There is significant room for improvement in the Welsh NHS and patients have "grounds for real concern" about the longer waiting times they face, exclusive analysis for BBC Wales shows.
= nobody else asked them.
The BBC has been given exclusive footage of a former Chinese government official meeting the Dalai Lama.
Strewth, I may have to lie down.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
Speed date
BBC DG Lord Hall is, after all, to appear before the Commons European Scrutiny Select Committee.
After receiving two letters from the Committee Chairman, Bill Cash, which Sir William said had the effect of a summons, Lord Hall has written back to say he will attend on 11th March at 2.30pm. Which is odd, because the Committee's invitation/summons was for 11th February at 2.30pm.
After receiving two letters from the Committee Chairman, Bill Cash, which Sir William said had the effect of a summons, Lord Hall has written back to say he will attend on 11th March at 2.30pm. Which is odd, because the Committee's invitation/summons was for 11th February at 2.30pm.
Caps and feathers
The short-lists for this year's Royal Television Society journalism awards are out, and it's a mixed bag for BBC News. No nominations in Daily News Programme of the Year - the final three are Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITN's Ten. The list for Network Presenter of the Year is Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham, for their ITN Ten work, and Emily Maitlis for Newsnight.
ITN, without the driving talent of Jonathan Munro, wins four nominations in the categories of Home and Foreign News Coverage; the BBC and Sky get one each.
The Sir Cliff Richard Helicopter Nonsense makes the final three for Scoop of The Year; will I have to find a tasty hat recipe ?
ITN, without the driving talent of Jonathan Munro, wins four nominations in the categories of Home and Foreign News Coverage; the BBC and Sky get one each.
The Sir Cliff Richard Helicopter Nonsense makes the final three for Scoop of The Year; will I have to find a tasty hat recipe ?
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Opinion formed 3
The BBC's Future of News Project worries about serving the under 55s.
An organisation that cancelled Top of The Pops, sought to axe 6Music and now wants to close BBC3 doesn't exude much care for younger 'cooler' viewers and listeners. An organisation that hails Mrs Brown's Boys, Citizen Khan and Miranda in comedy, Call the Midwife, Casualty and Last Tango in Halifax in drama, and Strictly in light-entertainment ain't going get the yoof buzzin', even when pre-loading.
A holistic approach is what's needed, as with Newsbeat on Radio 1. Keep BBC3 alive and mix up the spirit of That Was The Week That Was with Liquid News, add a touch of essence of Charlie Brooker, a dash of Jon Stewart's Daily Show, maybe front the whole thing with Barry Shitpeas and Philomena Cunk, every weeknight at 8pm, taking apart things that are really happening - and stick with it until it's part of the furniture. Talk to John Lloyd again about Spitting Image and Not the Nine O'Clock News - he knows the secret formula.
An organisation that cancelled Top of The Pops, sought to axe 6Music and now wants to close BBC3 doesn't exude much care for younger 'cooler' viewers and listeners. An organisation that hails Mrs Brown's Boys, Citizen Khan and Miranda in comedy, Call the Midwife, Casualty and Last Tango in Halifax in drama, and Strictly in light-entertainment ain't going get the yoof buzzin', even when pre-loading.
A holistic approach is what's needed, as with Newsbeat on Radio 1. Keep BBC3 alive and mix up the spirit of That Was The Week That Was with Liquid News, add a touch of essence of Charlie Brooker, a dash of Jon Stewart's Daily Show, maybe front the whole thing with Barry Shitpeas and Philomena Cunk, every weeknight at 8pm, taking apart things that are really happening - and stick with it until it's part of the furniture. Talk to John Lloyd again about Spitting Image and Not the Nine O'Clock News - he knows the secret formula.
Opinion formed 2
The BBC's Future of News project wants to provide more regional and local services online. “The changes in the news industry mean that there are gaps in the coverage of our country and they are growing,” the report says. “At the same time, power is devolving. The BBC is going to have to make the most of digital services, alongside radio and television, to ensure people have the information they need where they live and work.”
The chief executive of Johnston Press, Ashley Highfield, has yet to explode on Twitter, but I'm sure he will once he gets round to reading the report. James Harding has spent a year trying to cultivate regional and local press, with the temptation of free content - and yet, here comes another, as yet unfunded expansionist proposition. (Remember the 2008 plans for news, sport and weather video on 60 BBC Local websites, budgeted on 400 staff ? - and the 2009 plans for 60 ultra-local websites of 2008 ?)
The report confesses that Auntie's existing local radio stations now only cover "live" news 12 hours a day, with weekend political shows pre-recorded on Fridays. One might suggest that the audiences have noticed. The Future of News says 56% of people want more local news. I'm not sure that the commercial local tv experience backs that.
On social media, issue and news-led debates spark off in all sorts of places. The BBC a long time ago decided to get out of active moderation of forums, as too expensive and, for the moderators, too boring. But there may be a way of the BBC hosting a local news conversation as a way forward (as it used to do on local radio, but now seems to prefer a rather soggy music of music and "chat" for most of its live 12 hours). It could mix in with the "local live" pages, and may be more interesting that news that bin collections have been disrupted by snow. Many people would have guessed that.
The chief executive of Johnston Press, Ashley Highfield, has yet to explode on Twitter, but I'm sure he will once he gets round to reading the report. James Harding has spent a year trying to cultivate regional and local press, with the temptation of free content - and yet, here comes another, as yet unfunded expansionist proposition. (Remember the 2008 plans for news, sport and weather video on 60 BBC Local websites, budgeted on 400 staff ? - and the 2009 plans for 60 ultra-local websites of 2008 ?)
