Role call

So once again, as we approach the end of the financial year, I'll be able to keep the blog ticking over almost daily with BBC departures.

Two big figures from the College of Knowledge, sorry, Journalism, announced exits yesterday.  Kevin Marsh, former Editor of the World At One, PM and Today on Radio 4, and creator of Broadcasting House (the programme, not the spiffing building I helped with) leaves as Editor of the College's website. I always want to append the adjective "byronic" to Kevin, but probably shouldn't because he's got more than one dictionary, and loves difficult words, as well as the odd outburst of legal Latin.  He posts his own view of his departure on his blog, Story Curve, which is thoughtful, sometimes a little too didactic for my taste, but always engages current journalistic debates with trademark counter-intuition. (Crikey, did I write that ?)  He will, in time, have interesting things to say about Gilligan/Kelly/Hutton and the traumatic consequences that followed. Interestingly, they provided the engine for creation of the College - and the construction of a really impressive website.

The second is Alex Gerlis, a genial and reassuring figure around BBC TV news and current affairs since 1983 (genial, except when Grimsby Town lose, or some complicated forecast bet goes wrong).  He leaves as Head of Training for the College, and will undoubtedly keep writing, and following Barcelona, if not Grimsby.

In the weird world of BBC "cuts", there will be a new editor for the College website, but not at Kevin's grade, so the Executive can claim to be reducing "Senior Management" posts.