North by North West

Greg Dyke's approach to identifying BBC departments to go to Salford was less than strategic. Exasperated that he couldn't  knock heads together, he eventually decreed that every division would have to contribute. And they largely responded by sending those they loved least.

Thankfully, no-one's ever really tried to say too loudly there was a uniting idea in bringing 5Live (imagine the hoo-ha if it had been Radio 1, 2, 3 or 4 ?), Research & Development, Religion & Ethics, Breakfast, Childrens and Sport together.

Now, with a promise that a further 1,000 will head north still to be fulfilled, it's still proving next to impossible to be strategic. The first approach was to ask Directors for volunteers. Exactly.

So the task is becoming urgent. The NAO doesn't like empty buildings. And we know that The Mailbox in Birmingham is half empty.

Mark Thompson left with a hint that BBC3 had been targeted for Salford - though, unhelpfully, Controller Zai Bennett has said "no way" will he go. One suspects that Danny Cohen has a plan up his sleeve - he's already paired BBC2 and BBC4 under Janice Hadlow; new BBC Controller Charlotte Moore could get custody of 3, and have someone more quiescent as a side-kick minding things in MediaCityUK.

In radio, Bob Shennan has been gathering his people around him, and will argue that economic synergies between 2 and 6Music can't be unpicked.  Future Media, onlie non-begetter of DMI, again looks spavined and vulnerable. But we're still way short of 1,000 - and Wimbledon is underway. This, unfortunately, cannot be left to the new term in September.