Leader board

Let's just run round the houses on another element of the manoeuvring to create George Entwistle's BBC...(or is it Lord Patten's ?)

Tim Davie, Director of Audio & Music, was a rival candidate to follow Mark Thompson as Director General. He was never a favourite with the bookies; staff remember his marketing background, and though he's now a cheerful chappie running radio, he arrived just as Brand/Ross exploded and was also in post when moves were made - and failed - to close 6Music and The Asian Network. For a man with a background in selling, it's probably not great that he can't out-present George Entwistle in the Trust's eyes. Last month, he said the marketing strategy for DAB so far had been poor, and called on manufacturers to make more FM/DAB radios. Tim can't have believed he was a front-runner for DG, but was probably putting a marker down.

The Trust decided not to put Tim through to the final four, which was a little uncomfortable for our hero. Shortly after the Entwistle decision, it was mooted that Tim fancied a shot at running Vision, but more recent noises from Broadcasting House say Tim was getting restless and a move out of Auntie's bosom was on the cards. That suggests his TV ambitions had been gently rebuffed by George.

Sunday into Monday saw Mark Sweney's important article in the Guardian. Hours later, insiders were tipping Tara Conlan that Tim could become CEO of major indie All3Media, and the BBC was now keen to keep his talent as perhaps successor to John Smith at BBC Worldwide. There is no indication from Smith's camp that he's moving on.

The Guardian says Egon Zehnder could be headhunting for a CEO for All3Media, through Dom Loehnis, who helped the BBC find Lord Patten as Chairman, George Entwistle as Director of Vision, and George Entwistle (again) as DG.  Another connection is David Liddiment, co-founder of All3Media - and a BBC Trustee.

All good fun. Could George face vacancies at the top in both radio and tv ?  Or has he already worked out who he wants to do both ?