It will have been disappointing to the Al Jazeera America team that, despite reasonable publicity - if only from right-wing opponents - its launch show at 3pm on Tuesday last week attracted only 22,000 viewers. More people made it to Goodison Park on Wednesday night to see the Blues eventually despatch Stevenage in the Capital One Cup tie.
Nonetheless, you've got to start somewhere. ALJAM is available in some 40 million US homes. BBC World is in over 25 million - but we still await audience figures.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Early bird
Emma Britton is the first new female recruit to a BBC Local Radio breakfast show since the Tony Hall Quota ("It's a target" - Alan Yentob) was set.
Emma, pictured here on a Radio Somerset OB in Frome last week, moves from mid-morning to the slot on September 9; current presenter Matt Faulkner moves to drivetime, and drivetime's Ben McGrail moves to mid-morning. A gavotte, with no new female talent recruited, but, heigh-ho, job done.
Appraisal
“I have always loved the BBC. I grew up with it,” Lucy Adams told CIPD magazine in 2010, describing how her father, an actor and writer, and mother, a secretary in the legal department, met while working at the corporation. “To be given an opportunity to be here, for however long, is just an immense honour".
It turned out to be five years. She says she was prompted to apply for the BBC role by headhunters whilst only a year into a job at lawyers Eversheds - and took a pay cut to join. MPs on the Public Accounts Committee assert that she actually improved her basic pay.
The CV of Lucy Kate Germanda Adams shows a 2.1 in History and English Literature from Brighton, thence to what looks like an holding role as a recruitment consultant for Xpert Recruitment - if I've got the right one, they're now trading as Kelly Payroll Services.
Then a move north, to lecturing at Harrogate College of Art and Technology, followed by a job with the North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council, where on the side, she learned how to weld.
From there she became director of business development for Pannell Kerr Forster, a sort of franchise brand for independent accounting firms - that lasted a year, before "a chance meeting with the Chief Exectuive of Serco, who offered me a job".
Thus, in 1999, thanks to a rigorous recruitment policy, she started in the rail division of the firm that finds cheaper ways of doing things the public services used to do. She was responsible for a diversity drive at Metrolink, who spookily now offer the stuttering tram service to MediaCityUK. Eventually, she became Group HR Director. Included in her tasks was advising on executive remuneration in a company well provided at the top level with bonuses, share options and pension pots.
Eversheds beckoned in 2008. Pay cut or no, she will have earned close to £1.6m from her time with the BBC.
It turned out to be five years. She says she was prompted to apply for the BBC role by headhunters whilst only a year into a job at lawyers Eversheds - and took a pay cut to join. MPs on the Public Accounts Committee assert that she actually improved her basic pay.
The CV of Lucy Kate Germanda Adams shows a 2.1 in History and English Literature from Brighton, thence to what looks like an holding role as a recruitment consultant for Xpert Recruitment - if I've got the right one, they're now trading as Kelly Payroll Services.
Then a move north, to lecturing at Harrogate College of Art and Technology, followed by a job with the North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council, where on the side, she learned how to weld.
From there she became director of business development for Pannell Kerr Forster, a sort of franchise brand for independent accounting firms - that lasted a year, before "a chance meeting with the Chief Exectuive of Serco, who offered me a job".
Eversheds beckoned in 2008. Pay cut or no, she will have earned close to £1.6m from her time with the BBC.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
West End closure
Timing is everything.
From the BBC Media Centre, news that the BBC's HR Director, Lucy Adams, is to leave at the end of the financial year. "By next spring I will have been at the BBC for five years which feels like a good time to try something new".
The announcement comes 12 days before a likely appearance at the Commons Select Committee on Public Accounts. There's a note to editors at the bottom: Lucy Adams will not be receiving any severance pay as a result of her decision to leave the BBC. She will also be working her notice period.
Hmmm.
From the BBC Media Centre, news that the BBC's HR Director, Lucy Adams, is to leave at the end of the financial year. "By next spring I will have been at the BBC for five years which feels like a good time to try something new".
The announcement comes 12 days before a likely appearance at the Commons Select Committee on Public Accounts. There's a note to editors at the bottom: Lucy Adams will not be receiving any severance pay as a result of her decision to leave the BBC. She will also be working her notice period.
Hmmm.
Men at work
Nice to see a virtual reunion for Peter Allen and Adrian Chiles - at least in a Five Live timeslot.
The pair were part of the launch team for Breakfast on the network - alongside Jane Garvey (formerly Mrs Chiles) - back in 1994.
Now Adrian will cover Drivetime on Fridays, alongside Anna Foster, allowing Peter a day off a week to spend more time on the golf courses and fruit-machines of Hertfordshire.
Nice also to see that new Controller Jonathan Wall is relaxed about employing someone who also works for ITV; previous incumbents have been much more hardline.
The pair were part of the launch team for Breakfast on the network - alongside Jane Garvey (formerly Mrs Chiles) - back in 1994.
Now Adrian will cover Drivetime on Fridays, alongside Anna Foster, allowing Peter a day off a week to spend more time on the golf courses and fruit-machines of Hertfordshire.
Nice also to see that new Controller Jonathan Wall is relaxed about employing someone who also works for ITV; previous incumbents have been much more hardline.
Group travel
BBC house organ Ariel notes without comment that Director of Children's [sic] Joe Godwin spent £1083.57 in February on five nights at the Warwick New York Hotel (sadly spelled 'Warrick' when additional claims are made for breakfast). He was there for the four-day Kidscreen Summit 2013.
Also taking part in the event: Cheryl Taylor, Controller CBBC; Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children's Investment, BBC Worldwide; Sarah Muller, Head of Acquisitions and Drama Development, CBBC; Kay Benbow, Controller CBeebies; Alison Taylor Head of Production, Animation & Acquisitions, CBeebies; and Jackie Edwards, Executive Producer, Animation & Acquisitions, CBeebies.
Also taking part in the event: Cheryl Taylor, Controller CBBC; Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children's Investment, BBC Worldwide; Sarah Muller, Head of Acquisitions and Drama Development, CBBC; Kay Benbow, Controller CBeebies; Alison Taylor Head of Production, Animation & Acquisitions, CBeebies; and Jackie Edwards, Executive Producer, Animation & Acquisitions, CBeebies.
Cheap cheap
It's a reasonable sport to tease the BBC over their unwillingly-transparent management expenses - but it's also fair to credit them when they achieve a bargain. Controller of Many Radio Stations, Bob Shennan, did exceptionally well on this trip across the pond.
Shrinking violet
Dear reader, I promise not to overdo Strictly in this blog. However, we have consistently tracked the career of "the hardest-working woman in showbusiness", Vanessa Feltz, this morning officially announced as the first celebrity definitely signed for the 2013.
Here's some pictures of Vanessa throwing a fewing shapes. Twerking can't be far from Len Goodman's lips already. I suspect she'll get an Anglo partner.
I hope the Express get Nancy Dell'Olio to review her performance.
Vanessa is never knowingly under-branded on the streets of London, should perchance a photographer stray across her stately progress. This week she's been spotted carrying a plastic bag with the logo of Footvax, a treatment for footrot in sheep.
Here's some pictures of Vanessa throwing a fewing shapes. Twerking can't be far from Len Goodman's lips already. I suspect she'll get an Anglo partner.
I hope the Express get Nancy Dell'Olio to review her performance.
Vanessa is never knowingly under-branded on the streets of London, should perchance a photographer stray across her stately progress. This week she's been spotted carrying a plastic bag with the logo of Footvax, a treatment for footrot in sheep.
Home county
Alice Arnold, former Radio 4 announcer, has come out in favour of the Tony Hall Quota for Gender Balance of BBC Local Radio Breakfast Hosts. Here's an extract from her essay in The Telegraph.
I spent a little time with the management of local radio just before I left the BBC. I loved what I saw. An intelligent, largely young workforce who cared deeply about what they did. A lack of resources (and believe me they are run on a shoestring) means that everyone does everything. Their skills were as impressive as their commitment.
As it happens the management executives at BBC Berkshire (where I was) were ahead of the game when it came to promoting and encouraging female voices on the network. But now there are no excuses. The directive has come right from the very top. All those in middle management, of which there are many, will have to take action. They will have to seek out women for the top jobs in radio.
It's good to know Berkshire can afford executives in the plural. Today's schedule offers Steve Madden (John Hudson sitting in) Andrew Peach, Anne Diamond (local talent Tony Blackburn sitting in), Mike Read, Phil Kennedy (local talent Paul Coia sitting in), before the local radio network comes together for the England-wide Mark Forrest Show (Gregory Spanswick sitting in). Then the schedule invites you to "go to bed with Paul Miller and put a smile on your face" (shared with BBC Solent, Sussex and Surrey). Way to go, Berks.
I spent a little time with the management of local radio just before I left the BBC. I loved what I saw. An intelligent, largely young workforce who cared deeply about what they did. A lack of resources (and believe me they are run on a shoestring) means that everyone does everything. Their skills were as impressive as their commitment.
As it happens the management executives at BBC Berkshire (where I was) were ahead of the game when it came to promoting and encouraging female voices on the network. But now there are no excuses. The directive has come right from the very top. All those in middle management, of which there are many, will have to take action. They will have to seek out women for the top jobs in radio.
It's good to know Berkshire can afford executives in the plural. Today's schedule offers Steve Madden (John Hudson sitting in) Andrew Peach, Anne Diamond (local talent Tony Blackburn sitting in), Mike Read, Phil Kennedy (local talent Paul Coia sitting in), before the local radio network comes together for the England-wide Mark Forrest Show (Gregory Spanswick sitting in). Then the schedule invites you to "go to bed with Paul Miller and put a smile on your face" (shared with BBC Solent, Sussex and Surrey). Way to go, Berks.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Disbursements
I come a little late to the scavenging over the latest round of BBC expenses, so have had to try harder.
I still wonder whether Preston is the right base for Ian Haythornthwaite, doubling as Peter Salmon's finance boss in Salford, and head of sport rights (in succession to Dominic Coles). £4,693.63 on UK rail, buses, trams, car parking and hotels in the quarter. One £983 flight to New Orleans, via JFK - meals at the Corner Oyster House, the Camelia Grill and The Market Cafe. Then back via Newark, with "dinner" (£9.23) at MacDonalds. Mr Coles hasn't trained him well - surely there's one in Preston ?
Zarin Patel, still thought to be working her notice as redundant CFO, kept up the search for ideas and contacts over the quarter. No less than four of her external entertainment claims came in at £100 on the nose. My receipts never seem to do that, but I'm sure it's all been audited by KPMG. .
