Dead but not lying down

The ineffably pompous Sr Michael Lyons has written an open letter to BBC DG Mark Thompson, setting out the young shaver's homework for the next six months.

In short form, he wants...

1. The DG to state the true cash impact of the licence fee settlement, and any "black hole"
2. The DG to concentrate on "back office" savings, because Sr Michael's sure there's more
3. The DG to answer 1 and 2 fast, so The Trust can waste money on another external review (despite Sir Michael's certainties)
4. The DG to present The Trust with "options" if output has to suffer, by the summer, so The Trust can then waste money on another public consultation, and take even more direct programme control. 

Let's hope Thommo stays calm.