Look this way

Good old BBC - distracting us with sweeties as we try to concentrate on the Annual report. So this was a vital day to announce that Mishal Husain is joining the core Today presentation team, and that the remaining BBC national tv networks are moving to HD.

Meanwhile, in the numbers, the BBC sold 14 acres of development potential in W12 for a profit of just £78m (on a sale price reported previously as £200m). Centre House, just across the road from Television Centre, raised £9.3m.

BBC Studios and Post Production reported a loss - let's hope they've saved up enough money to rebuild the studios at TVC that Top Gear are riding bikes through.  BBC World (the tv news channel) moved back into deficit, largely because of the cost of new studios and technology at Broadcasting House.

The pension fund deficit (a snapshot, not a formal valuation) widened by nearly £540m, to £1,717m.

Most service groups cost less to run in 2012/3 compared with 2011/2 - except Technology, which might have moved in the right direction save for £52m write-offs associated with DMI. Spend on Finance and Operations (under Zarin Patel and some of Caroline Thomson) rose by nearly £11m over the year, to £68m.

We learn that Zarin, who left the Executive Board on 28 June, will actually leave the BBC on 31 October 2013. How does that work ?

We learn that Zarin has stacked up a cash war chest of £575m - they probably don't want to highlight that to staff while they're balloting on pay.

We learn that James Purnell has a close family member employed by the BBC on standard terms and conditions