And chums of Steve Mitchell, former Number 2 in news, who retired in March none too happy with the obsessive interest of Nick Pollard in controlling news through lists, will note he managed to have a reasonably comfy seat on a last trip to the Washington bureau in February, at £3684.76.
I still wonder whether Preston is the right base for Ian Haythornthwaite, doubling as Peter Salmon's finance boss in Salford, and head of sport rights (in succession to Dominic Coles). £4,693.63 on UK rail, buses, trams, car parking and hotels in the quarter. One £983 flight to New Orleans, via JFK - meals at the Corner Oyster House, the Camelia Grill and The Market Cafe. Then back via Newark, with "dinner" (£9.23) at MacDonalds. Mr Coles hasn't trained him well - surely there's one in Preston ?
Zarin Patel, still thought to be working her notice as redundant CFO, kept up the search for ideas and contacts over the quarter. No less than four of her external entertainment claims came in at £100 on the nose. My receipts never seem to do that, but I'm sure it's all been audited by KPMG. .
And chums of Steve Mitchell, former Number 2 in news, who retired in March none too happy with the obsessive interest of Nick Pollard in controlling news through lists, will note he managed to have a reasonably comfy seat on a last trip to the Washington bureau in February, at £3684.76.
Stand and deliver
That James Purnell, BBC Director of Strategy and Digital, speaks a language I don't always get.
This is the first slide in a presentation to Civil Service Live, in July. Apart from the split infinitive, and his reference to an (officer ?) cadre, there seems to be a spare verb or two, and the creation of a new role - BBC Director General Strategy and Digital.
This is the first slide in a presentation to Civil Service Live, in July. Apart from the split infinitive, and his reference to an (officer ?) cadre, there seems to be a spare verb or two, and the creation of a new role - BBC Director General Strategy and Digital.
Notwithstanding, I've watched the video for you, and James reveals that he's still in touch with Lord Birt, and that we all increasingly love the licence-fee. Watch from 21.05 for three minutes for the guts.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sijambo, asante
The BBC's Global News boss, Peter Horrocks, is in the air again, heading to Nairobi, to announce that all Swahili output will in future be produced in East Africa. In radio, the morning show will come from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and the drivetime show moves to Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Production of the website bbcswahili.com will be shared between the two cities.
Last year, the World Service launched a daily TV programme in Kiswahili.
Peter describes it as "an investment", and it probably is, in terms of capital. One might suspect long-term running costs could be lower outside the W1 post-code. It's presumably got FCO approval - but is it the sort of thing the licence-fee payer wants to spend on from 2014 ? And is the news agenda global, regional or local ?
Last year, the World Service launched a daily TV programme in Kiswahili.
Peter describes it as "an investment", and it probably is, in terms of capital. One might suspect long-term running costs could be lower outside the W1 post-code. It's presumably got FCO approval - but is it the sort of thing the licence-fee payer wants to spend on from 2014 ? And is the news agenda global, regional or local ?
You're on your own
If the Public Accounts Committee stick with September 9 for their second grilling of the BBC about severance pay and other matters, they've now got less competition for coverage. The opening of the Old Baily trial of Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and others has been moved to October.
No word, yet, of accommodation between the disputing BBC sides, apparently set to clash over who knew what, and when, about what they approved in terms of golden goodbyes.
I am transported back to happier, rosier times, and this Observer interview with Lord Patten, from September two years ago, by Rachel Cooke.
How is his relationship with the director general, Mark Thompson? There are rumours that Thompson will soon be leaving the BBC. "I don't know what Mark's plans are. I was educated by the Benedictines, and he was educated by the Jesuits, which has certain implications." Like what? That he had the better deal? He laughs. "We occasionally go to the same church in Oxford – they really think there that the BBC is run from the pews of the Oratory. There is a Chinese phrase that describes a close relationship as being like lips and teeth. I don't think we'd ever want to be that close, but it's important that we do get on. It's important that people at the BBC trust me and recognise that, to an extent, we are all in this together."
No word, yet, of accommodation between the disputing BBC sides, apparently set to clash over who knew what, and when, about what they approved in terms of golden goodbyes.
I am transported back to happier, rosier times, and this Observer interview with Lord Patten, from September two years ago, by Rachel Cooke.
How is his relationship with the director general, Mark Thompson? There are rumours that Thompson will soon be leaving the BBC. "I don't know what Mark's plans are. I was educated by the Benedictines, and he was educated by the Jesuits, which has certain implications." Like what? That he had the better deal? He laughs. "We occasionally go to the same church in Oxford – they really think there that the BBC is run from the pews of the Oratory. There is a Chinese phrase that describes a close relationship as being like lips and teeth. I don't think we'd ever want to be that close, but it's important that we do get on. It's important that people at the BBC trust me and recognise that, to an extent, we are all in this together."
House
Turns out it's in Greenwich.
Even more impressive - the interior shots, so convincingly real and claustrophobic, in the
The only obstacle to a BAFTA is a slight over-application of mascara on David Threlfall's lower lids in some scenes. Once you notice it, you can't stop...
Monday, August 26, 2013
Change partners
Perhaps there's some smaller males in the 2013 celeb line-up - Emma claims 5'5", Anya is 5'4".
Anchors a-weigh
The current issue of TV Guide in the States offers its annual estimate of top earners on screen, based on "conversations" with agents, network execs etc.
In news, Matt Lauer, at NBC Today, is thought to lead the field, on $22-25million. Here's some of the rest..
Bill O'Reilly, Fox News $17 million
Diane Sawyer, ABC World News $12 million
Anderson Cooper, CNN $10 million
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC $7 million
Megyn Kelly, Fox News Channel $6 million
Scott Pelley, CBS Evening News $5 million
Ann Curry, NBC $5 million
Hoda Kotb,NBC Today $3 million
Chris Cuomo, CNN $2.5 million
I feel sure the absence of Piers Morgan from this list is an oversight. Though when he first signed with CNN, the four-year contract was said to be worth $5.5m - and Piers was still on America's Got Talent.
In the total absence of conversations with agents, network execs, etc, I offer this tentative ranking of the UK's top earners in "news" presentation.
David Dimbleby
Jeremy Paxman
John Humphrys
Fiona Bruce
Huw Edwards
Evan Davis
Jon Snow
Mark Austin
George Alagiah
Sophie Raworth
Mishal Husain
I look forward to being corrected by those of you slaving away in newsrooms on one of the nicest Bank Holidays in years...
In news, Matt Lauer, at NBC Today, is thought to lead the field, on $22-25million. Here's some of the rest..
Bill O'Reilly, Fox News $17 million
Diane Sawyer, ABC World News $12 million
Anderson Cooper, CNN $10 million
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC $7 million
Megyn Kelly, Fox News Channel $6 million
Scott Pelley, CBS Evening News $5 million
Ann Curry, NBC $5 million
Hoda Kotb,NBC Today $3 million
Chris Cuomo, CNN $2.5 million
I feel sure the absence of Piers Morgan from this list is an oversight. Though when he first signed with CNN, the four-year contract was said to be worth $5.5m - and Piers was still on America's Got Talent.
In the total absence of conversations with agents, network execs, etc, I offer this tentative ranking of the UK's top earners in "news" presentation.
David Dimbleby
Jeremy Paxman
John Humphrys
Fiona Bruce
Huw Edwards
Evan Davis
Jon Snow
Mark Austin
George Alagiah
Sophie Raworth
Mishal Husain
I look forward to being corrected by those of you slaving away in newsrooms on one of the nicest Bank Holidays in years...
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Knotted
The dying embers of the Edinburgh TV Festival saw Alan Yentob leading a session on creativity - but, inevitably, it was hi-jacked by talk of "an officer class" at the BBC, who gave each other golden farewells.
"I have never considered myself in that class, I don't know how to tie a tie", said our favourite bundle of contradictions. He has a loving wife, or tolerant PAs, or both.
He went on: "A lot of people had to leave, people who had spent a lifetime at the BBC, and it had to be done very quickly and that's why Mark [Thompson, former BBC director general] decided that should happen and others did it."
Others did it ? Can this be the same man who told The Independent in November last year "I think I have been rather more involved in running the BBC than people imagine" ?
"I have never considered myself in that class, I don't know how to tie a tie", said our favourite bundle of contradictions. He has a loving wife, or tolerant PAs, or both.
He went on: "A lot of people had to leave, people who had spent a lifetime at the BBC, and it had to be done very quickly and that's why Mark [Thompson, former BBC director general] decided that should happen and others did it."
Others did it ? Can this be the same man who told The Independent in November last year "I think I have been rather more involved in running the BBC than people imagine" ?
Kindling
Well, I was ahead of the curve, but only by a day. BBC DG Lord Hall, on a roll of articles, appearances since a clearly-invigorating trip to San Francisco, has promised a "bonfire of boards", to speed up efficient decision making. He may well have been egged on by Suzanne Heywood of McKinsey. Here's the guts of his piece in The Sunday Telegraph.
"We will start by ensuring that, wherever possible, there is one identified person responsible for key issues and major projects. It sounds obvious, but it doesn’t happen now. To enable people to do this, we need to tackle the BBC meeting culture, which eats time, dilutes accountability and hampers creativity. Over the coming months, I plan to halve the number of pan-BBC boards and steering groups. This “bonfire of the boards” should speed up decision-making and release some of the resources currently wasted on bureaucracy for programmes. A simpler BBC should mean a more creative BBC".
It's a start, but it lacks positive definition on how big projects, on and off-air, will be controlled. The problem of the warring baronies remains - radio, television, old technology and new media have never trusted each other to make decisions that work across the BBC. Each barony has its own matching set of specialist teams who know with absolute certainty that their purchasing choice, their preferred solution, their big idea is the right one - and send their director/finance chief into battle for funds from a bewildered corprate centre. When someone else gets control of the dosh - DMI was seen very much as a TV machine - the thwarted teams sit on the sidelines throwing stones, and when it fails, rush off to buy their own "work-rounds" which really only work in their division, but nonetheless guarantee their careers.
"We will start by ensuring that, wherever possible, there is one identified person responsible for key issues and major projects. It sounds obvious, but it doesn’t happen now. To enable people to do this, we need to tackle the BBC meeting culture, which eats time, dilutes accountability and hampers creativity. Over the coming months, I plan to halve the number of pan-BBC boards and steering groups. This “bonfire of the boards” should speed up decision-making and release some of the resources currently wasted on bureaucracy for programmes. A simpler BBC should mean a more creative BBC".