The report confesses that Auntie's existing local radio stations now only cover "live" news 12 hours a day, with weekend political shows pre-recorded on Fridays. One might suggest that the audiences have noticed. The Future of News says 56% of people want more local news. I'm not sure that the commercial local tv experience backs that.
On social media, issue and news-led debates spark off in all sorts of places. The BBC a long time ago decided to get out of active moderation of forums, as too expensive and, for the moderators, too boring. But there may be a way of the BBC hosting a local news conversation as a way forward (as it used to do on local radio, but now seems to prefer a rather soggy music of music and "chat" for most of its live 12 hours). It could mix in with the "local live" pages, and may be more interesting that news that bin collections have been disrupted by snow. Many people would have guessed that.
THERE he is...
On a day that mockumentary W1A is filming around Broadcasting House, Alan Yentob has been spotted looking puzzled at plants. (He has previous on this). He's at something called a Thirsty Plant workshop, organised by open-source software company Arduino. This is where sensors are used to alert growers/gardeners that a plant needs water. It's part of a creativity session for BBC1. Imagine.
@danielhirschmann takes Alan Yentob through a Thirsty Plant workshop @bbcone this week as part of our partnership with the BBC on their YEAR OF DIGITAL CREATIVITY
Opinion formed
OK, three posts coming on the BBCs "Future of News" report, nicely chunked up here by the NiemanLab into three themes - doing much more for audiences round the world, improving local and regional news services, and reaching more under-50s.
We're coming up to the first anniversary of licence fee-funding of the BBC's World Service - and still struggle for an essential rationale for the change. The key sentence in the report "If the UK wants the BBC to remain valued and respected, an ambassador of Britain’s values and an agent of soft power in the world, then the BBC is going to have to commit to growing the World Service and the government will also have to recognise this".
We ought to remember that the UK never got to vote on this deal, cooked up over a weekend by Mark Thompson and Jeremy Hunt. There is no mechanism for licence-payers to change the situation, no opt-out, and The Trust has not sought their views directly. Mr Harding can not seriously be expecting manifesto commitments from parties on this.
The platitude that is the BBC "purpose" in this area (Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK:The BBC will build a global understanding of international issues and broaden UK audiences' experience of different cultures) is hardly a mandate to become "an agent of soft power".
Nonetheless, our liberal consciences would all be clearer if we didn't leave international news to Fox and Russia Today. Sadly, the funding model for the BBC's international news services is an uncomfortable mix of licence-fee and advertising. So, the "ambassador of Britain's values" finds room in its tv schedules for more and more travel shows and business bulletins, which attract advertisers. In growing "home pages" for bbc.com, most recently in Australia, the opposition is not Russia Today, but The Guardian. The drive to build up BBC World in the States is not to fill some democratic deficit, but to make money. Potential advertisers with BBC World in India are advised that "52% of the audience are Business Decision-makers", with no mention of the proportion that might be disenfranchised.
Now the hint in the Harding report is that global audiences might be asked to help fund expansion (telethons with Lyse Doucet ?) and that the hunt is on for more commercial partnerships. At the moment, the only success criterion I can spot is the Lord Hall target of 500m users around the world by 2020.
The aspiration has to be expressed more clearly. I would like to see the BBC offer a core multimedia news service, say, in 20 of the world's biggest languages, with an ambition to have at least 20 other languages covered (by agreement with an outside advisory body, which could feature appropriate NGOs) by 2025. This core news service has to be clearly defined and transparently costed, and funded (again by 2025) by a publicly-specified percentage of the licence fee, plus partnerships, advertising etc. If the Government wishes to add support, it could do it at arms length through the British Council, a defined agent of soft power, who could be treated like any commercial partner. Otherwise the Government shouldn't come near decisions about where and when to broadcast.
And let's hope we measure the success of this global news service by reach across classes, rather than "opinion formers".
We're coming up to the first anniversary of licence fee-funding of the BBC's World Service - and still struggle for an essential rationale for the change. The key sentence in the report "If the UK wants the BBC to remain valued and respected, an ambassador of Britain’s values and an agent of soft power in the world, then the BBC is going to have to commit to growing the World Service and the government will also have to recognise this".
We ought to remember that the UK never got to vote on this deal, cooked up over a weekend by Mark Thompson and Jeremy Hunt. There is no mechanism for licence-payers to change the situation, no opt-out, and The Trust has not sought their views directly. Mr Harding can not seriously be expecting manifesto commitments from parties on this.
The platitude that is the BBC "purpose" in this area (Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK:The BBC will build a global understanding of international issues and broaden UK audiences' experience of different cultures) is hardly a mandate to become "an agent of soft power".
Nonetheless, our liberal consciences would all be clearer if we didn't leave international news to Fox and Russia Today. Sadly, the funding model for the BBC's international news services is an uncomfortable mix of licence-fee and advertising. So, the "ambassador of Britain's values" finds room in its tv schedules for more and more travel shows and business bulletins, which attract advertisers. In growing "home pages" for bbc.com, most recently in Australia, the opposition is not Russia Today, but The Guardian. The drive to build up BBC World in the States is not to fill some democratic deficit, but to make money. Potential advertisers with BBC World in India are advised that "52% of the audience are Business Decision-makers", with no mention of the proportion that might be disenfranchised.
Now the hint in the Harding report is that global audiences might be asked to help fund expansion (telethons with Lyse Doucet ?) and that the hunt is on for more commercial partnerships. At the moment, the only success criterion I can spot is the Lord Hall target of 500m users around the world by 2020.
