Camping news

After Roger Mosey's intervention on the size of the BBC (the tent flaps still swinging as he left to offer his thoughts), David Dimbleby, 75, the DG and Chairman Auntie never had, has opined from inside the tent. BBC4 should be closed, cookery and gardening programmes should be cut back, and the money released given to BBC2.

David's current documentary series, Britain and The Sea, credits three music composers, two production managers, one production co-ordinator, a two-strong production team, two researchers, a producer-director, a series producer and an executive producer - oh, and two boat crews, all brought to you by BBC Arts.

David is thought to have tilted at the Director General post first in 1987, after Marmaduke Hussey forced Alasdair Milne out of the job. Others in the field were Jeremy Isaacs, Brian Wenham - and Michael Checkland, who got the gig.

In 2001, Dimbleby's name was in the frame to replace Sir Christopher Bland as BBC chairman, as he headed off to BT. Instead it went to Gavyn Davies. In 2004, Dimbleby was on Tessa Jowell's shortlist to replace Davies, who resigned after the Hutton report. Current BBC Trustee Richard Ayre said at the time "David is about the only person employed by the BBC who could conceivably be chairman. In many ways he's the ideal candidate for Tessa Jowell, in terms of reassuring the public that the BBC is free from political influence but still under scrutiny from a tough inquisitor."  Sadly David's scrutiny and clear-thinking on broadcasting strategy was declined, and the job went to Michael Grade.