It's a start, but it lacks positive definition on how big projects, on and off-air, will be controlled. The problem of the warring baronies remains - radio, television, old technology and new media have never trusted each other to make decisions that work across the BBC. Each barony has its own matching set of specialist teams who know with absolute certainty that their purchasing choice, their preferred solution, their big idea is the right one - and send their director/finance chief into battle for funds from a bewildered corprate centre. When someone else gets control of the dosh - DMI was seen very much as a TV machine - the thwarted teams sit on the sidelines throwing stones, and when it fails, rush off to buy their own "work-rounds" which really only work in their division, but nonetheless guarantee their careers.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Crumbs
The Broadcasting House mice are scratching at the inner glazed ring of the DG's Crystal Maze - Taste The Difference cake crumbs so near, yet so far - as the festivities to mark the departure of Roger Mosey, the BBC's first Editorial Director, leave Tony Hall with yet another conundrum.
Roger has signed off after 33 years pensionable service - four months of them in this new role - and heads to the Master's Lodge at Selwyn College, Cambridge. His final salary package was £277,800. The job surely HAS to be seen as strategic, not just tactical. But finding someone else with the news and BBC nous to fill the role will be tricky.
James Harding, Helen Boaden and Danny Cohen need to respect the decisions of whoever comes in - yet not feel threatened by the new arrival. It's probably a little too risky for someone just to emerge as "the chosen one", with the PAC watching Lord Hall's appointment record; yet it would be odd to fill it by open board.
Roger has signed off after 33 years pensionable service - four months of them in this new role - and heads to the Master's Lodge at Selwyn College, Cambridge. His final salary package was £277,800. The job surely HAS to be seen as strategic, not just tactical. But finding someone else with the news and BBC nous to fill the role will be tricky.
James Harding, Helen Boaden and Danny Cohen need to respect the decisions of whoever comes in - yet not feel threatened by the new arrival. It's probably a little too risky for someone just to emerge as "the chosen one", with the PAC watching Lord Hall's appointment record; yet it would be odd to fill it by open board.
- While we're on about "boards", a BBC word used to mean both "interview panel" and "pompous overblown meeting of supernumerary managers pretending they're part of an approval and control process", expect the Hall axe to be wielded over proliferation of the latter in coming weeks - probably to distract staff from other bad news over which Tony has less control.
Heated debate
The heated debate about the gender balance target for presentation of BBC local radio breakfast shows, set to be achieved by the end of 2014, has started.
This from a blog by David Lloyd, currently Director of Marketing and Planning for Orion, which runs the "Free Radio" cluster in the Midlands..
I don't count the number of audition MP3s and Soundcloud files I get sent each week, but I would hazard a guess that well over 90% of unsolicited auditions come from lads. When more high quality auditions are submitted by women, more will be recruited. And we programmers must not nurture that irrational fear of two successive women on a programme schedule.
Is it appropriate to engineer a 50% ratio of women on BBC Local Radio breakfast programmes by the end of 2014? I would question that tactic; although I welcome a strategy.
Is it correct to aim for a better gender balance and benchmark how the situation evolves over time? Absolutely.
This is from John Myers's blog. John currently consults and "professes" on radio.
If Tony Hall had said that women in key presenting roles is an important goal (which it is) and urged management to create the right environment for it to occur, then he would be applauded. Instead, he’s confused everyone. He demands a quota. Wow. I’m guessing then that some very experienced men are going to have to walk the plank to create these vacancies. There can’t be more cash, they’ve just take a shedload from them. The only reason for being fired guys is that you’re unlucky. You were born a man. Boy, if this was me, I would have them tied up in lawyers for months.
And there's this from BBC Controller English Regions, David Holdsworth - the man who has to reach the target.
Finding new and diverse voices is a challenge we relish and is fundamental to the role of local radio. Work is already underway to better reflect the communities we serve. A series of initiatives have been launched to widen the way BBC Local Radio searches for and identifies talented presenters while, at the same time, seeking to address any challenges that women may face in this area.
Carina Tillson, of the pressure group Sound Women, currently working on compeition policy at Ofcom:
We’re thrilled that this issue is being considered at the highest levels of the BBC. Whilst women are well represented in some areas of the industry, they are not well represented on air – our recent research report, Sound Women on Air, found that women comprise just 1 in 8 voices on air at breakfast.
Having women’s voices on-air is hugely important, both to female radio audiences and to aspiring female presenters.
This from a blog by David Lloyd, currently Director of Marketing and Planning for Orion, which runs the "Free Radio" cluster in the Midlands..
I don't count the number of audition MP3s and Soundcloud files I get sent each week, but I would hazard a guess that well over 90% of unsolicited auditions come from lads. When more high quality auditions are submitted by women, more will be recruited. And we programmers must not nurture that irrational fear of two successive women on a programme schedule.
Is it appropriate to engineer a 50% ratio of women on BBC Local Radio breakfast programmes by the end of 2014? I would question that tactic; although I welcome a strategy.
Is it correct to aim for a better gender balance and benchmark how the situation evolves over time? Absolutely.
This is from John Myers's blog. John currently consults and "professes" on radio.
If Tony Hall had said that women in key presenting roles is an important goal (which it is) and urged management to create the right environment for it to occur, then he would be applauded. Instead, he’s confused everyone. He demands a quota. Wow. I’m guessing then that some very experienced men are going to have to walk the plank to create these vacancies. There can’t be more cash, they’ve just take a shedload from them. The only reason for being fired guys is that you’re unlucky. You were born a man. Boy, if this was me, I would have them tied up in lawyers for months.
And there's this from BBC Controller English Regions, David Holdsworth - the man who has to reach the target.
Finding new and diverse voices is a challenge we relish and is fundamental to the role of local radio. Work is already underway to better reflect the communities we serve. A series of initiatives have been launched to widen the way BBC Local Radio searches for and identifies talented presenters while, at the same time, seeking to address any challenges that women may face in this area.
Carina Tillson, of the pressure group Sound Women, currently working on compeition policy at Ofcom:
We’re thrilled that this issue is being considered at the highest levels of the BBC. Whilst women are well represented in some areas of the industry, they are not well represented on air – our recent research report, Sound Women on Air, found that women comprise just 1 in 8 voices on air at breakfast.
Having women’s voices on-air is hugely important, both to female radio audiences and to aspiring female presenters.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Breakfast menu
I hope Lucy Adams, BBC HR chief, has set up a caring-sharing-helpline for concerned middle-aged male local radio Breakfast presenters. They'll be spending the weekend checking their contracts, pensions, AVCs and mortgage statements and phoning station managers to demand Monday meetings, as Lord Hall sets a target for 50% female presentation across 40 or so local radio breakfast programmes by the end of 2014.
There is, often, an easy way to do this - many shows have women as newsreaders, travel, weather, and even sport presenters. They could just be added to the billings - but, if they're sensible, equal billing means equal pay, and I wonder if local radio has been given a budget to do this. Other stations could rotate capable women from elsewhere in the schedule to breakfast slots - but that, honestly, doesn't do much to ease the overall diversity problem.
From the way they're billed on iPlayer today, around 30 stations need to think about change (I accept it's a snapshot, doesn't cover some opt-out shows, and a may feature holiday relief presenters or Friday stand-ins). While we're on about diversity, the photos below suggest 2 ethnic minority presenters out of 52.
There is, often, an easy way to do this - many shows have women as newsreaders, travel, weather, and even sport presenters. They could just be added to the billings - but, if they're sensible, equal billing means equal pay, and I wonder if local radio has been given a budget to do this. Other stations could rotate capable women from elsewhere in the schedule to breakfast slots - but that, honestly, doesn't do much to ease the overall diversity problem.
From the way they're billed on iPlayer today, around 30 stations need to think about change (I accept it's a snapshot, doesn't cover some opt-out shows, and a may feature holiday relief presenters or Friday stand-ins). While we're on about diversity, the photos below suggest 2 ethnic minority presenters out of 52.
Artistic
Good heavens - another consultant at the BBC. This time it's Ruth Mackenzie, formerly Director of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad (Chair, Lord Hall).
This from her recent biog: Since London 2012, she has being doing consultancy for the Arts Council, BBC, BFI, British Council amongst others.
This from her recent biog: Since London 2012, she has being doing consultancy for the Arts Council, BBC, BFI, British Council amongst others.
- Earlier biogs show she's written papers for the BBC before. But she has myriad connections. From 1999 to 2002 she was special adviser to Culture Secretaries Chris Smith and Tessa Jowell, working alongside both Andy Burnham and, yes, James Purnell. And then from 2007 to 2010 she was billed as Expert Adviser to Purnell, Burnham and Ben Bradshaw as they moved through the Secretary's seat at the DCMS.
Decisive
The Tony Hall publicity machine took a look at the title of the Edinburgh Television Festival session on the BBC billed as "Tony Hall's Big Decisions" - and decided Tony should be there. Who knew in advance about his late joining of the panel discussion is unclear - the producer was media journo Neil Midgely, so perhaps he'll spill eventually.
On severance pay, pay for people who've resigned and DMI, no new news, but the DG said "I hope we can get to the point soon where we can put this behind us and look to the future.. But we’re not there yet.”
Too right, as the Public Accounts Committee looms, with more analysis of "officer class" severance deals from the National Audit Office. And getting the minds right of the existing lieutenant-colonels remains a problem. Alan Yentob, on the panel originally to take Tone's position, was asked about more salary transparency, and, according to the Telegraph, rejected it. "The BBC is not a local authority, OK? We need to invest, we need to get people to come in. Who wants to come to an organisation where their privacy is [affected]?” Mandy Rice-Davies, ou quoi ?
So, to a festival of tv luvvies, Tony brought a couple of big radio decisions: by the end of 2014, the corporation is aiming for 50 per cent of local stations to have a woman presenting breakfast output - either in a solo capacity or as part of a team. And, local radio, alongside Radios Scotland, Wales and Ulster, are to share 45 apprentices. (Would they prefer their own dedicated evening output back ?)
On severance pay, pay for people who've resigned and DMI, no new news, but the DG said "I hope we can get to the point soon where we can put this behind us and look to the future.. But we’re not there yet.”
