All Perspectives (but more of some than others) will be pleased with a March monthly reach of 4.2m (their sole product is GB News). It's up from 3.6m in February, and looks to be their highest figure since this method of reporting started a year ago.
BBC tv reached 48.4m in March 2026, compared with 49.9m in March last year.
Minutes of the BBC Board's Editorial Standards and Guidelines Committee, from January mark two big changes. The BBC's Director General, editor-in-chief, Tim Davie didn't attend. Nor did the BBC Chairman, Samir Shah.
Dr Shah took the decision to chair this Committee from May 2024, as independent director Sir Nick Serota moved on; in less than a year, it was the starting point for a row that eventually unseated the DG and the Director of News, as the good doctor dithered.
So now it's farewell ESGC, hello ESC, chaired by senior independent director Caroline Thomson. The senior BBC executive at the last meeting was Rhodri Talfan Davies, who must be hoping that, by now, Matt Brittin has been convinced to anoint him as Deputy Director General, with only the mechanics to be worked out...
Here's one cultural change I'd like from new BBC Director General Matt Brittin. Ease off on the marketing-by-numbers. Nearly every BBC1 junction features one 'branding' piece, one generic iPlayer 'awareness' piece and an old fashioned 'trail'. The messaging is mixed; we proudly make programmes around the UK; we're very grateful to those of you who pay the licence fee; we are the 'home' of .... (fill in as necessary). Government information films might be less repetitive. Add to this, trails masquerading as news on the 6.00pm bulletin, and The One Show, often 75% trails, at least half for BBC product.
The emerging truth is that viewers are finding their own way to good content through the recommendations of family, friends and work colleagues, in the way we used to discuss books to read and films to see. The first episode of "Small Prophets", over the first seven days in mid-February, reached 4.4m viewers; it has added 2.2m viewers over the following three weeks. "The Other Bennet Sister" started off at 4.7m over its first seven days. I'll predict it'll add 2m over three weeks.
Incoming BBC Director General Matt Brittin was spotted in the Temple of Doom main newsroom on the lower ground floor of Broadcasting House.
I say 'spotted'; his 1.9m height was surrounded at its base by a rolling maul of News' 'Senior Leaders'....
Students of how transformation happens at the BBC will have already discovered from declared expenses that COO Leigh Tavaziva, Chief Product Officer Storm Fagan and Peter O'Kane, now departed Chief Technology Officer, travelled to Seattle and Los Angeles business class in March last year.
The 1978 version of "Death On The Nile", with Peter Ustinov as Poirot, was out again on BBC2 this weekend (and thus for another month on iPlayer). It would interesting to know it's cumulative BBC audience over 16 appearances.
Radio futurologist James Cridland has just updated his very useful post about how to listen to BBC Radio abroad - network stations and local. Live, not catch-up, available from a webpage that seems to have taken nine months to construct.
Yet another job opportunity with BBC Studios in New York, salary unspecified. You could be Director of Retail Development. It's an omnishambles, Brittin.
The Director, Retail Development role will execute omnichannel retail development and marketing strategies to maximize brand presence and retailer support.
The primary focus will be to expand and manage BBC Studios brands’ retail placement across mid-tier, value, off price, grocery, drug and new business channels in the US and Canada. Opportunity to support eCommerce, as well.
Minutes of the BBC Board's Nominations Committee from 20th January reveal they - Samir Shah, Damon Buffini, Muriel Gray, and Caroline Thomson - chose Rhodri Talfan Davies as "the outstanding candidate" to be interim DG.
They also decided, rather oddly, to appoint Chris Jones, an existing non-executive director to the Editorial Standards and Guidelines Committee. A wise man, no doubt, but an accountant.
Then Dom Loehnis and Helen Crowley of headhunters Egon Zehnder joined the meeting for a discussion of the 'longlist' of potential candidates to replace Tim Davie. Come on, guys, 'long' ?
