Matt finish

Well.  You hang around waiting for a Matt Frei story, then suddenly a cornucopia arrives.

Yesterday morning, I predicted the demise of his Radio 4 Sunday night vehicle, Americana. By the end of the day, Matt had emerged with a package deal from Jay Hunt and Jim Gray at Channel 4, which will allow him to be both Washington correspondent and a stand-in for Jon Snow.  There are a few Newsnight connections in this story - not least the possibility that the deal was set up while Matt was trying out as presenter in January this year. Jay and Jim are alumni of the Newsnight engine room, and they've also lifted Jackie Long to Gray's Inn Road.

There are loose ends. What next for Sarah Smith, C4's current Washington correspondent ?  At BBC World, who will take Matt's seat alongside his old chum Katty Kay on the nightly BBC World News America, now biffed from BBC America, and potentially a little expensive for Richard Porter's budget ?  A beauty contest amongst the NINE existing correspondents ?