Too right, as the Public Accounts Committee looms, with more analysis of "officer class" severance deals from the National Audit Office. And getting the minds right of the existing lieutenant-colonels remains a problem. Alan Yentob, on the panel originally to take Tone's position, was asked about more salary transparency, and, according to the Telegraph, rejected it. "The BBC is not a local authority, OK? We need to invest, we need to get people to come in. Who wants to come to an organisation where their privacy is [affected]?” Mandy Rice-Davies, ou quoi ?
So, to a festival of tv luvvies, Tony brought a couple of big radio decisions: by the end of 2014, the corporation is aiming for 50 per cent of local stations to have a woman presenting breakfast output - either in a solo capacity or as part of a team. And, local radio, alongside Radios Scotland, Wales and Ulster, are to share 45 apprentices. (Would they prefer their own dedicated evening output back ?)
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Trends
Dare I venture that the Telegraph's reporting of tv licence fee prosecutions, which led early editions, picked up from City AM and egged on by Guido Fawkes, has not been Tony Gallagher's finest moment ?
Their headline - TV Licence offences account for one in ten UK court cases - conflicted with their own copy, which said prosecutions represented 12% of magistrates' business. So that's closer to one in eight, isn't it ? In the Telegraph version of events, 180,000 cases were brought, and there were 155,000 convictions. Surely, in Charles Moore-land, that's justice - 25,000 proved their innocence.
And there's the other bit the Telegraph missed, imagining magistrates handling tv cases every day. A spokesman for TV Licensing tells the Mail this morning "TV licence evasion cases take up a small proportion of court time as they are dealt with in bulk in dedicated sessions, and very few defendants attend court".
Meanwhile the Mail puts the total number of prosecutions in the most recent year at 193,049 - and clearly, what is more interesting is the trend. In the 2010 figures there were 165,000 prosecutions, resulting in 142,375 convictions, out of a total number of magistrate court cases of 1,642,548.
Their headline - TV Licence offences account for one in ten UK court cases - conflicted with their own copy, which said prosecutions represented 12% of magistrates' business. So that's closer to one in eight, isn't it ? In the Telegraph version of events, 180,000 cases were brought, and there were 155,000 convictions. Surely, in Charles Moore-land, that's justice - 25,000 proved their innocence.
And there's the other bit the Telegraph missed, imagining magistrates handling tv cases every day. A spokesman for TV Licensing tells the Mail this morning "TV licence evasion cases take up a small proportion of court time as they are dealt with in bulk in dedicated sessions, and very few defendants attend court".
Meanwhile the Mail puts the total number of prosecutions in the most recent year at 193,049 - and clearly, what is more interesting is the trend. In the 2010 figures there were 165,000 prosecutions, resulting in 142,375 convictions, out of a total number of magistrate court cases of 1,642,548.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Punters
The list of speakers for this year's Royal Television Society Cambridge Convention, in mid-September, is out - but not yet an agenda.
The BBC are fielding Anne Bulford, Tim Davie, Danny Cohen and Alan Yentob. Channel 4 are monstering it with David Abraham, Jay Hunt, Martin Baker, Jon Snow, Matt Frei, Cathy Newman, Faisal Islam, and Tessa Ross from Film4. ITV offer Adam Crozier and Fru Hazlitt. Richard Desmond is billed as "Northern and Shell". Stuart Murphy holds the Sky end up.
The BBC are fielding Anne Bulford, Tim Davie, Danny Cohen and Alan Yentob. Channel 4 are monstering it with David Abraham, Jay Hunt, Martin Baker, Jon Snow, Matt Frei, Cathy Newman, Faisal Islam, and Tessa Ross from Film4. ITV offer Adam Crozier and Fru Hazlitt. Richard Desmond is billed as "Northern and Shell". Stuart Murphy holds the Sky end up.
You can call me Al
Some US reviews of Al Jazeera America's opening day...
.....it seemed to deliver on what it promised — serious, straightforward news. The first hour had a lengthy promotional video that said, among other things, “We will connect the world to America, and Americans to the world.” Then, at 4 p.m., the news began, led by the former CNN anchor Tony Harris, who updated viewers on the unrest in Egypt and a shooting at a school in Georgia.
Brian Stelter in the New York Times
...the opening hours of Al Jazeera America had, for all its high ambitions and expensive expansion, a muted color scheme, unexciting camera work and sophomoric graphics. This may be part and parcel of a more "old-fashioned" approach — let the news be the news — and certainly there can be an over-reliance on bright and shiny graphic elements at the expense of content. But this is television, and even those of us genuinely interested in the topics don't want to spend half an hour staring at three people quoting studies [discussion on climate change in Inside Story]
Mary McNamara in the Los Angeles Times
Despite its laudable goal of avoiding the polarizing aspects of cable news, AJA might be testing the proposition that the straight-up presentation of the news — sans some of the smoke and sizzle — can succeed in a crowded media landscape. It’s also testing whether Americans will embrace anything called Al Jazeera.
Paul Farhi in the Washington Post
.....it seemed to deliver on what it promised — serious, straightforward news. The first hour had a lengthy promotional video that said, among other things, “We will connect the world to America, and Americans to the world.” Then, at 4 p.m., the news began, led by the former CNN anchor Tony Harris, who updated viewers on the unrest in Egypt and a shooting at a school in Georgia.
Brian Stelter in the New York Times
...the opening hours of Al Jazeera America had, for all its high ambitions and expensive expansion, a muted color scheme, unexciting camera work and sophomoric graphics. This may be part and parcel of a more "old-fashioned" approach — let the news be the news — and certainly there can be an over-reliance on bright and shiny graphic elements at the expense of content. But this is television, and even those of us genuinely interested in the topics don't want to spend half an hour staring at three people quoting studies [discussion on climate change in Inside Story]
Mary McNamara in the Los Angeles Times
Despite its laudable goal of avoiding the polarizing aspects of cable news, AJA might be testing the proposition that the straight-up presentation of the news — sans some of the smoke and sizzle — can succeed in a crowded media landscape. It’s also testing whether Americans will embrace anything called Al Jazeera.
Paul Farhi in the Washington Post
Hired hands
The Evening Standard has FOI responses about additional help hired in the Pollard Inquiry into what went wrong with the Jimmy Savile investigation at Newsnight - but in one case it was pushing at an open door.
It says PR company Greab & Gavin Anderson was hired to field phone calls from journalists. This was openly reported by PR Week in November last year. Greab was founded in Sweden by its executive chairman Peje Emilsson and Jan-Erik Ander. They merged with US firm Gavin Anderson, also in financial and corporate PR, in 2009. Together they have 25 offices around the world - their London base is, aptly, in Scandinavian House, Cannon Street.
More interestingly, the Standard reveals that Kroll investigators were hired - they prefer the name Kroll Advisory Solutions for their global business. They don't come cheap. Kroll was bought by Altegrity Inc ('Make decisions smarter [sic]") in 2010. Altegrity in turn are owned by Providence Equity Partners, headquartered in Providence, Rhode IslandHired hands.
It says PR company Greab & Gavin Anderson was hired to field phone calls from journalists. This was openly reported by PR Week in November last year. Greab was founded in Sweden by its executive chairman Peje Emilsson and Jan-Erik Ander. They merged with US firm Gavin Anderson, also in financial and corporate PR, in 2009. Together they have 25 offices around the world - their London base is, aptly, in Scandinavian House, Cannon Street.
More interestingly, the Standard reveals that Kroll investigators were hired - they prefer the name Kroll Advisory Solutions for their global business. They don't come cheap. Kroll was bought by Altegrity Inc ('Make decisions smarter [sic]") in 2010. Altegrity in turn are owned by Providence Equity Partners, headquartered in Providence, Rhode IslandHired hands.
The play's the thing
Breaking news: I got the wrong play.
Whilst Chris Patten did adapt The Frogs, he actually played the part of Queen Victoria in the Balliol Players version of Aristophanes' The Women at the Thesmophoria, subtitled "We are not amused". The record suggests only a short tour - one performance at Charterhouse.
In a huge cast, Christopher Moxon, who went on to a career in theatre administration, played Prime Minister Harold Wilson; John Adams, now a theatre director, played Mrs Wilson.
Richard Lambert, ex FT and CBI, now "Sir" and Chancellor of Warwick University, played Sir George Ponsonby-Trollope.
Stephen Jessel, former BBC correspondent, played Lord Franks, at that time conducting one of his many commissions, into the structure of Oxford University.
Co-author Edward Mortimer played Sherlock Holmes.
John Hamwee, then a law student, now a specialist in acupuncture and "zero-balancing", played David Frost. John Nicholl, later to run the UK end of the Yale University Press, played 'Hindu' Stan Carruthers. Roger Silverstone, later first Professor of Media and Communications at the LSE, played Disraeli.
Hamilton MacMillan, later to run MI6's counter-terrorism operations, played Euripides.
In a huge cast, Christopher Moxon, who went on to a career in theatre administration, played Prime Minister Harold Wilson; John Adams, now a theatre director, played Mrs Wilson.
Richard Lambert, ex FT and CBI, now "Sir" and Chancellor of Warwick University, played Sir George Ponsonby-Trollope.
Stephen Jessel, former BBC correspondent, played Lord Franks, at that time conducting one of his many commissions, into the structure of Oxford University.
Co-author Edward Mortimer played Sherlock Holmes.
John Hamwee, then a law student, now a specialist in acupuncture and "zero-balancing", played David Frost. John Nicholl, later to run the UK end of the Yale University Press, played 'Hindu' Stan Carruthers. Roger Silverstone, later first Professor of Media and Communications at the LSE, played Disraeli.
Hamilton MacMillan, later to run MI6's counter-terrorism operations, played Euripides.
Worthies
August seems a good month to give you a little more from The Patten Years at Balliol, Oxford.
Another contemporary was Howard Marks, and their paths cross in this book, Rogue Males, by Rob Walters.
Howard "became an active participant in the Balliol Dramatic Society, and was given the part of First Yob in their rendition of Sleeping Beauty.... Through his dramatic connections he became part of 'The Establishment', a group of second year students who drank rather a lot, and included such worthies as Chris Patten. This led to his elevation to the 'Victorian Club', an elaborate excuse to drink large quantities of port and sing Victorian ditties..."
(The book goes on to relate Howard Marks' seduction of Lynn Barber (St Anne's, Oxford), with the line "Come here...")
Another contemporary was Howard Marks, and their paths cross in this book, Rogue Males, by Rob Walters.
Howard "became an active participant in the Balliol Dramatic Society, and was given the part of First Yob in their rendition of Sleeping Beauty.... Through his dramatic connections he became part of 'The Establishment', a group of second year students who drank rather a lot, and included such worthies as Chris Patten. This led to his elevation to the 'Victorian Club', an elaborate excuse to drink large quantities of port and sing Victorian ditties..."
