Retrograde

I'm wondering how Lord Patten will choreograph the announcement of a partial retreat on BBC local radio cuts. He's first up after lunch tomorrow at The Guardian's Oxford Media Convention, being held at the Said Business School.  He's promised news on this front before the end of the month, and this half-hour spot looks like the ideal opportunity.  Will he give a nice little leak to the Guardian beforehand - and, more importantly, what will it say ?

This is the chart, compiled by The Guardian, that insiders want to see changed. It list the number of Full-Time Equivalent Posts that each station is currently asked to cut over the licence fee period (and BBC finance wants those cuts early).  In local radio, there is a high element of part-time working, so many more people could be offloaded. My guess remains that the cuts will be halved in cash terms - not necessarily in posts, or necessarily evenly - and Helen Boaden, DG candidate who now needs to get this right, will be asked to report back before the end of this financial year on a new plan.  The new plan, is, of course, already complete, but you have to make these things look difficult....

• Meanwhile there's no sign of a retreat on cuts to regional current affairs programme Inside Out.  It returned last night on BBC One, and was watched by 3.59m (15.1% share) from 7.30pm. Panorama got 2.45m (9.5%) from 8.30pm