The aspiration has to be expressed more clearly. I would like to see the BBC offer a core multimedia news service, say, in 20 of the world's biggest languages, with an ambition to have at least 20 other languages covered (by agreement with an outside advisory body, which could feature appropriate NGOs) by 2025. This core news service has to be clearly defined and transparently costed, and funded (again by 2025) by a publicly-specified percentage of the licence fee, plus partnerships, advertising etc. If the Government wishes to add support, it could do it at arms length through the British Council, a defined agent of soft power, who could be treated like any commercial partner. Otherwise the Government shouldn't come near decisions about where and when to broadcast.
And let's hope we measure the success of this global news service by reach across classes, rather than "opinion formers".
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Great minds
Regular readers will be delighted to spot Telegraph Editor-in-Chief Jason Seiken in an 'immersive' online assemblage on the Future of News by the BBC's James Harding.
He appears in video chunk marked 'experts', with his comment immediately rubbished by Martha Lane Fox.
As to the Future of News, I've immersed myself twice now, and failed to picked up any conclusions from the seabed. Others will let me know if they find some...
He appears in video chunk marked 'experts', with his comment immediately rubbished by Martha Lane Fox.
As to the Future of News, I've immersed myself twice now, and failed to picked up any conclusions from the seabed. Others will let me know if they find some...
Puffery
"This is an exciting time to join the BBC as Marketing Executive in the News Marketing team". Not half, eh ? General Election year and all that. I quite fancied an executive position, but in the world of selling, things are not always the right way up...
Number 1 accountability: "Assist the relevant Marketing Manager and Head of Marketing in working upstream with stakeholders". So it's more of a Marketing Assistant, it seems.
Number 1 accountability: "Assist the relevant Marketing Manager and Head of Marketing in working upstream with stakeholders". So it's more of a Marketing Assistant, it seems.
Up the wrong tree
Author Robert Harris (ex Selwyn, Cambridge, Newsnight and Panorama) may still be watching some form of analogue tv in his Berkshire vicarage. He's complained that there's no dedicated book programme on BBC tv - when there used be two in the 1970s.
He's referring to The Book Programme, which ran intermittently on BBC2 from 1973 to 1980, presented by Robert Robinson, and produced by broadcasting titan Will Wyatt; and Read All About It ('The paperback programme'), which ran late night on BBC1, presented and edited by Melvyn Bragg from 1976 to 1977, then fronted by Ronald Harwood through to 1979.
Announcing the Costa Book Of The Year last night, Bobby said "It is an absolute disgrace that the BBC, a publicly-funded organisation, shouldn’t do a bit more to help our books business. Come on, Tony Hall, if you’re watching this on BBC News: do a little bit more for the book trade, please."
Yes, the event was carried live on the BBC News channel, where Nick Higham has a weekly "Meet The Author" slot. It has an archive of over 200 interviews.
Over on Radio 4, A Good Read has been running since 1977, and, between that, and The World Service Book Club, there's a back catalogue of 279 podcasts. On the BBC Parliament Channel, BOOKtalk has been running for over four years.
But the real point is that many other BBC programmes sustain themselves with free interviews plugging books. Daddy of them all, Start The Week on Radio 4, in all its various re-inventions since 1970, couldn't survive without them - and carries book credits by episode on its website. Authors sit for hours in London as they are switched to various BBC local radio daytime shows. Radio 5 Live still has the odd daytime opportunity, slightly reduced since the departure of Richard Bacon. Books are waved around on screen in The One Show, Graham Norton, Andrew Marr. Newsnight loves American authors. (Un) Original British Drama is currently built on books - Wolf Hall, Mapp and Lucia, Call The Midwife, re-runs of Death Comes To Pemberley, with Poldark, The Secret Agent and SS-GB still to come.
And then there are the writers sustained by BBC salaries and contracts - Jeremy Paxman, Lord Barg, James Naughtie, Andrew Marr, Kirsty Wark, Anita Anand, Huw Edwards, Lucy Worsley, Janice Hadlow and more - touring the literary festivals, in the hope of being Yentob-ed at Hay.
Books ARE the BBC.
He's referring to The Book Programme, which ran intermittently on BBC2 from 1973 to 1980, presented by Robert Robinson, and produced by broadcasting titan Will Wyatt; and Read All About It ('The paperback programme'), which ran late night on BBC1, presented and edited by Melvyn Bragg from 1976 to 1977, then fronted by Ronald Harwood through to 1979.
Announcing the Costa Book Of The Year last night, Bobby said "It is an absolute disgrace that the BBC, a publicly-funded organisation, shouldn’t do a bit more to help our books business. Come on, Tony Hall, if you’re watching this on BBC News: do a little bit more for the book trade, please."
Yes, the event was carried live on the BBC News channel, where Nick Higham has a weekly "Meet The Author" slot. It has an archive of over 200 interviews.
Over on Radio 4, A Good Read has been running since 1977, and, between that, and The World Service Book Club, there's a back catalogue of 279 podcasts. On the BBC Parliament Channel, BOOKtalk has been running for over four years.
But the real point is that many other BBC programmes sustain themselves with free interviews plugging books. Daddy of them all, Start The Week on Radio 4, in all its various re-inventions since 1970, couldn't survive without them - and carries book credits by episode on its website. Authors sit for hours in London as they are switched to various BBC local radio daytime shows. Radio 5 Live still has the odd daytime opportunity, slightly reduced since the departure of Richard Bacon. Books are waved around on screen in The One Show, Graham Norton, Andrew Marr. Newsnight loves American authors. (Un) Original British Drama is currently built on books - Wolf Hall, Mapp and Lucia, Call The Midwife, re-runs of Death Comes To Pemberley, with Poldark, The Secret Agent and SS-GB still to come.
And then there are the writers sustained by BBC salaries and contracts - Jeremy Paxman, Lord Barg, James Naughtie, Andrew Marr, Kirsty Wark, Anita Anand, Huw Edwards, Lucy Worsley, Janice Hadlow and more - touring the literary festivals, in the hope of being Yentob-ed at Hay.