(The book goes on to relate Howard Marks' seduction of Lynn Barber (St Anne's, Oxford), with the line "Come here...")
Immortalised
Additional important news about the historic importance of Daventry, for those of you who have been following, from a regular reader.....
The comedy duo Flotsam and Jetsam, a 1920’s/1930’s forerunner to Flanders and Swann, recorded their most famous song “Little Betty Bouncer” in 1927, which contains the lines:-
It’s the voice that announces with a lot of passion in it
“The Daventry Shipping Forecast will follow in a minute”.
Little Miss Bouncer
Loves an announcer
Down at the BBC..
Flotsam was Bentley Collingwood Hilliam, a Yorkshire-born pianist, with the tenor voice (and the songwriter), and Jetsam was Australian concert basso cantante (with a three-octave range), Malcolm McEachern.
The comedy duo Flotsam and Jetsam, a 1920’s/1930’s forerunner to Flanders and Swann, recorded their most famous song “Little Betty Bouncer” in 1927, which contains the lines:-
It’s the voice that announces with a lot of passion in it
“The Daventry Shipping Forecast will follow in a minute”.
Little Miss Bouncer
Loves an announcer
Down at the BBC..
Flotsam was Bentley Collingwood Hilliam, a Yorkshire-born pianist, with the tenor voice (and the songwriter), and Jetsam was Australian concert basso cantante (with a three-octave range), Malcolm McEachern.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Put another record on..
Oh, the creation of casual anxiety.
I've been pointed to a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, re the ending of Russell Davies' Sunday night show on songs, songwriters and song performers pre-Beatles, from Controller Radio 2:
Radio 2 won’t turn pop, says Controller
SIR – Far from abandoning older listeners (report, August 4), Radio 2 has just posted the largest listenership in its history (15.44 million) and the highest figures ever among over-55s. The growth is even more significant among the over-65s.
However, Radio 2 has to find ways of saving 20 per cent of its cost base. Sunday evenings do not perform well and single hours are an expensive format for weekly shows. But our commitment to the broadest musical repertoire remains robust. Sundays will certainly not become a “pop” zone and Russell Davies will be doing a new series of 26 shows starting in December.
Great, timeless, melodic music is the bedrock of Radio 2’s success, and will continue to be.
Bob Shennan Controller, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Asian Network
London W1
Those currently hosting one hour shows on the network include Jamie Cullum, Tim Rice, Desmond Carrington, Clare Teal, Don Black, Paul Jones, Mark Radcliffe (on Folk). There's also an hour tonight from the Country Music Association (director Bob Shennan). If single hours are expensive, gawd knows what half hours - like The Organist Entertains and Listen to the Band - must cost.
This morning's Ken Bruce show featured a range of great, timeless melodic music - and songs by Kodaline, Naughty Boy, Mayer Hawthorne, The Yeah You's and Gavin McGraw, which may not be bothering a celestial jury in years to come.
I've been pointed to a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, re the ending of Russell Davies' Sunday night show on songs, songwriters and song performers pre-Beatles, from Controller Radio 2:
Radio 2 won’t turn pop, says Controller
SIR – Far from abandoning older listeners (report, August 4), Radio 2 has just posted the largest listenership in its history (15.44 million) and the highest figures ever among over-55s. The growth is even more significant among the over-65s.
However, Radio 2 has to find ways of saving 20 per cent of its cost base. Sunday evenings do not perform well and single hours are an expensive format for weekly shows. But our commitment to the broadest musical repertoire remains robust. Sundays will certainly not become a “pop” zone and Russell Davies will be doing a new series of 26 shows starting in December.
Great, timeless, melodic music is the bedrock of Radio 2’s success, and will continue to be.
Bob Shennan Controller, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Asian Network
London W1
Those currently hosting one hour shows on the network include Jamie Cullum, Tim Rice, Desmond Carrington, Clare Teal, Don Black, Paul Jones, Mark Radcliffe (on Folk). There's also an hour tonight from the Country Music Association (director Bob Shennan). If single hours are expensive, gawd knows what half hours - like The Organist Entertains and Listen to the Band - must cost.
This morning's Ken Bruce show featured a range of great, timeless melodic music - and songs by Kodaline, Naughty Boy, Mayer Hawthorne, The Yeah You's and Gavin McGraw, which may not be bothering a celestial jury in years to come.
By design
Lord Hall of Birkenhead has clearly developed an interest in interior design, as he progresses round the orange Belisha beacons that mark out the upper floors of Broadcasting House. He's to be a guest judge in this year's awards organised by the Society of British and International Design, championing the work of interior architects and designers, from the UK and around the world.
He'll sit alongside a panel including property developer Nicholas Candy, Theo Williams (head of design at John Lewis) and David Lewis, of luxury yacht brokers, Sunseeker. The awards will be dished out in two ceremonies - one at the House of Lords, and another at the Dorchester.
Last year's overall "contract" winner was Bentley's new head office reception area, by FutureBrand - the sexiest thing to hit Crewe for some time. Will Lord Hall have to declare an interest if HOK enter their BBC work ? Will his own new office feature ?
He'll sit alongside a panel including property developer Nicholas Candy, Theo Williams (head of design at John Lewis) and David Lewis, of luxury yacht brokers, Sunseeker. The awards will be dished out in two ceremonies - one at the House of Lords, and another at the Dorchester.
Last year's overall "contract" winner was Bentley's new head office reception area, by FutureBrand - the sexiest thing to hit Crewe for some time. Will Lord Hall have to declare an interest if HOK enter their BBC work ? Will his own new office feature ?
Call sign
There's a piece of the A425 South Way/Abbey Street roundabout in Northamptonshire that will forever be BBC World Service. Artist Tim Ward was commissioned by local developers to produce a piece of "public art" for the junction; he came up with three options, Daventry Council set up a Facebook poll - and the winner (artist's impression below) is "Daventry Calling".
The BBC first built a transmitter at Borough Hill, Daventry, in 1925 (moving a longwave set-up from Chelsmford), and in 1932 started broadcasting the BBC Empire Service from the site, on short-wave and then medium wave, using "Daventry Calling" as the station ID. This had more impact on the town than just worldwide fame; until then, locals pronounced the name "Daintree". London was unaware. The Empire Service morphed into the Overseas Service in 1939, and with the addition of a European Service in 1941, the BBC department was called "External Services". That changed to World Service in 1965.
The transmitters were used rather differently in 1935, to give the first practical demonstration of radar. Inventors Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Frederic Wilkins rigged up a radio receiving array in a field three miles away, to pick up signals bounced back off a metal-clad Handley Page Heyford bomber flying across the radio transmissions from the bigger masts. The interference picked up from the aircraft allowed the two to calculate the plane's navigational position.
The Daventry analogue transmitters were finally switched off in 1992, and now there's only one mast remaining (happily chuntering out DAB signals). The new sculpture will be 7 metres high and will consist of five ‘masts’ with a laser-cut ‘radio wave’ text ring. You won't miss it - it's near McDonalds, and the new Abbey Retail Park - gateway to modern Daintree.
The BBC first built a transmitter at Borough Hill, Daventry, in 1925 (moving a longwave set-up from Chelsmford), and in 1932 started broadcasting the BBC Empire Service from the site, on short-wave and then medium wave, using "Daventry Calling" as the station ID. This had more impact on the town than just worldwide fame; until then, locals pronounced the name "Daintree". London was unaware. The Empire Service morphed into the Overseas Service in 1939, and with the addition of a European Service in 1941, the BBC department was called "External Services". That changed to World Service in 1965.
The Daventry analogue transmitters were finally switched off in 1992, and now there's only one mast remaining (happily chuntering out DAB signals). The new sculpture will be 7 metres high and will consist of five ‘masts’ with a laser-cut ‘radio wave’ text ring. You won't miss it - it's near McDonalds, and the new Abbey Retail Park - gateway to modern Daintree.
The way we were
For smartphone users with radio nostalgia - two intrinsically useless products that will encase the monster.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Odds and ends
Puppet news: Louise Gold, not Steve Nallon, provides the Thatcher-like voice for Jemima Taptackle in That Puppet Game Show. (Steve did Thatch in Spitting Image, whilst Louise was doing The Queen and Nancy Reagan). Dave Chapman, who brought you Otis the Aardvark, is Dougie Colon.
Saturday's ratings for the new BBC1 show were slightly down, at 2.03m - probably because Sky released Swansea v Man Utd on Freeview for nowt, and picked up 1.7m. NBC's coverage of the match in the States attracted 1.2m.
In other ratings: The White Queen finished its run slightly up, at 3.5m.
Property: The Government is putting the old War Office on Horseguards Parade up for sale, and hoping for £100m. It was completed in 1906, at a cost of £1.2m (around £123m in today's money).
Saturday's ratings for the new BBC1 show were slightly down, at 2.03m - probably because Sky released Swansea v Man Utd on Freeview for nowt, and picked up 1.7m. NBC's coverage of the match in the States attracted 1.2m.
In other ratings: The White Queen finished its run slightly up, at 3.5m.
Property: The Government is putting the old War Office on Horseguards Parade up for sale, and hoping for £100m. It was completed in 1906, at a cost of £1.2m (around £123m in today's money).
Βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ
Idle weekend research revealed that BBC Chairman Lord Patten, whilst at Balliol, Oxford, adapted (and probably performed in) a version of Aristophanes' The Frogs. This tale of a god bringing back dead playwrights to improve modern drama may be a metaphor for Cohen's BBC1 (Poldark, non-Muppet puppets, Bergerac, etc). Patten's co-writers included Edward Mortimer (they also both worked on satirical mag Mesopotamia, a pre-cursor of Private Eye - if anyone has a copy still, let me know, please).
The Balliol Players toured public schools with their show in the summer term of 1964. The raunchiness of some of the Balliol annual offerings got them on the agenda of the Headmasters' Conference; I have no evidence that this particular ouevre, performed in Victorian dress, caused such trouble. It is suggested that Lord Patten took to the stage as Queen Victoria. Some would say, at 20, the role came too soon for him.
The Balliol Players toured public schools with their show in the summer term of 1964. The raunchiness of some of the Balliol annual offerings got them on the agenda of the Headmasters' Conference; I have no evidence that this particular ouevre, performed in Victorian dress, caused such trouble. It is suggested that Lord Patten took to the stage as Queen Victoria. Some would say, at 20, the role came too soon for him.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Camera man
The Sunday Times says that Colin Firth nearly didn't get the role of Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - and hair dye came to his rescue.
