Sitting

The end of an interesting week for former BBC DG Mark Thompson. After saying sorry for giving the impression the Digital Media Initiative was unstoppable ('cos that's what he thought) to MPs, he headed back to the New York Times to report on his first set of annual figures.

They aren't bad - revenue from digital only subscriptions is up 36%, to $149m. There are signs the steady decline in income from print advertising is slowing down. Money, including that made from the sale of the Boston Globe, is being invested in new money-making ideas, like "native" advertising, with online content created by the advertising team and sponsoring companies.

The Daily Mail claims that Thommo, unlike George Entwistle, will have a portrait to mark his tenure as DG. and says the BBC is prepared to stump up £20,000 (£5k up from that spent on Messrs Dyke and Birt). (3.30pm update from a BBC spokesman:  "We haven't commissioned anything and there is no immediate rush to do so.") Let's hope he picks a British artist, so as not to annoy the Mail further; Thommo and Mrs Thommo are still listed as supporting The Art Room charity in Oxford.

As for the pose, this may be how many will remember him, whether it's fair or not.