Grill

New DCMS Select Committee chair Jesse Norman looked less than happy after his first formal cross-examination of BBC DG Lord Hall this morning. He chased Tone on TV boss Danny Cohen's involvement in the creation of the luvvie letter - and on Ben Cooper asking DJ Annie Nightingale to sign it blind - and got some admission of Mr Cohen's involvement but not much more.

More interesting was the BBC side's mild pleasure is saying that the licence feel deal stuck with George Osborne in July was way better than Mark Thompson's October 2010 deal with a younger Ossie. Finance chief Anne Bulford said Thommo's deal required cuts of 24%; Lord Hall's works out at 10%. Of course, Lord Hall faces some income challenges, talent inflation, and needs to do new things - so the "efficiencies" required rise to 20%.