Alba gu brath

I may have to be nicer about BBC Alba. The charming Maggie Cunningham - that's Magaidh Choineagan to the faithful - has taken a four-year contract as Chairman of MG Alba, the channel's governing body.

In the glory days of Greg Dyke, when BBC middle managers were on constant conferences and awaydays about "Cutting The Crap", I was "paired" with Maggie when she was at Radio Scotland, and I was at Five Live. The idea was that everyone had a pre-determined buddy, and had to go and understand their buddy's job. We never managed it. The organisation survived.

Apparently, Maggie was a firebrand as a student. Set fire to the programme for the "official" Gaelic festival, The Royal National Mod, in front of a tv camera. The organisation survived; the Queen is patron. But I bet Alba has a bigger income.