Alan Yentob, then controller of BBC1, and Andrew Davies, who wrote the screenplay, opposed the casting of Firth — the former because he did not think him handsome enough, the latter because he believed the gingerish hue in the actor’s hair to be unsuitable.
A range of images suddenly sprang to mind...
Alan Yentob, then controller of BBC1, and Andrew Davies, who wrote the screenplay, opposed the casting of Firth — the former because he did not think him handsome enough, the latter because he believed the gingerish hue in the actor’s hair to be unsuitable.
A range of images suddenly sprang to mind...
Diary date
Just three weeks to go before a very big British media day. September 9 sees both the Old Bailey trial of Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson (and seven others), and the second Public Accounts Committee session on BBC severance pay.
The Commons committee will effectively pitch former DG Mark Thompson and his then senior non-exec Marcus Agius against former BBC chair Sir Michael Lyons and his right-hand finance trustee Antony Fry, over "maximum" pay-offs, particularly to Mark Byford and Sharon Baylay. A row in front of the committee surely has to be avoided - but are back channels open ? And who might mediate ?
Meanwhile Mr Fry is getting his feet under the table in his new role as Chairman of the Premier League (which also puts him on the board of the FA). Pictured right with another big football fan, at the opening of Wigan's Youth Zone.
The Commons committee will effectively pitch former DG Mark Thompson and his then senior non-exec Marcus Agius against former BBC chair Sir Michael Lyons and his right-hand finance trustee Antony Fry, over "maximum" pay-offs, particularly to Mark Byford and Sharon Baylay. A row in front of the committee surely has to be avoided - but are back channels open ? And who might mediate ?
Departmental circular
Ah, the Kafka-esque world of the BBC and Freedom of Information legislation.
In summary, bloke writes to ask for all recorded communications between the BBC and GCHQ. BBC writes back, nicely, that it's too big a task for the rules - could he narrow it to a part of the BBC ?
Bloke tries a different tack: can he please have any recorded communications between BBC and GCHQ this calendar year ?
BBC gets a little snotty: ‘as the factor which causes your original request to be over the appropriate limit is the size of the search we would have to carry out on the basis of location within the BBC, and not the timescale of the information, this narrowing does not reduce the handling of your request to below the appropriate limit.’
Fair enough, thinks our bloke, and writes back for the complete list of every BBC department that The Information Policy & Compliance Team deem separate, so I can make an informed request that'll burden your department less and would fall within the FOI budget for single requests.
And the BBC plays what it clearly thinks is checkmate: The BBC does not maintain such a detailed list. You will appreciate that due to the size of the organisation and its nature, it changes regularly and such a list would become outdated quickly.
Hard to believe that the BBC doesn't pay people via a code for the department they're working in. Maybe salaries don't reach the Information, Policy and Compliance team that way.
In summary, bloke writes to ask for all recorded communications between the BBC and GCHQ. BBC writes back, nicely, that it's too big a task for the rules - could he narrow it to a part of the BBC ?
Bloke tries a different tack: can he please have any recorded communications between BBC and GCHQ this calendar year ?
BBC gets a little snotty: ‘as the factor which causes your original request to be over the appropriate limit is the size of the search we would have to carry out on the basis of location within the BBC, and not the timescale of the information, this narrowing does not reduce the handling of your request to below the appropriate limit.’
Fair enough, thinks our bloke, and writes back for the complete list of every BBC department that The Information Policy & Compliance Team deem separate, so I can make an informed request that'll burden your department less and would fall within the FOI budget for single requests.
And the BBC plays what it clearly thinks is checkmate: The BBC does not maintain such a detailed list. You will appreciate that due to the size of the organisation and its nature, it changes regularly and such a list would become outdated quickly.
Hard to believe that the BBC doesn't pay people via a code for the department they're working in. Maybe salaries don't reach the Information, Policy and Compliance team that way.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Double glazing news
 |
| The original |
Various layers of glass now set the "inner" team apart from the "outer team" - an emotional and symbolic setting that McKinsey might recommend for "complexity reduction". Sages tell me they sometimes pulled in different directions during the darkest days of George's 54-day tenancy as Director General.
Bandstand
Al Jazeera America is ready to launch, and TV Newser has been on a tour of its temporary HQ - in various bits of the New Yorker Hotel building, not far from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. It's an art deco monster, built in 1930.
Their main studio is in the basement. In the swing era of the 30s and 40s, this was was The Terrace Room - on May 7, 1937, the cavernous ballroom played host to the first gig by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.
Here's a brief clip of a 1943 rehearsal in the same room by Benny Goodman and his band.
Watch for toe-tapping presenters...
Here's a brief clip of a 1943 rehearsal in the same room by Benny Goodman and his band.
Watch for toe-tapping presenters...
Friday, August 16, 2013
Jims
James Purnell has the air of a diligent student who's handed his homework in early. Tony Hall's chosen strategist, in this session in the Radio Theatre, comes out fairly strongly for the licence-fee funding model, and is relaxed about the amount of viewing of BBC output over computers. Thus his work on "Towards 2022", or whatever his October strategy document is to be called, is largely done. Watch from 9.50, to around 14.30. You may have to go "full-screen" to see it all.
Some of this is backed up by a recent FOI response from Auntie:
The number of households declaring they do not need a TV Licence has remained stable at around 430,000 for the past three years. There are a number of reasons for notifying TV Licensing if no licence is needed. These include: if the address is unoccupied; if no TV receiving equipment is being used at the address; if a TV is used only to watch DVDs or for gaming purposes; or if only catch-up or on-demand services are used at the address. This last exemption applies to a tiny minority of people, as the number of adults watching only catch-up TV in a typical week is well under 2%; although over the course of a year may watch some live TV and therefore still need a licence. Therefore the overwhelming majority of viewers require a TV Licence.
Some of this is backed up by a recent FOI response from Auntie:
The number of households declaring they do not need a TV Licence has remained stable at around 430,000 for the past three years. There are a number of reasons for notifying TV Licensing if no licence is needed. These include: if the address is unoccupied; if no TV receiving equipment is being used at the address; if a TV is used only to watch DVDs or for gaming purposes; or if only catch-up or on-demand services are used at the address. This last exemption applies to a tiny minority of people, as the number of adults watching only catch-up TV in a typical week is well under 2%; although over the course of a year may watch some live TV and therefore still need a licence. Therefore the overwhelming majority of viewers require a TV Licence.
- It was good to hear that the two new Jims are bonding at their new employer. Jim P played host to James Harding, in his first days as News Meister, at a fashionable eatery a fashionable distance from Broadcasting House earlier this week.
Tout suites
"We are proud to open a standalone post-production facility on Charlotte Street in the heart of London’s vibrant W1 post community. Our new HD-based, fully tapeless-capable facility connects seamlessly to our revamped studio facilities at Elstree". BBC Studios and Post Production trumpeted this in January 2013. Eight months later comes the announcement that it'll be closing in January 2014 (after post-production work on Strictly Come Dancing) with 12 redundancies.
Editworks were the previous occupants; they moved out, the BBC did a renovation - and, in a remarkably short time, it seems something was wrong with the business plan. It's a real blow for a distinguished board including strategists John Tate and Anna Mallett, and Alan Yentob. Let's hope they've still got enough capital left to refurbish those famous TVC studios.
Editworks were the previous occupants; they moved out, the BBC did a renovation - and, in a remarkably short time, it seems something was wrong with the business plan. It's a real blow for a distinguished board including strategists John Tate and Anna Mallett, and Alan Yentob. Let's hope they've still got enough capital left to refurbish those famous TVC studios.
Pat's post
And while we're on about reducing complexity, Danny Cohen could do with some help at BBC (Tele)Vision. He boasts the biggest management board of the lot. A whopping 26 members. That's down from 27, with the impending departure of in-house production boss Pat Younge, which he announced on 25th July. He'll be back from a holiday down under soon, to work his notice - but White City has already felt rudderless without him.
Pat's been pretty clear that the job's been changed round him, so he's redundant - but Danny's yet to reveal how his upbeat cheerfulness will be delivered in a new structure.
Pat's been pretty clear that the job's been changed round him, so he's redundant - but Danny's yet to reveal how his upbeat cheerfulness will be delivered in a new structure.
Do they mean me?
The McKinsey team tasked with "reducing complexity" at the BBC are beavering away, in areas that may seem obvious to outsiders, but have come as something of a surprise to some of their interviewees. The Director General's Office is both the name of a room (now believed to be oak-panelled at the prow of "old" Broadcasting House) and of a proud cohort of men and women who know they're running the organisation.
They've been lightly grilled about their processes - as have some of the faithful retainers of the BBC Trust (staff costs 2012/3 £4.5m).
They've been lightly grilled about their processes - as have some of the faithful retainers of the BBC Trust (staff costs 2012/3 £4.5m).
Dining in
Former colleagues of ex-BBC executive Pat Loughrey were pleased to see the oul fella looking chipper, well turned-out and able to afford a canteen meal on Celebrity Masterchef this week.
Pat left the BBC in December 2009 after 25 years' service, with a severance package of £866k, and pension pot augmentation of £266,288. In October 2009, his appointment as Warden of Goldsmiths, University of London was announced, on a salary said to be £206k.
Pat left the BBC in December 2009 after 25 years' service, with a severance package of £866k, and pension pot augmentation of £266,288. In October 2009, his appointment as Warden of Goldsmiths, University of London was announced, on a salary said to be £206k.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Deal or no deal
Hyperbole, I think is the word. The union side went into this week's "showdown" on BBC pay with an embargoed ballot result on strike action. BECTU's Gerry Morrissey had said “Since we started the ballot, the events that occurred at the Public Affairs Committee have resulted in significant feedback to the unions which have, in our view, had an effect on the ballot result and the subsequent considerations undertaken by our representatives. In the meantime we are embargoing the ballot results.”
Actually, Mr Morrissey's back pocket at the talks contained a vote to accept the previous offer - 67% of those voting, voting in favour. There's no figures yet I can find from the NUJ.
So the odd concessions in this new settlement are based more on the likelihood that a further ballot (against the background of continuing Public Affairs Commitee inquiries) would go the other way. The sandpapering of the deal includes no moves on a faster track to redundancy (for lower ranks, that is); an uplift of 1% to the base of grades 2-11; and a promise that Lord Hall himself will continue to take part in talks this Autumn about structural changes to pay and grading.
