Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Welsh pool

The vacancy left by Menna Richards as Controller, BBC Wales, needs filling fast - especially as Thommo needs help to sort out the Government-imposed S4C deal.  Wales Online has a long list of runners and riders - but who has the drive and business acumen to lead the Media Taffia through this torrid time ?

Insiders include Rhodri Talfan Davies, currently head of strategy and communications, who's dad once was Controller; head of English programmes and network production, Clare Hudson, who previously worked at  ITV Wales, Channel 4 and Channel 5; her deputy, head of commissioning, Elis Owen – who is also a former head of ITV Wales; Gareth Powell, chief operating officer, formerly of PWC; and head of news and current affairs Mark Callaghan.  Menna will have marked Thommo's card on who to pick from this lot - he'll also have seen enough of them to make up his own mind as they travelled in cohorts to London to make the case (regularly and often) for the new Drama Village.

Outsiders might include former S4C CEO Iona Jones, Professor Ian Hargreaves (who had a stab at being Trustee for Wales) and shy, retiring former BBC political correspondent Guto Harri (currently hidden under the shining light of Boris Johnson).  Roger Lewis, formerly of Classic FM and ITV Wales, is currently CEO of the Welsh Rubgy Union.  Rhodri Williams used to run indie Agenda, and now fronts Ofcom in Wales.

Someone seems to have briefed Wales Online that there'll be no absolute requirement for a Welsh-speaker. That seems odd, especially given the pivotal role in the future of S4C - how could you tell the programmes were any good ? Audience figures are little help. 

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