America for the Americans

All those in BBC News facing an unwonted exit might brighten at the job ad for a Supervising Editor, Digital - Breaking News and Live, based in either Washington or Los Angeles. 

But wait: "This is a local hire position and eligible candidates must be able to live and work in the US (US citizenship, Green Card or work authorisation). Previous applicants need not apply."

"At least 10 years experience in a daily digital news operation, with significant news editing experience and an in-depth knowledge of US and Canadian affairs"

"PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: $140,000 – $160,000" 

Size matters

Might one be mildly surprised that the BBC has suddenly found enough space in its yet-to-be-occupied Tea Factory in Digbeth for Birmingham City University to lease space to run courses in media, journalism, content creation, production and broadcast technology ?

The design was set with planning permission granted in March 2023, way after Covid. Occupancy was then expected in 2026.  In December 2023, opening date was moved to 2027.  Now this:

"Subject to final planning and landlord’s approvals, BCU will lease space within the Tea Factory and create state-of-the-art training facilities built to BBC specifications. These will include sector leading hi-tech studios, workshops, teaching rooms and breakout areas."

Is there something genetic in the ambition of the BBC's Nations & Regions, to build too big ?  Large areas of Pacific Quay are empty; the Cardiff bus station-site for BBC Wales/Cymru is less penetrable. The BBC in Northern Ireland has had its transformation ambitions curtailed to a refurb, with the recent announcement of a studio/event space in the new Belfast Stories development, to come on stream in 2030.

Trend ?

All Perspectives, sole tv product GB News,  reached 3,275,000 viewers in August, according to BARB. That's down from 3,597,000 in July,  and down from 3,979,000 in August 2025. 

TV News

The modern BBC is ... relentless.  Do we really need another 'big' Saturday night quiz show ?

This is what's coming our way. The Spanish picked up the format, marketed by BBC Studios, a year ago, and have recorded but not shown a full series.  "The Wisdom Of The Crowd", was renamed 'Los 200: Uno contra la masa'.  The host is Carlos Sobera, actor, producer, presenter and former law lecturer. 

The show is for Telecinco, deemed by most Spanish critics to be struggling in third place in the country's channel rankings. 

The BBC have gone with John Bishop. 

Meanwhile furrows are being ploughed ever deeper at BBC News Online. Try, if you dare, the searing insights of "Why I'm doing a September reset and how you can create a new routine", or the focused reportage of "Some dentists say more young people are grinding their teeth - are you one of them?"  Modern 'health' journalism at the BBC. 

Manhunt

I suppose most newsrooms in the UK, except perhaps BBC Verify, are using OSINT to identify where Harry and Meghan are staying, from their latest Instagram post. Or perhaps it didn't occur to Harry, a Sandurst-trained Captain in the Army, that he might be giving away his position.... 

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A post shared by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (@meghan)

News will eat itself

Next Friday's Newsnight has been allotted 7.00-7.28pm on BBC2.  Six UK channels will be offering 'news' at the same time - ITV, C4, BBC Scotland, BBC Alba and BBC2. Oh, and The World Today with Maryam Moshiri on BBC News.

The 10.30 slot it has vacated on BBC2 is straddled by The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes, part one of a two part documentary made by Sipur Studios, an Israeli production company. Sipur means story in Hebrew. 

Why now, Emma ?

Is there a link between Emma Barnett's 14 minute interview with Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch on Thursday morning, and the strong rumour that the interrogator is about the leave the Today programme after two years ?

The interview became unduly and unnecessarily unheated - a sort of prizefight and test of will when the immediate political climate demanded more of a canter round low obstacles. Waiting alongside Emma, her co-presenter Nick Robinson, with thirty years of experience as a political correspondent and interviewer, rather heavy handedly claimed he had the "Interview of the Day", with Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson.

Three weeks ago, Emma revealed that she'd been largely off-air since June, recuperating from a five-hour operation which included a hysterectomy and gall-bladder removal. She returned to the Today studio just in time to co-present with Amol Rajan for his last programme. She may, too, have decided that there are easier ways to earn £300k a year without requiring 4.30am alarm calls. 

Lisa's promises

"It's coming soon". Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to the BBC's Katie Razzall on proposals for future funding of the BBC; a firm footing, says Lisa, not just for the next ten years, but way into the future. Bullish Lisa also backed the idea of some kind of 'sovereign space' online, perhaps led by the BBC, but encompassing all kinds of UK 'trusted media', particularly regional and local. And hinted at a clampdown on politicians presenting news and current affairs programmes.  

I wonder if Labour will regret not setting up some form of independent commission on the future of broadcasting at this key pivot. Can it really be appropriate for it to emerge from behind-closed-door weekly meetings between BBC executives, junior ministers and civil servants alone ?

If the shoe fits

Poor old Monty, you thought. Must be whacked out after all those years of gardening.  But, today, we learn the change may be more about acquiring some extra cash. Here are some trainers.  Sorry, New Balance x Bleue Burnham collab trainers, £240 a pair. 

Playing with jobs ?

May I commend Barbara Speed's excellent long read in The Guardian on BBC Charter renewal ?

It's clear that the process is no closer to a funding solution, and woefully short of a Big Idea, or at least one that can be given some sort of flesh. 

More than a few terrifying paragraphs from Barbara: try this... 

Throughout the summer, 15 formal meetings have taken place between DCMS and BBC officials, with more to come through the rest of the year and into 2027. These meetings are private. No public record is released. It’s here that the real work of drafting the charter is done.

More worrying - the BBC lead on the case: 

Over email, the deputy director general, Rhodri Talfan Davies, told me he has found meetings with DCMS over the summer “very constructive … It’s clear to me they understand the importance of this moment for the BBC.”

And downright outrageous:

Senior figures at DCMS seem to believe that current rounds of job cuts – which will eventually amount to one in 10 of the BBC’s workforce – can be spun in the BBC’s favour. Lisa Nandy would not speak to me for this article, but Ian Murray, the DCMS junior minister working on charter renewal, told me he hoped the news of the cuts would show the public “the consequences of an inadequately funded BBC. It’s a really good way of the public realising that the BBC is something that they quite value.”