Bit by bit

Says the BBC yesterday: "We can confirm the BBC was made aware in 2017 of the existence of an ongoing police investigation, which was subsequently closed in 2019 with no arrest or charge being made.

"We are doing more work to understand the details of what was known by the BBC at this time."

Operation Winter Key's remit was "to investigate allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse, where the alleged abuse was committed before 2012", firstly when the alleged abusers were "people of prominence in public life". Some 80 officers developed 222 cases, based in temporary offices near the Stratford Docklands Light Railway Station.  The team had learned lessons from Operation Midland, the bungled Met investigation into the fantasy claims of Carl Beech. An inspection of Winter Key in 2019 said "The Winter Key cases all seemed to have been thoroughly investigated, and we didn’t find anything to indicate that the team had made poor decisions". 

It went on to praise Winter Key's discretion: "For example, wherever possible, they prefer to take a
discreet approach when dealing with high-profile suspects for non-recent offences. This often involves a process known as voluntary attendance, which means that the suspect agrees to attend police premises for interview. Interviews can also be conducted elsewhere (for example, at a solicitor’s office)."

Winter Key may have closed down in 2019, but the Met seems to have a better handle on its records than the BBC: 'We have been in contact with the man's employer on several occasions, between the start of our investigation in 2017 and the present day. It would not be appropriate to share the specific nature of these discussions.'

BBC News tells us that the director general at the time of the investigation, Tony Hall, did not know about the allegations. Who did ?  And did they know Winter Key was about child sexual abuse ?

An added complication: Hampshire Police said the sexual offences allegations were first reported by a third party in 2016, and that the force logged the details and passed on information to the Met for investigation.  Will that third party complainant reveal themselves to the press this weekend ?

Loose

One presumes Rhodri is Gold Commander on Scott Mills, but who's helping ? 

Lisa Hunter (BA Hons Politics, Newcastle, PG Broadcast Journalism, Cardiff University) joined the BBC as Director of External Communications in November 2025, the week before the DG and Director of News resigned.  Previously, Lisa was a member of the Governing Council at Newcastle University and Head of Strategic Communications at MHP Group, a groovy multi-disciplinary PR team handily placed in Great Portland Street. Just before Lisa left MHP, they signed Alison Phillips, editor in chief at the Daily Mirror. 

New loose ends: The BBC says the person complaining about Scott Mills over something that happened between 1997 and 2000 brought 'new information' that triggered the sacking. The BBC also says that it fielded a separate inquiry from freelance journalist Anna Brees last May.  She said she had information about alleged “inappropriate communications” involving the Radio 2 DJ, and wanted to know if he had ever been the subject of an internal investigation. She didn't get a reply; the BBC now says her  information “should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions”.

Anna has a degree in Theology and Anthropolgy from Lampeter, and has worked as a journalist in the Channel Islands, ITV Birmingham, ITV Oxford and BBC South. She currently does social media training, makes short videos about Penarth and Barry, and works for the new Welsh independence party Gwlad (at least until May 7th). 

Who knew what when

So last Monday someone complains about Scott Mills' behaviour, back in 1997-2000; the BBC looks into it, and decides to sack him on Saturday.  The news is broken at 11:30am yesterday, and the Daily Mirror seems to have had a beat on the remainder of Fleet Street. The Mirror is the only tabloid vaguely supportive of the existence of the BBC. 

How much could the BBC have already known from Mills' file ?  In 1997, Scott was working for "London's Heart 106.2", joining Radio 1 in 1998. But we're told the allegations of "serious sex offences" against a "teenage boy" were raised by a force outside London. In 2001, Scott Mills came out as gay to The Guardian; later he talked about turning to alcohol after the suicide of an early boyfriend. Mitch. He also talked about 'the support of Radio 1'.   Matthew Bannister was Controller in 1997, followed by Andy Parfitt. 

The outside-London force decide to raise Mills with the Met in December 2016.  What was the trigger ?  The Dame Janet Smith review into Savile et Al at the BBC was published that year; the BBC fell out with Tony Blackburn over 'the standard of his evidence' to the inquiry. Also in 2016, Scott Mills parted with another boyfriend, marketing man Bradley Harris. In July 2018, the Met interviewed Scott Mills under caution.  A file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, suggesting the police felt there was a case to answer;  they 'determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.'   Presumably some of this should have come to the notice of Scott's managers; Ben Cooper was the Controller of Radio 1. 

A reminder that Lorna Clarke, who communicated news of Mills' departure to staff, was 'stepped back' from her role as Director of Music in July last year after the Glastonbury coverage of Bob Vylan. 

Let's meet again

The chaotic end to 2025 required no less than two BBC Board meetings in December. It's hard to tell from the consistently opaque minutes which particular governance issue required meetings on the 11th and 18th December. Remember chair Samir Shah was in and out of Lisa Nandy's office, probably for sessions on the naughty step, with meetings on 1st, 3rd and 16th December. 

On 11th December the major items were reviewing Caroline Thomson and Richard Sambrook's changes to the Editorial Standard and Guidelines Committee's remit and procedures - it had signally failed to engage formally with the bombshell Michael Prescott/David Grossman dossier.  The Board asked for some re-drafting ahead of the 18th meeting. The 11th also signed off a large spending commitment on the production of Casualty. 