Books ARE the BBC.
- You can still get second hand copies of Pelicans by a younger Tony Hall. King Coal
and Nuclear Politics
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Puzzled
Here's a neat American ad for the electric BMWi3, aimed for play-out in the Superbowl, and featuring former NBC Today hosts, Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel. Fun for the 1994 breakfast exchanges about the mysteries of the worldwide interweb highway; and today's twerking.
Developing news
The Taffia have moved closed to a new BBC home, with the news that Taylor Wimpey want to buy their current HQ at Llandaff. The deal is subject to planning permission; Taylor Wimpey hope for 500 homes on the site - if the purchase price estimated by Wales Online of £20m is right, that's £40k per dwelling.
And if £20m is the right price, the BBC Wales team will be at their calculators this morning. Is it enough to make the sums work for the move to Cardiff's Central Square ? That deal is a rental, for twenty years, with the first three rent free. And they'll need money for new technology, training, etc. Ms Bulford and The Trust will have to give final approval - like many other projects, that might not come until after the General Election, when the Charter outlook might be clearer.
And if £20m is the right price, the BBC Wales team will be at their calculators this morning. Is it enough to make the sums work for the move to Cardiff's Central Square ? That deal is a rental, for twenty years, with the first three rent free. And they'll need money for new technology, training, etc. Ms Bulford and The Trust will have to give final approval - like many other projects, that might not come until after the General Election, when the Charter outlook might be clearer.
Hit the trail
Exciting times for Newsnight production teams. Last night Evan Davies switched networks for a "live" trail just inside the end of the 10 o'clock bulletin on BBC1, then there was some fumbling of the "live" opening of the show itself on BBC2.
Is this something do with viewing figures ?
Is this something do with viewing figures ?
Monday, January 26, 2015
One scoop or two ?
BBC News still delivering.
"A soldier who suffered devastating injuries in Afghanistan has started oxygen treatment to help his speech and memory..... BBC Inside Out was given exclusive access to the start of his treatment."
"Nature experts have discovered a remarkable submerged forest thousands of years old under the sea close to the Norfolk coast....BBC Inside Out's David Whiteley reveals exclusive underwater footage....."
"A soldier who suffered devastating injuries in Afghanistan has started oxygen treatment to help his speech and memory..... BBC Inside Out was given exclusive access to the start of his treatment."
"Nature experts have discovered a remarkable submerged forest thousands of years old under the sea close to the Norfolk coast....BBC Inside Out's David Whiteley reveals exclusive underwater footage....."
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Lance Armstrong tells me about life after doping. (Warning: contains strong language) http://t.co/CPDZWbgJWB
— Dan Roan (@danroan) January 26, 2015
Has bean
Islington has lost Tinderbox, one of the best places for posh coffee - certainly with the best chocolate patterns on top. It came from Glasgow, like its interior designers, Graven Images. They gave its first London incarnation, directly on Upper Street, old aeroplane seats, scooters and scaffolding boards. Then it moved inside the N1 Centre - a sort of mini-Arndale.
Last year, Pret a Manger opened a deceptively large operation directly opposite. Pret is owned by private equity company Bridgepoint, who still feature the talents of Lord Patten on their European advisory board, for undisclosed remuneration. Pret use funny machines to make coffee, but lo, within six months, it was all up for the baristas of Tinderbox, the only non-chain occupant of N1.
So now, in its place, we await Ed's Easy Diner. Andrew Guy is leading this so-far-private chain's expansion - 26 branches at the last count. Average "dwell" time is, apparently, 40 minutes. "It’s all loud music, bright neon and noisy staff,” says Guy. “There’s nothing subtle about Ed’s.”
Last year, Pret a Manger opened a deceptively large operation directly opposite. Pret is owned by private equity company Bridgepoint, who still feature the talents of Lord Patten on their European advisory board, for undisclosed remuneration. Pret use funny machines to make coffee, but lo, within six months, it was all up for the baristas of Tinderbox, the only non-chain occupant of N1.
So now, in its place, we await Ed's Easy Diner. Andrew Guy is leading this so-far-private chain's expansion - 26 branches at the last count. Average "dwell" time is, apparently, 40 minutes. "It’s all loud music, bright neon and noisy staff,” says Guy. “There’s nothing subtle about Ed’s.”
Not long to kick off
At least the BBC still trusts him to host live events. Adrian Chiles outside York Minster for the consecration of Bishop Libby Lane, live on Radio 5 Live. As has been pointed out, Andy Townsend was not booked as summariser for this one.
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Two or more
This looks like a good opportunity for UK-based bilingual news junkies - a month's work experience at the BBC - unpaid, but with expenses.
You have to have English and total fluency in at least one of the following: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Dari, English, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kiswahili, Kyrgyz, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese
You have to have English and total fluency in at least one of the following: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Dari, English, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kiswahili, Kyrgyz, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese
Important
Neil McIntosh's ears may be burning today. The managing editor of BBC Online (Dunoon Grammar and Napier, Edinburgh) was on the judging panel for the 2015 Debrett's list of the 500 most influential people in the UK - and seems to have done well by Auntie.
Amongst suits we have Lord Hall, Danny Cohen, James Harding, Ralph Rivera and Charlotte Moore. Sadly no room for Alan Yentob and Helen Boaden. In music, we have Mark Cooper, head of music tv, and George Ergatoudis, who picks records for R1 and 1Xtra, plus Chris Evans, and (phew) Director of Music Bob Shennan. Other largely BBC talent includes Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Simon Mayo, plus head of sport Barbara Slater.