Will Lucy Adams still be there ? The HR Director can't really be looking forward to another kicking from Ma Hodge; it wouldn't be surprising if there were already tentative moves to choreograph an exit strategy.
Actually, Mr Morrissey's back pocket at the talks contained a vote to accept the previous offer - 67% of those voting, voting in favour. There's no figures yet I can find from the NUJ.
So the odd concessions in this new settlement are based more on the likelihood that a further ballot (against the background of continuing Public Affairs Commitee inquiries) would go the other way. The sandpapering of the deal includes no moves on a faster track to redundancy (for lower ranks, that is); an uplift of 1% to the base of grades 2-11; and a promise that Lord Hall himself will continue to take part in talks this Autumn about structural changes to pay and grading.
Will Lucy Adams still be there ? The HR Director can't really be looking forward to another kicking from Ma Hodge; it wouldn't be surprising if there were already tentative moves to choreograph an exit strategy.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
United
Solidarity
Spotted: two of Britain's top quiz meisters stroking their (respective) beards not far from Broadcasting House yesterday. Jeremy Paxman, University Challenge (And Newsnight) deep in conversation with Russell Davies, Brain of Britain (and Radio 2, at present). No idea of the discourse, but producers of UC will be looking for on-screen continuity for the next series - so that may be cut-off point, as it were, for the holiday bristles, still making Page 3 news for the BBC-obsessed Daily Mail. Ah, the joys of radio...
Meanwhile, Russell may, or may not, be pleased to know there's a petition to stay the axe over his Radio 2 Sunday evening show, due to fall at the end of September, with erudite support and contributions from the UK and around the world. Here's one..
The history of 'popular song' is "our " history; this is a fascinating programme, made by someone with a broad and deep knowledge of his subject; it's informative and entertaining. This sort of excellence is exactly the reason why I pay a Licence Fee to the BBC: I can get the ordinary anywhere (and, increasingly, everywhere). Must we really lose this degree of knowledge and experience? I am so frustrated that the BBC would do this.
At R2's Western House HQ, rumours of further schedule changes, and possibly more petitions, still rumble, ahead of the "new term".
The history of 'popular song' is "our " history; this is a fascinating programme, made by someone with a broad and deep knowledge of his subject; it's informative and entertaining. This sort of excellence is exactly the reason why I pay a Licence Fee to the BBC: I can get the ordinary anywhere (and, increasingly, everywhere). Must we really lose this degree of knowledge and experience? I am so frustrated that the BBC would do this.
At R2's Western House HQ, rumours of further schedule changes, and possibly more petitions, still rumble, ahead of the "new term".
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Sandwiched
Somewhere behind closed doors (is there a Vic Feather suite ?) in Broadcasting House, they're easing in to their seats for an uncomfortable BBC management/unions pay discussion.
On the table is a "final" offer of £800 or 1%, whichever is higher, for all on grades 2-11. On £30k it works out at 2.7%, and apparently means at least 2% for 70 per cent of staff. If you're lucky enough to be on more than £60k (quite possible at Band 11) it'll be the first official rise since 2009/10. But RPI stands at 3.1%, and, if you work in Broadcasting House, you can't park - so train and tube fares are likely to rise by at least 4%.
The background is worse than that. Management have been playing hard ball with flat rate increases since 2009 - £450, £475, £450, £400. Over those years inflation ran at 2.0%, 4.1%, 4.1% and 2.5%. At the same time as that tough there-is-no-dosh stance, senior management were apparently able to get a "beyond contractual" settlement to go without even asking - cf Roly Keating, now repaid. Some deals made eye-watering reading in the recent NAO report - and there's a chance they'll uncover more next month. There's also a suspicion now that, if you were senior enough and got into trouble, you could "resign" and still get a BBC wheelbarrow.
The unions have a ballot result in their back pocket. Will it remain embargoed ?
On the table is a "final" offer of £800 or 1%, whichever is higher, for all on grades 2-11. On £30k it works out at 2.7%, and apparently means at least 2% for 70 per cent of staff. If you're lucky enough to be on more than £60k (quite possible at Band 11) it'll be the first official rise since 2009/10. But RPI stands at 3.1%, and, if you work in Broadcasting House, you can't park - so train and tube fares are likely to rise by at least 4%.
The background is worse than that. Management have been playing hard ball with flat rate increases since 2009 - £450, £475, £450, £400. Over those years inflation ran at 2.0%, 4.1%, 4.1% and 2.5%. At the same time as that tough there-is-no-dosh stance, senior management were apparently able to get a "beyond contractual" settlement to go without even asking - cf Roly Keating, now repaid. Some deals made eye-watering reading in the recent NAO report - and there's a chance they'll uncover more next month. There's also a suspicion now that, if you were senior enough and got into trouble, you could "resign" and still get a BBC wheelbarrow.
The unions have a ballot result in their back pocket. Will it remain embargoed ?
News beards
So Paxman came back from holiday (Guantanamo ?) and the beard stayed. I'll try to let you know what it did for the Newsnight ratings...
Expect a response soon from the C4 news team...
Expect a response soon from the C4 news team...
Monday, August 12, 2013
Beardy
Your first day in charge of BBC News - and trouble comes from an unexpected quarter. Not relations with politicians, tricky leaked documents, whistleblowers, and the sort of thing you've been steeled up for.
No. Paxman is back from his hols with a beard. In the previous century, reporters and presenters used to do this rather a lot, producing much chuntering from management, and, after a period of bravado, usually ending up with a quick visit to a changing room for a close shave just before transmission.
Will James Harding care ?
Here's an old piece of photoshopping from the Evening Standard in 2003 that suggests he might...
No. Paxman is back from his hols with a beard. In the previous century, reporters and presenters used to do this rather a lot, producing much chuntering from management, and, after a period of bravado, usually ending up with a quick visit to a changing room for a close shave just before transmission.
Will James Harding care ?
Here's an old piece of photoshopping from the Evening Standard in 2003 that suggests he might...
What shall we talk about ?
I'm rather worried about Radio 4's August experiment - hour long chat shows, hosted by various R4 trusties, stripped at 11pm Monday to Friday for two weeks, at least, under the banner Summer Nights.
Jane Garvey, in particular, seems to have lost her local radio and 5Live instincts completely. She kicks off tonight with conversation around "what role sex plays in our lives ?". Next Monday she returns to ask "whether sport matters ?" It'll never win a longer commission if you use up topics at that rate...
Jane Garvey, in particular, seems to have lost her local radio and 5Live instincts completely. She kicks off tonight with conversation around "what role sex plays in our lives ?". Next Monday she returns to ask "whether sport matters ?" It'll never win a longer commission if you use up topics at that rate...
Holiday news
With one episode of The White Queen to go, Danny Cohen might be thinking it could have played better when nights are darker..
The news machine
It's moderately straightforward to decide on a lead story for the print edition of The Times. It's nigh impossible to impose a lead on the multifarious outputs of the 8,000 or so staff of BBC News. And it's impolitic and unwise to say you're going to do it - dictats are embarassing, and get published.
The machine moves inexorably under your feet while you're expounding your views. Ahead of radio news moving alongside tv news at Television Centre in 1997, 30 or so BBC editors held a dummy news day at a posh Thameside hotel. Mark Damazer was leading the editorial thinking, and at 4pm on a "pretend clock" called a meeting to set lead stories for evening bulletins, as was the tv tradition. While he was talking, a "pretend" news story broke (from the imagination of one Kevin Marsh), and the various radio teams (in those days, ahead of News 24, boasting much more output) naturally went with it, without a chance for Damazer to opine on its relative importance.
Thus the emergence of the Time Lords; this is a BBC pre-meeting, which James Harding will expect to chair, where an intimate circle (we'll try to find out who the new cast are) of thinkers agree on takes, tilts, and steers, rather than leads, and try to nudge the hacks in the direction they think best. Meanwhile, the mechanical planners of Newsgathering have already deployed trucks and resources for the following 24 hours, and the inertia of the news diary rolls on. I'm sure James Harding wouldn't have expected a BBC news story on his first proper day at work, but he got one.
In the United States, Deborah Turness, formerly of ITN, has moved the morning meeting of NBC newsteams to 0900. Will Harding make timetable changes at Dr Evil's Volcano News Lair ? That's nigh impossible too - he also has to connect with Tony Hall's morning conference call - at least until "simplification" arrives.
The machine moves inexorably under your feet while you're expounding your views. Ahead of radio news moving alongside tv news at Television Centre in 1997, 30 or so BBC editors held a dummy news day at a posh Thameside hotel. Mark Damazer was leading the editorial thinking, and at 4pm on a "pretend clock" called a meeting to set lead stories for evening bulletins, as was the tv tradition. While he was talking, a "pretend" news story broke (from the imagination of one Kevin Marsh), and the various radio teams (in those days, ahead of News 24, boasting much more output) naturally went with it, without a chance for Damazer to opine on its relative importance.
Thus the emergence of the Time Lords; this is a BBC pre-meeting, which James Harding will expect to chair, where an intimate circle (we'll try to find out who the new cast are) of thinkers agree on takes, tilts, and steers, rather than leads, and try to nudge the hacks in the direction they think best. Meanwhile, the mechanical planners of Newsgathering have already deployed trucks and resources for the following 24 hours, and the inertia of the news diary rolls on. I'm sure James Harding wouldn't have expected a BBC news story on his first proper day at work, but he got one.
In the United States, Deborah Turness, formerly of ITN, has moved the morning meeting of NBC newsteams to 0900. Will Harding make timetable changes at Dr Evil's Volcano News Lair ? That's nigh impossible too - he also has to connect with Tony Hall's morning conference call - at least until "simplification" arrives.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Fancy
Continuing our summer series on "dressing up", here are two more honorary degree uniforms.
Ex-BBC Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson was awarded hers by the University of York. She was keen to talk about her principal part-time role, as interim CEO of the English National Ballet. “Having taken the BBC to Salford I’m now taking ballet to Liverpool", she tells house mag Grapevine.
Whoa, right there. Both the Royal Court and The Empire in Liverpool have played host to ballet for years - the Festival Ballet (which morphed into the ENB) toured regularly from the 50s. Fonteyn and Nureyev played a week in 1966. I'm sure Liverpool will accord Caroline the appropriate warm artistic welcome for her pioneering work.
Meanwhile, I've finally caught up with Lord Hall's honorary degree at the University of Birmingham. Here's the whole thing - Tony's response starts at 9.10, including the journey from Little Green Lane County Primary, Small Heath.
