Final curtains

Alan Yentob's resignation as BBC Creative Director was announced on 3rd December, saying he would go at the end of the year. So he was able to attend the three-hour BBC Executive meeting on 8th December - and be thanked in person for his work. Non-executive luvvie Nick Hytner wasn't there to receive his vote of thanks, for a rather shorter term, after starting work on the board in April 2014.

The public minutes are largely meaningless, although we have some words from an apparent formula ('decision-making matrix of criteria') from World Service about how it decides on new services, supported by the newly-rediscovered Tory interest in soft power. "Decisions on investment were based on audience need: including an assessment of the information and democratic deficit; the potential accessibility of the services to the audience, and the geo-political situation country-by-country".

Now if only we could apply that to Scotland and Wales...