In news, we get John Humphrys, Mishal Husain, Nick Robinson, Robert Peston and Andrew Neil.
Amongst suits we have Lord Hall, Danny Cohen, James Harding, Ralph Rivera and Charlotte Moore. Sadly no room for Alan Yentob and Helen Boaden. In music, we have Mark Cooper, head of music tv, and George Ergatoudis, who picks records for R1 and 1Xtra, plus Chris Evans, and (phew) Director of Music Bob Shennan. Other largely BBC talent includes Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Simon Mayo, plus head of sport Barbara Slater.
In news, we get John Humphrys, Mishal Husain, Nick Robinson, Robert Peston and Andrew Neil.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Quality assurance
The Telegraph says that Steve Hewlett's documentary "Reinventing the Royals" will be shown uncut, and perhaps in February, if a slot can be found. This looks like a win for Sally Osman, PR Boss For All Royals, over Kristina Kyriacou, part-time spinner for Prince Charles, and soon to depart Clarence House. Kristina said all she wanted was assurances "regarding fairness, accuracy and tone in accordance with the principles of editorial fairness and obligations under the BBC Editorial Guidelines and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code." I rather hope no such assurance was given, written or otherwise.
(Spookily, we've also learnt that Kristina's other client, Cheryl Versini Fernandez, has relaunched the Cheryl Cole Foundation as Cheryl's Trust. Both versions were designed to raise funds for the Prince's Trust, and don't seem to have standalone websites.)
Others believed to have profited from the delay to the Royal documentary are lawyers Harbottle & Lewis,, said to have helped Kristina with letters to the BBC. Harbottle helped News International review email traffic about phone hacking back in 2007.
(Spookily, we've also learnt that Kristina's other client, Cheryl Versini Fernandez, has relaunched the Cheryl Cole Foundation as Cheryl's Trust. Both versions were designed to raise funds for the Prince's Trust, and don't seem to have standalone websites.)
Others believed to have profited from the delay to the Royal documentary are lawyers Harbottle & Lewis,, said to have helped Kristina with letters to the BBC. Harbottle helped News International review email traffic about phone hacking back in 2007.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
World of Sport
Some regular readers have been in touch to ask for inside track on Adrian Chiles' departure from ITV's football coverage. I have none, but am happy to speculate.
ITV Studios is a business, watched like a hawk by Adam Crozier for an ever-improving bottom line. It is approaching the end of the financial year. Mark Demuth runs sport - he produced Adrian on Match of the Day 2 from 2004 to 2009, and moved to ITV football with him in 2010. A contract signed in 2010 never looks the same value four years later. Mark is also parting company with Andy Townsend and Matt Smith.
Punditry is cheaper than it was; I'm guessing the BBC will spend less this year on Match of the Day sidekicks than it did on a single year on Alan Hansen. More "experts" are portfolio workers, hired by the hour by Sky, BT, 5Live, Eurosport, Arab-funded channels and BBC tv. Few now command the premium payments of 2010.
Do hosts who top and tail shows really make that much difference to your decision about what live football to watch ? If you're in a pub, it's that moment you rush to the bar, surely. If at home, companions watching often suggest the match has not started/finished and can we have some estate agent show back on ? Lord Hall's process of "compete and compare" might look at Pougatch's deal compared with Gary "Aramis" Lineker.
Adrian will be fine. He has a bit of work on 5Live. There are vacancies on The Apprentice: You're Fired, which he created; or even behind Nick Hewer, at Lord Sugar's left-handed side on the main show - Adrian has both business experience and business acumen. Agent Jon Thoday has made a bid to buy BBC3, and at worst there ought to be some continuity shifts.
ITV Studios is a business, watched like a hawk by Adam Crozier for an ever-improving bottom line. It is approaching the end of the financial year. Mark Demuth runs sport - he produced Adrian on Match of the Day 2 from 2004 to 2009, and moved to ITV football with him in 2010. A contract signed in 2010 never looks the same value four years later. Mark is also parting company with Andy Townsend and Matt Smith.
Punditry is cheaper than it was; I'm guessing the BBC will spend less this year on Match of the Day sidekicks than it did on a single year on Alan Hansen. More "experts" are portfolio workers, hired by the hour by Sky, BT, 5Live, Eurosport, Arab-funded channels and BBC tv. Few now command the premium payments of 2010.
Do hosts who top and tail shows really make that much difference to your decision about what live football to watch ? If you're in a pub, it's that moment you rush to the bar, surely. If at home, companions watching often suggest the match has not started/finished and can we have some estate agent show back on ? Lord Hall's process of "compete and compare" might look at Pougatch's deal compared with Gary "Aramis" Lineker.
Adrian will be fine. He has a bit of work on 5Live. There are vacancies on The Apprentice: You're Fired, which he created; or even behind Nick Hewer, at Lord Sugar's left-handed side on the main show - Adrian has both business experience and business acumen. Agent Jon Thoday has made a bid to buy BBC3, and at worst there ought to be some continuity shifts.
Frozen out
The first half of series 2 was shown on BBC 1 in November with audiences averaging around 5m; there are seven more episodes to come, 'in Spring' we are told, in a Digital Spy exclusive.
Heaven knows what this means for The Musketeers. Meanwhile expect to see plenty of green screens on eBay along the Welsh border.
Rave on
No sign of hard hats and high vis last night at Television Centre, which we all thought was a building site. No, Mark Ronson was inside one of the TV studios (not yet broadcast ready and already late for handover back to the BBC) for the London launch of his new album, sponsored by Patron tequila.
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Friday, January 23, 2015
Where it's at ...
Fun and games continue in Davos. BBC Director of News James Harding and Mishal Husain both went to Prince Andrew's do. Harding, despite his love of presenting, maintained his Twitter omerta, but at least Mishal had a go at the story.
