Rural flight ?

I hope the Editor of The Archers, Vanessa Whitburn, counts the spoons before she goes on long-service leave from the Radio 4 Soap in July. She's been fiercely protective of the programme since taking control eleven years ago, and the BBC will embark on Delivering 25% Cuts from the beginning of the next financial year.

So it could be significant that the minder appointed by the BBC is a television grandee - John Yorke, 1st Class Honours degree from Newcastle, then theatre, before joining the BBC as a studio manager (as did Vanessa - and Jenny Abramsky and Andy Parfitt). Since then he's worked on Eastenders, Casualty and Holby City  - as well as fitting in a brief spell at Channel 4, where he commissioned Shameless and Omagh.  He came back as Controller, Drama Production and has commissioning or executive producer credits on Robin Hood, Waterloo Road, and Land Girls.

The BBC's website lists 114 actors as "current characters" in The Archers. Eastenders struggles on with around 50.  What's the betting Ambridge is in for a period of population decline ?