Babies and bathwater 2

Innovators are always at risk of being replaced. New bosses prefer their own innovations, not those of previous top dogs.

But another effect of James Harding's reshaping of BBC News is to lose the expertise of people who've pioneered "new" ways of reaching audiences. So the team who battered the 60 Seconds news bulletins on to the air for BBC3 are to go. (Maybe it would be wise to hang on, at least, for the Trust decision on the channel's linear future...?).

The motley group of old hands, fresh faces and attachees who brought World Have Your Say to World Service radio (and tv) are also to be disbanded, after nine years. The cumbersome title (a legacy of Mark Byford and his one-brand obsession) concealed a daily show that was much more than a phone-in. It invited those dangerous, uneducated beasts, the audience, to shape the agenda, even to host editions. People who thought news broadcasting was meant to teach the audience a thing or two, not the other way round, derided it as World Shut Yer Face.  Along the way, it developed a new talented bunch of presenters. Bosses say more programmes have engaged with social media, so the network can move on. If by that, they mean programmes that say "Get in touch, by text, mail, Twitter or Facebook, and we'll read out one of your comments if we're under-running", then they simply don't understand audience engagement.

It would be an awful thing, wouldn't it, if the decision was driven by US stations opting not to re-broadcast, because the topics and accents were uncomfortable ? The chase for a 500m audience in Global News decided on one continent ?