Earlier James hosted a session on Japan, with an all-male panel of five. I timed one of his questions at a Naughtie-esque 58 seconds. As the Japanese minister spoke, James donned headphones for the translation - maybe he's let the language slip a little.
On Wednesday, a ski instructor stormed the Newsnight set, complaining it was cold. The FT's Gillian Tett talked him down, with just a fleece and some sensible tights.
Duke of York says he feels he must refer to events of last few weeks pic.twitter.com/iQNtAIW9Td
— Mishal Husain (@MishalHusainBBC) January 22, 2015
On Wednesday, a ski instructor stormed the Newsnight set, complaining it was cold. The FT's Gillian Tett talked him down, with just a fleece and some sensible tights.
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- Elsewhere in town last night, Professor Noreena Hertz was grooving to Paloma Faith and Aloe Blacc, taking selfies with veggie chef Iam Ottolenghi, and hoping to meet up with Will I.Am and his manager Polo Molina. "Cool husband", she tweeted back to Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Zanny
It won't be often that "Minton-Beddoes" will be found trending on Twitter in London and Washington, but today the Economist found its first woman editor in 172 years, in Zanny, of that surname.
She's one of the Shropshire Minton-Beddoes (are there any others ?), with mum and dad still farming from 17th century pile, Cheney Longville Hall. Born in 1967, she went to nearby girls' public school, Moreton Hall, and thence to Oxford to study PPE at St Hilda's. (HT Henry Mance at the FT) There followed a Kennedy scholarship to Harvard, acquiring a Masters in Public Administration. Two years with the IMF, and then she joined the Economist in 1994. She moved to Washington for the magazine in 1996, and only came back full-time to the UK in August last year - five months before John Micklethwait announced he was stepping down as Editor.
Husband is another economics writer, Sebastian Mallaby, who's appeared more often as an FT columnist in recent months.
Husband is another economics writer, Sebastian Mallaby, who's appeared more often as an FT columnist in recent months.
Package delivery
The Great Pre-Christmas Sky News Experiment has reached its conclusions - and it's bad news for Burley, Murnaghan and other daytime hosts on the news channel.
Boss John Ryley has told staff that in future during daytime, there'll be more investment in providing stuff for mobile phone and tablet consumption, and less spent on traditional tv coverage. Planning will focus more on providing distinctive video produced for all platforms.
Reading between the lines, there'll be much less standing about outside somewhere where something is about to/has already happened, for endless live updates based on no new information. Probably right.
Boss John Ryley has told staff that in future during daytime, there'll be more investment in providing stuff for mobile phone and tablet consumption, and less spent on traditional tv coverage. Planning will focus more on providing distinctive video produced for all platforms.
Reading between the lines, there'll be much less standing about outside somewhere where something is about to/has already happened, for endless live updates based on no new information. Probably right.
Shots
Former BBC Trust Director Nicholas 'Kaffeine' Kroll finally claimed a billed from Kaffeine, the uber-trendy coffee shop in Great Titchfield Street, in his farewell expenses.
It came to £15.20, shared with an external contact. Even at Kaffeine's prices, this suggests either a) additional shots b) additional coffees or c) cake.
Other venues featured in Kroll entertainment claims feature Pilmour Links (which we presume is the coffee shops of a hotel in St Andrews), Illy Cafe, The Delaunay, Pret a Manger, Al Duca, The Cinnamon Club, Sardo, Union Cafe, Iberica, Il Baretto and Roux.
It came to £15.20, shared with an external contact. Even at Kaffeine's prices, this suggests either a) additional shots b) additional coffees or c) cake.
Other venues featured in Kroll entertainment claims feature Pilmour Links (which we presume is the coffee shops of a hotel in St Andrews), Illy Cafe, The Delaunay, Pret a Manger, Al Duca, The Cinnamon Club, Sardo, Union Cafe, Iberica, Il Baretto and Roux.
- Trustees spent a total of £6,382.23 entertaining guests at the Proms. Alison Hastings once again made it to Radio 1's Big Weekend, this time in Glasgow.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Personal space
BBC staff are feeling the squeeze at work. A report on Auntie's properties around the UK says the area occupied per person, excluding specialist spaces like studios, edit suites, etc fell to 12 square metres in March 2013, compared with 14.8 square metres five years earlier. You've all lost the equivalent of a standard size disabled toilet.
Meanwhile, surprise surprise, Broadcasting House is the BBC's most expensive building, to build, and run. It does, after all, produce three 24-hour tv channels, at least seven full radio stations, and supports tv, radio and online services in 27 languages. And manages to stay on air most of the time.
The National Audit Office likes to see buildings full. So, if you're a member of staff worried about further moves to disperse you around the country, take a look at the opportunities here. Click to go large.
Meanwhile, surprise surprise, Broadcasting House is the BBC's most expensive building, to build, and run. It does, after all, produce three 24-hour tv channels, at least seven full radio stations, and supports tv, radio and online services in 27 languages. And manages to stay on air most of the time.
The National Audit Office likes to see buildings full. So, if you're a member of staff worried about further moves to disperse you around the country, take a look at the opportunities here. Click to go large.
Eleven times table
The BBC appears to be having some trouble counting the number of its staff working at Band 11, the top pay grade below "Senior Management" and doing some basic maths on their salaries.
An FOI request for the figures up to June last year was lodged by the indefatigable Spencer Count (say it out loud) on the 5th October 2014. On 12 December, the BBC replied that it was still working on a reply, adding "By way of update, we hope to be in a position to provide a response to you early next week."
After further prodding from Spencer, the BBC wrote on 12 January, "By way of update, we hope to provide you with a response before close of business on the 16 January 2015." There is no sign of a response at time of blogging.