Whoa, right there. Both the Royal Court and The Empire in Liverpool have played host to ballet for years - the Festival Ballet (which morphed into the ENB) toured regularly from the 50s. Fonteyn and Nureyev played a week in 1966. I'm sure Liverpool will accord Caroline the appropriate warm artistic welcome for her pioneering work.
Meanwhile, I've finally caught up with Lord Hall's honorary degree at the University of Birmingham. Here's the whole thing - Tony's response starts at 9.10, including the journey from Little Green Lane County Primary, Small Heath.
Turf news
Nearly half of the current Premier League start the new season with new hybrid pitches. The mixture of grass with varying amounts of artificial fibre has been pioneered by Dutch firm Desso. New this season are installations at Old Trafford, Goodison Park and St James' Park. Cardiff already have Desso, alongside Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, Swansea and Spurs.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Eye eye
I apologise for my video inadequacy - failure to record sound. I'm just learning.
Nonetheless I think it important that someone knows this lady - Kasia Madera - winked at the audience at the end of the World News on BBC4 last night. You wouldn't catch Zeinab Badawi doing that...
Nonetheless I think it important that someone knows this lady - Kasia Madera - winked at the audience at the end of the World News on BBC4 last night. You wouldn't catch Zeinab Badawi doing that...
No Fun League - for some
In the United States, NFL pre-season games are well underway, and Thursday night saw five decent evening friendlies televised locally. It seemed to have had a big impact on the CNN 25-to-54 year old audience - a poor set of figures through from Jake Tapper's show at 4pm, with Piers Morgan taking bottom place. Figures via TV Newser.
Friday, August 9, 2013
On report
Looks like the BBC has reached at least one compromise with the Public Accounts Committee. The MPs had demanded details of all 150 severance pay and benefits enhancements reached with senior management over the past three years; the BBC tried to argue that a straightforward handover might breach data protection laws. Now, it seems, the NAO, whose first report sampled 60 of those severance deals and 60 additional benefit cases (some of them overlaps) are back, going over the remainder.
And the inquiry into possible payments where "other guidelines may have been breached" (which I take to mean the Fincham and Douglas exit deals) will be conducted by KPMG.
DG Tony Hall has promised both reports will shared with the PAC next month.
And the inquiry into possible payments where "other guidelines may have been breached" (which I take to mean the Fincham and Douglas exit deals) will be conducted by KPMG.
DG Tony Hall has promised both reports will shared with the PAC next month.
Presentation details
Ben Webster in The Times reports that the BBC has got itself into a right tangle over investigating pay-offs to former BBC1 Controller Peter Fincham, who we all thought fell voluntarily on his sword over the very misleading Queen documentary trailer, and former Controller Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, who we all thought did the same, though under more pressure, over Sachsgate.
Director General Tony Hall asked for ("demanded" according to The Guardian) a "detailed briefing"; now, says Webster, that briefing might be "verbal", to avoid discovery under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act - or a request to "hand it over" by the Public Accounts Committee. A BBC spokesman admits that the form of the presentation to the DG has not yet been decided.
Here are some forms of presentation that might be under consideration.
1) Give Us A Clue: James Purnell hosts a cheery internal version of the popular parlour game, in which Lucy Adams is presented with a card, and mimes the contents to a sofa of Tony Hall, Jessica Cecil and Anne Bulford. Chortle as she struggles with "non-contractual".
2) Sleep-learning. The DG carbs up on a few Heston From Waitrose ready-meals, then lies down blindfold in the Executive Pilates room, on the Camp-bed of Non-Discoverable Assimilation of Facts. Tapes of You and Yours help him to drift off, then anonymous maidens of the Executive Support Unit enter to chant details of Lucy's findings, from scripts written on rice paper; as he awakes, they exit, chewing furiously.
3) DMI Encoding. The verbal briefing is recorded into the remaining working bits of Fabric, and in an irreversible secret Rivera process, meta-tagged to within an inch of its life, upscaled, pushed into 16:9, pixellated, transferred to VHS and handed to the DG.to watch, in an ante-chamber to the Hadron Bulk Eraser...
Director General Tony Hall asked for ("demanded" according to The Guardian) a "detailed briefing"; now, says Webster, that briefing might be "verbal", to avoid discovery under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act - or a request to "hand it over" by the Public Accounts Committee. A BBC spokesman admits that the form of the presentation to the DG has not yet been decided.
Here are some forms of presentation that might be under consideration.
1) Give Us A Clue: James Purnell hosts a cheery internal version of the popular parlour game, in which Lucy Adams is presented with a card, and mimes the contents to a sofa of Tony Hall, Jessica Cecil and Anne Bulford. Chortle as she struggles with "non-contractual".
2) Sleep-learning. The DG carbs up on a few Heston From Waitrose ready-meals, then lies down blindfold in the Executive Pilates room, on the Camp-bed of Non-Discoverable Assimilation of Facts. Tapes of You and Yours help him to drift off, then anonymous maidens of the Executive Support Unit enter to chant details of Lucy's findings, from scripts written on rice paper; as he awakes, they exit, chewing furiously.
3) DMI Encoding. The verbal briefing is recorded into the remaining working bits of Fabric, and in an irreversible secret Rivera process, meta-tagged to within an inch of its life, upscaled, pushed into 16:9, pixellated, transferred to VHS and handed to the DG.to watch, in an ante-chamber to the Hadron Bulk Eraser...
Following
One more weekend for the BBC News interregnum - and Harding The Hack comes riding to their relief on Monday. The build-up rivals that to the return of the Premier League; Maggie Brown in The Guardian writes a paeon of praise to his FT training ground; Roy Greenslade, in The Evening Standard, has set out what James needs to change in the BBC newsroom; and there may be more from weekend papers.
I'm more interested in James' news sources. He's a non-tweeting Twitter lurker, and follows 136 accounts. Here's a selection...
BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Breaking News - no problems there.
Various select BBC people - Nick Robinson, Nick Sutton (editor of The World at One, and provider of newspaper front pages most evenings) Rory Cellan-Jones, James Purnell, Andrew Neil (who counts as papers as well) Ian Katz, as he moves from the Guardian to Newsnight, Gabby Logan, Danny Baker, Victoria Coren
Sky News - Adam Boulton
ITV News - Tom Bradby, Laura Kuennssberg
Newspaper bosses - Rupert Murdoch, Alan Rusbridger, Lionel Barber
A whole slew of Times' chums, as you'd expect
Guardianistas: Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland, Joanna Geary, Andrew Sparrow
University chums: Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong
MPs: Sajid Javid, Ben Bradshaw, Rachel Reeves
The Mail on Sunday dep news editor, David Rose
Telegraph dep ed Benedict Brogan
CNN: Newt Gingrich, Jake Tapper and Piers Morgan
Odds and ends: Eddie Izzard, Tim Minchin, Sarah Brown, Arianna Huffington, Jimmy Fallon, Mrs Stephen Fry
Not comprehensive, but a flavour of the social media company he keeps.
I'm more interested in James' news sources. He's a non-tweeting Twitter lurker, and follows 136 accounts. Here's a selection...
BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Breaking News - no problems there.
Various select BBC people - Nick Robinson, Nick Sutton (editor of The World at One, and provider of newspaper front pages most evenings) Rory Cellan-Jones, James Purnell, Andrew Neil (who counts as papers as well) Ian Katz, as he moves from the Guardian to Newsnight, Gabby Logan, Danny Baker, Victoria Coren
Sky News - Adam Boulton
ITV News - Tom Bradby, Laura Kuennssberg
Newspaper bosses - Rupert Murdoch, Alan Rusbridger, Lionel Barber
A whole slew of Times' chums, as you'd expect
Guardianistas: Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland, Joanna Geary, Andrew Sparrow
University chums: Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong
MPs: Sajid Javid, Ben Bradshaw, Rachel Reeves
The Mail on Sunday dep news editor, David Rose
Telegraph dep ed Benedict Brogan
CNN: Newt Gingrich, Jake Tapper and Piers Morgan
Odds and ends: Eddie Izzard, Tim Minchin, Sarah Brown, Arianna Huffington, Jimmy Fallon, Mrs Stephen Fry
Not comprehensive, but a flavour of the social media company he keeps.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Field day
The BBC Public Affairs team are festival dudes. They assembled two young Scottish Labour MPs, and local Libdem Tessa Munt, for a trip to Glastonbury, hosted by Helen Boaden and Bob Shennan, revealed in an FOI answer to The Telegraph.
No Twitter presence for Tessa - and the hospitality doesn't yet feature in her own comprehensive-looking list. But Pamela Nash, 29, MP for Aidrie and Shotts, and Ian Murray, 36, MP for Edinburgh South, himself a festival and events specialist (must be the reason for the jacket) got into it...
No Twitter presence for Tessa - and the hospitality doesn't yet feature in her own comprehensive-looking list. But Pamela Nash, 29, MP for Aidrie and Shotts, and Ian Murray, 36, MP for Edinburgh South, himself a festival and events specialist (must be the reason for the jacket) got into it...
Minutiae
Another ineffably dull set of minutes from the BBC Trust - no wonder Lord Patten has said one term's enough. One vague decision - the Trust is allowing an 18-month pilot of S4C material being made available on iPlayer. Frankly, if it quacks like part of the BBC, why not call it a duck ?
Here's a marvellous two-faced moment, either of minute-taking or the discussion itself, on the Prebble review of impartiality in news and other programming...
Members agreed that a wide range of opinions was broadcast in the BBC’s news, current affairs and factual programmes, with no persuasive evidence that significant areas of opinion were not represented. However, members felt that more could be done to ensure voices outside the main political debate were included on air.
That's clear, then...
Here's a marvellous two-faced moment, either of minute-taking or the discussion itself, on the Prebble review of impartiality in news and other programming...
Members agreed that a wide range of opinions was broadcast in the BBC’s news, current affairs and factual programmes, with no persuasive evidence that significant areas of opinion were not represented. However, members felt that more could be done to ensure voices outside the main political debate were included on air.
That's clear, then...
Bust
Here's an edit that makes me tired just thinking of a jogging wheel. It's from NBC's Jimmy Fallon show, wishing the network's top news anchor Brian Williams well after knee surgery, with a version of Young MC's 1989 hit "Bust a move".
Sorry about the ad. You will notice that, despite the myriad cuts and change of background, Williams' face remains largely unchanging...
Sorry about the ad. You will notice that, despite the myriad cuts and change of background, Williams' face remains largely unchanging...
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