Charles and Camilla will have agreed over Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman; Camilla may have pushed for Elaine Paige. Charles probably liked Martha Kearney, and may have acknowledged the work of outgoing Proms Director David Pickard. But beyond that, it's a poor haul for Beeb-related gongs in the Birthday Honours list...
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Friday, June 13, 2025
Allies
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly passed President Donald Trump's request to slash $9.4 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting, sending the package for consideration by the Senate.
The measure was backed 214 to 212.
Now for foreign aid and the World Service in Starmer's UK.
Milestone ?
Justified ?
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Kelsey-Rae
The BBC has a new Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Kelsey-Rae Williams.
Williams was born in London but was raised in an all-white neighbourhood in Canada. She moved back to London in 2013, after completing a first degree in Political Science and International Development Studies at McGill University, Montreal. Her parents are from Trinidad and Grenada, and her grandparents are part of the Windrush generation. Father Ray is recently retired from banking in Toronto, but still Chair of the Black Opportunity Fund in the city.
Kelsey-Rae took a law degree at City St George's, London University, and worked her way through jobs in the Civil Service to Kew Gardens and Burberry.
Here's something for Kelsey-Rae to get her teeth into...
Phone for ETs
BBC News management has a poor record in spotting tricky redundancy cases. The case of four Mature Lady News Presenters was settled after a three-year battle, with the MLNPs back at work. Now it seems we have four or five Crusty News Hounds, Discontent about Compulsory Redundancy from News Content.
The CNHs have lodged a grievance, the formal internal route, about the selection process which appeared to weight 'digital' box-ticking as more important than years of experience of managing the delivery of News Content from home and abroad. They believe younger staff have been favoured in this 'selection for retention', and expect to take their case to employment tribunals.
Emily worried
The Chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, is fearful for the BBC World Service
"The Spending Review provided no clarity or concrete commitment to fund the British Council and the BBC World Service, both of which rely heavily on FCDO funding and do a huge amount of heavy lifting when it comes to our soft power offering. If we aren’t proactive in maintaining our global influence, we can expect our standing to diminish, and for autocratic states to fill the vacuum we leave"
Follow that, Kamal
Where will well-connected Kamal Ahmed land next ? Dapper Kamal, 57 (Drayton Manor and Leeds), a man who according to Rod Liddle resembles “a pencil that has been sharpened to slightly beyond its optimum length”, is no longer running audio services at the Daily Telegraph, though his X-handle has yet to be updated.
So proud to have been part of this. Thank you @Telegraph @DailyTPodcast and all the team, particularly my presenter oppo @CamillaTominey What a star she is. https://t.co/HJ0p2Hxocz
— Kamal Ahmed (@kamalahmednews) June 11, 2025
Kamal was brought to the BBC by James Harding, fumbled his chances to replace him, and was rescued by former Telegraph colleague Will Lewis, with the Qatari-funded News Movement. Its most recent accounts show debts of £4.5m. He's been with The Telegraph just over a year.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Alan off
It's an odd time for the BBC to start looking for a new Chief Finance Officer, but it seems Alan Dickson is moving on after less than three years in post.
Alan (BA Scottish History, Glasgow University and graduate of the Deloitte - Next Generation FTSE 250 CFO Programme) joined Tim Davie's board from BBC News; and previously held finance posts in BBC Scotland, after training in accountancy with NHS Scotland.World outlook
Things look bleak for the World Service; no direct mention in the main Spending Review, and the Foreign Office, their ODA budget and the DCMS are net losers over the years ahead, with 'efficiencies' outstripping 'investment'.
In the supporting document on departmental efficiencies for the FCO, we get: BBC World Service is not captured, given any future efficiencies will be heavily influenced by decisions on the transition of the ODA budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income by 2027. BBC World Service will announce any plans for future efficiencies in line with its operational independence.