In 2010 there were 638 staff on Band 11. The average salary was £72,634, and 381 were paid more than the official roof of the grade.
In 2013 there were 734 staff on Band 11. The average salary was £78,214, and 456 were paid more than the roof of the grade. The roof of the grade is clearly now meaningless, at £73,883 in London.
An FOI request for the figures up to June last year was lodged by the indefatigable Spencer Count (say it out loud) on the 5th October 2014. On 12 December, the BBC replied that it was still working on a reply, adding "By way of update, we hope to be in a position to provide a response to you early next week."
After further prodding from Spencer, the BBC wrote on 12 January, "By way of update, we hope to provide you with a response before close of business on the 16 January 2015." There is no sign of a response at time of blogging.
In 2010 there were 638 staff on Band 11. The average salary was £72,634, and 381 were paid more than the official roof of the grade.
In 2013 there were 734 staff on Band 11. The average salary was £78,214, and 456 were paid more than the roof of the grade. The roof of the grade is clearly now meaningless, at £73,883 in London.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Labelling
Perhaps a rather nuanced point for a big editorial meeting, but does anyone else feel a tad queasy that the murderous activities of Boko Haram have been graced with a corporate logo by BBC News - a nice clean branding better than anything these thugs could create ?
Conclave
Delighted to see that the main BBC News editorial meeting is as unwieldy as ever. It was broadcast live this morning, as part of 'Democracy Day'. Only current insiders will know if the cameras meant slightly better-ironed shirts than usual, and a few more status-seekers turning up than on an ordinary weekday at 9am. Some were even peering through the glass walls of the conference room.
The discussion was light on point-scoring and willy-waving (can I say that ?), though I detected a slight nudge at the Ten on BBC1, who only found 28 seconds for the death of Corrie star Anne Kirkbride; James Harding was keen for more today.
Paid listener
The BBC Monitoring Service was set up in 1939, as a listening post to radio services around the world, recording, transcribing, translating and analysing bulletins in search of intelligence. It was first based at Wood Norton in Evesham, before moving to Caversham Park, near Reading, in 1943.
Now simply called BBC Monitoring, it still performs much the same function - though there are more sources, online, tv etc to check, and it has to make money by selling its intelligence.
Much as I do. Thus, by monitoring a range of wireless sources, I'm saying one Lucio Mesquita is odds-on to be next boss of the Caversham operation. Lucio, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Casper Libero College, Sao Paulo, joined the BBC World Service in London in 1995, rising to be head of the Americas section under Mark Byford. He's currently head of regional and local programming in the West - of the UK, that is.
Lucio could lead by example, by shifts listening to Portguese services, and claims some Spanish and French.
Now simply called BBC Monitoring, it still performs much the same function - though there are more sources, online, tv etc to check, and it has to make money by selling its intelligence.
Much as I do. Thus, by monitoring a range of wireless sources, I'm saying one Lucio Mesquita is odds-on to be next boss of the Caversham operation. Lucio, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Casper Libero College, Sao Paulo, joined the BBC World Service in London in 1995, rising to be head of the Americas section under Mark Byford. He's currently head of regional and local programming in the West - of the UK, that is.
Lucio could lead by example, by shifts listening to Portguese services, and claims some Spanish and French.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Seaside special
Congratulations to Sioned Wiliam, who's just emerged as comedy commissioner for Radio 4 and 4 Extra, picking up part of the responsibilities of the departing Caroline Raphael.
Sioned has served her time as supplier - joining radio light entertainment as a producer in 1988, and working on the old Radio 4 warhorse Weekending, as well as Coogan/Partridge vehicle Knowing Me Knowing You. She also gained an executive producer credit on Dirk Gently, Douglas Adam's Holistic Detective. In tv, she worked on the Jonathan Ross chat show when it ran three days a week on Channel 4, and was an associate producer on Drop the Dead Donkey.
She's from Barry, and goes back often. Her 2013 novel, Dal i Fynd, is self-evidently in Welsh, but she has lived in London for 25 years; partner is comedy writer Ian Brown. Sioned has recently been reviewing tv shows on BBC London with Gaby Roslin.
Will she order 4 Extra re-runs of Girls Will Be Girls, where she shared top billing with Rebecca Front for two short series in 1989 and 1991, the first produced by Paul Spencer and the second by Oxford Revue chum Armando Ianucci ?
Sioned has served her time as supplier - joining radio light entertainment as a producer in 1988, and working on the old Radio 4 warhorse Weekending, as well as Coogan/Partridge vehicle Knowing Me Knowing You. She also gained an executive producer credit on Dirk Gently, Douglas Adam's Holistic Detective. In tv, she worked on the Jonathan Ross chat show when it ran three days a week on Channel 4, and was an associate producer on Drop the Dead Donkey.
She's from Barry, and goes back often. Her 2013 novel, Dal i Fynd, is self-evidently in Welsh, but she has lived in London for 25 years; partner is comedy writer Ian Brown. Sioned has recently been reviewing tv shows on BBC London with Gaby Roslin.
Will she order 4 Extra re-runs of Girls Will Be Girls, where she shared top billing with Rebecca Front for two short series in 1989 and 1991, the first produced by Paul Spencer and the second by Oxford Revue chum Armando Ianucci ?
Hyper
An exciting week ahead in my narrow little world. On Wednesday the National Audit Office publishes a review of BBC property strategy (they've got another, on BBC cuts, on the stocks).
And towards the end of the week, expect more revelations about BBC over-the-odds redundancy deals (pre the Lord Hall £150k cap) from The Times, after the ICO ruled against Auntie keeping the individual figures schtum.