The big business on the 18th was money; a strategic decision to let BBC Studios spend more to make more )where have we heard that before ?) and a first-look budget for 2026/27. Proposed organisational changes clearly spooked some non-exectuives, who asked for a full zero-budgeting exercise to report back in March. One element lacking clarity - how much the BBC is prepared to spend on the World Service, a detail still missing from last week's annual plan. 

One little item: The Board noted an update from the Chair on succession planning for the DirectorGeneral.  This a matter of 39 days after Tim Davie's resignation. 

Say what ?

 

The Oxford English Dictionary offers six pronunciations of Iranian. The BBC seems to be sticking to the top left, apart, dare I say, from Jeremy Bowen, who is, frankly, a model of inconsistency, too often straying to the right hand side. Perhaps the Pronunciation Department will draw an isogloss around him. 

Creative thinking

He's done it before.  Tim Davie was appointed co-chair of the Creative Industries Council by Culture  Secretary Matt Hancock in June 2018; at the time he was CEO BBC Studios. He succeeded Nicola Mendelsohn. (Nicola Mendelsohn is now "Head of Global Business Group" at Met, based in New York).  

Tim stepped down in December 2021 (Nadine Dorries appointed his successor, Peter Bazalgette). 

When Lisa Nandy first appeared at Culture, Bazalgette's tenure was extended, and Baroness Vadera joined him as a 'directly-appointed' co-chair; there was talk of a major recruitment exercise to replace them in 2026. 

But this looks like another direct appointment, which, under Whitehall rules, should only last for eighteen months. One presumes that Nandy still rates Davie, despite her talk of 'a problem of leadership' at the BBC of last July. A working address in 44 Belgrave Square looks like a good perch for Tim to pick up a bundle of non-executive roles.... 

Question

Media studies GCSE 2026. Q16. There were fourteen formal meetings between Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and BBC Chairman Samir Shah in the last three months of 2025. 

In your opinion does this mean:

a) they get on well together and enjoy exchanging ideas ?

b) she doesn't trust him an inch, and wants regular deliveries of homework ?

You again

 A new record number of meetings between Culture Secretary and BBC Chair in the last three months of 2025. 

Matt and Sid

Matt Brittin (Hampton and Robinson College, Cambridge) likes to point out at least some working class connections, writing at the turn of the year:  "Sadly my dear Dad Sid, died this autumn. He grew up in a condemned corner shop between St Pancras and Euston, his world of technology was a wireless radio for BBC news and entertainment. "

Sid went to Holloway County Grammar School, off Camden Road, Islington.  A keen footballer, cricketer (63 for the 1st XI v Chobham), his street soccer skills were honed during the blitz, later having trials for Brentford, QPR and Chelsea, though National Service blocked his route to professional football.  In the 1950s he played for the old boys' team, the Old Camdenians. 

Sid made it to Senior Manager for Lloyds Bank in a 36-year career, starting in Harlesden in 1955, and travelling through Islington, Golders Green, Hendon Central, Covent Garden, Finsbury Square and Bromley. However the progress was at one stage marked by a breakdown as he found himself overwhelmed with 'targets'. The tale was told to Clive Anderson, in a 2009 Radio 4 documentary "What became of the bank manager ?" 

Sid took early retirement in 1991. He kept busy from his base in suburban Staines, playing bowls for Ashford, and writing features for the Thames Guardian, a quarterly magazine of 'topical and historical stories about England's greatest river.'

He was also a regular letter writer to The Telegraph, perhaps countering son Matt's support of The Guardian.  

January 2014

SIR – When I was working in a bank in the Eighties, a customer complained bitterly after our banking hall was redecorated.

It transpired that he had written his pin on the wall next to the cash machine and it had been covered up with paint. His view was that his number was no use to anyone so long as he had the card.

Sid Brittin

Staines upon Thames, Surrey

Platform ticket

 The second wave of John Birt's BBC revolution was the rush to digital; the first wave - 'production modernisation' had seen nearly 10,000 jobs shed, and producting support 'professionalised'.  Before that, the technology side of the BBC had an 'army' feel to it. Engineers were climbing transmitters for maintenance, floors were full of copper wiring, and concrete was the favoured building-material. 

At the start of the second wave, Birt visited the West Coast, saw the light, and started holding evening parties for digital 'movers and shakers' in the Council Chamber, where sushi and pizza was ordered and delivered in real time !   It seemed obvious from that point that the BBC should acquire some American talent to help drive through these changes.  Birt tried wooing Craig Fields, a founding director of Perot Systems and Network Solutions, an internet technology company - he turned down Director of Technology, agreed to come as a two-day-a-week adviser, but did not stay long. 

Towards the end of Birt's tenure, Mark Frost, with AOL in his cv, came over to kick start the wider BBC online operation. By that time, BBC News Online had quietly roared ahead without US influence, and, when Greg Dyke arrived, was given custody of BBC Sport Online as a reward. Frost left after a year. 

Under DG Mark Thompson, the BBC imported Erik Huggers from Microsoft (though he turned out to be Dutch). Among those who claim to be the key driver of iPlayer, Erik probably has a good case.  Then followed Ralph Rivera, with a pedigree in games at AOL. 

Now we have the man from Google arriving. Does he have a platforms strategy already in place ? And who will help him deliver it ?