's a bit odd that Jana can't stay a bit longer; Worlwide has managed without a President, Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer for some time. However, Jana's salary has always been a problem, with a total package of £517k. George can expect some acting pay on top of his current £197k, but not enough to close the gap.
This news doesn't quite scupper my theory that there's room for re-organisation of "output" departments to reduce overheads, crashing tv, radio and online commissioning budgets together. DG Thommo may be hoping this, or something like it, gets some traction in his "big conversations" with staff promised for 2011.
Bookmakers v Web statisticians
Bookmakers Paddy Power make Matt Cardle 4/5 to win the XFactor. Taciturn Liverpudlian Rebecca Ferguson is second favourite at 5/2, with One Direction at 3/1, and Cher at 33/1.
Hitwise analyst Robin Goad called last year's winner Joe McElderry, based on web searches and the demographics of fan websites. Bookmakers at that time also made Joe odds-on favourite ahead of the final. But this year Robin is going against the odds, and predicting a win for One Direction. He discounts Rebecca Ferguson almost entirely; and then argues that, though there are more UK searches online for Cher than the others, many of them are looking for what he calls "negatives". "Negative" searches would, in Robin's view, include things like "Cher anorexic" and "Cher naked". He therefore argues she's Marmite - both loved and hated in equal measures, and thus can't win. (I hope Robin hasn't forgotten there's more than one Cher in the pop world).
For rest, it's based on trends, plus the likelihood of the One Direction fanbase being readier to spend when it comes to real voting. All the detail here.
Hitwise analyst Robin Goad called last year's winner Joe McElderry, based on web searches and the demographics of fan websites. Bookmakers at that time also made Joe odds-on favourite ahead of the final. But this year Robin is going against the odds, and predicting a win for One Direction. He discounts Rebecca Ferguson almost entirely; and then argues that, though there are more UK searches online for Cher than the others, many of them are looking for what he calls "negatives". "Negative" searches would, in Robin's view, include things like "Cher anorexic" and "Cher naked". He therefore argues she's Marmite - both loved and hated in equal measures, and thus can't win. (I hope Robin hasn't forgotten there's more than one Cher in the pop world).
For rest, it's based on trends, plus the likelihood of the One Direction fanbase being readier to spend when it comes to real voting. All the detail here.
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