And towards the end of the week, expect more revelations about BBC over-the-odds redundancy deals (pre the Lord Hall £150k cap) from The Times, after the ICO ruled against Auntie keeping the individual figures schtum.
Freedom fighters
In the new BBC world of "Compete or Compare", it's tempting to compare the comedy series W1A with real corporation life, as evidenced in today's Guardian interview with Natalie Humphreys and Mark Freeland, prime movers behind the plan to take BBC tv production to a new, commercial environment.
Without apparent irony, Natalie tells John Plunkett that the BBC has secured the services of 88-year-old David Attenborough for a new natural history series. “We are taking him to secret locations somewhere in the world. It’s uber-landmark. Mega.”
Mark has previously tweeted "It's time the Ferrari left the farmyard".
2,000 farm hands should read the article in full; it's light on facts and high on 'freedom'. Natalie sums up why: "It’s that phrase, ‘in-house’. It doesn’t sound very sexy, like being an inmate. It’s not a prison, but if you are a programme maker there is something lovely about the idea of taking all that brilliance and setting it free and allowing it to serve more people.” Just like OB's, costumes, and Studios and Post-Production.
Without apparent irony, Natalie tells John Plunkett that the BBC has secured the services of 88-year-old David Attenborough for a new natural history series. “We are taking him to secret locations somewhere in the world. It’s uber-landmark. Mega.”
Mark has previously tweeted "It's time the Ferrari left the farmyard".
2,000 farm hands should read the article in full; it's light on facts and high on 'freedom'. Natalie sums up why: "It’s that phrase, ‘in-house’. It doesn’t sound very sexy, like being an inmate. It’s not a prison, but if you are a programme maker there is something lovely about the idea of taking all that brilliance and setting it free and allowing it to serve more people.” Just like OB's, costumes, and Studios and Post-Production.
Thtar performanth
Two men-of-the-match in yesterday's Man City/Arsenal clash. One Santi Cazorla. The other, Tha-nti Ca-thorla, whose efforts were highlighted by language specialist and commentator Jonathan Pearce. Viewers may have also been surprised to see that Day-mi-chay-lis was on for Martin Demichelis.
D-d-d-drama
A nice cold day for filming the next Sherlock special, with the production team based in the Victorian gothic revival pile that is Tyntesfield, Bristol.
This one seems to be playing games with modern day computers, night-filming and Victorian costumes. Today they've called for extras with their own police uniforms and high-vis jackets - commendable attention to value for money, eh, DG ?
This one seems to be playing games with modern day computers, night-filming and Victorian costumes. Today they've called for extras with their own police uniforms and high-vis jackets - commendable attention to value for money, eh, DG ?
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Snow job
Who's doing Davos this year ? So far declared from the BBC - Robert Peston, Linda Yueh and Evan Davies will be on our screens. Director of News James Harding takes a break from negotiating job cuts to demonstrate his Renaissance Man capabilities, moderating a session on Japan.
Top people you couldn't possible interview anywhere else include Prince Andrew, Martin Sorrell, Will I. Am, Peter 'Brian Pern' Gabriel, Al Gore, Pharrell, Tony Blair, Andrea Bocelli and George Osborne.
There are plenty of sessions on 'mindfulness', beloved of Lady Patten.
The whole shebang is January's lead advertising opportunity for BBC World and bbc.com.
Top people you couldn't possible interview anywhere else include Prince Andrew, Martin Sorrell, Will I. Am, Peter 'Brian Pern' Gabriel, Al Gore, Pharrell, Tony Blair, Andrea Bocelli and George Osborne.
There are plenty of sessions on 'mindfulness', beloved of Lady Patten.
The whole shebang is January's lead advertising opportunity for BBC World and bbc.com.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Only the dead do not return
The Musketeers dipped to an audience of 3.39m on BBC1 last night, down from 3.64m for each of the first two episodes of this series. It was the network's lowest performing show in peak-time. Respite arrives next week - it takes a break from the schedules for the FA Cup tie between Cambridge United and Manchester United.
The French now have access to a dubbed version of Series 1, through the TMC Channel. Trails still carry the logo "Original British Drama".
The French now have access to a dubbed version of Series 1, through the TMC Channel. Trails still carry the logo "Original British Drama".
Wilful
If you'd like to get inside the mind of the Top Gear production team, I recommend this Broadcast interview with programme boss Andy Wilman (Little to Clarkson's Large, in multiple senses).
He'd like a little less telling off from the BBC, but says that the Editorial Policy team are 'brilliant', particularly David (Jordan ?) and Sue (Pennington ?). He says the use of the word 'slope' was his fault, but he's been warned and sent on a course 'about something or other'. I should warn you that it contains strong language. (I did that without going on a course).
He'd like a little less telling off from the BBC, but says that the Editorial Policy team are 'brilliant', particularly David (Jordan ?) and Sue (Pennington ?). He says the use of the word 'slope' was his fault, but he's been warned and sent on a course 'about something or other'. I should warn you that it contains strong language. (I did that without going on a course).
How news and politics works
Two established political hands at play. Lord Patten was a guest on R4's Week In Westminster, transmitted at 1100am Saturday. Freed from the constraints of his role as BBC Trust Chair, he offered campaigning advice to the man who got him that job, David Cameron.
On leader debates, he said he would never have advised taking part in the first place, and now they're hard to get out of. On Cameron's rivals: "I wouldn't be worried about the Farage factor; I'd be much more worried about the platform it gives Ed Miliband."
The host of this pre-recorded programme, the FT's George Parker, manages to get the story in Saturday's print edition, Nine hours later, it's picked up by BBC News.
On leader debates, he said he would never have advised taking part in the first place, and now they're hard to get out of. On Cameron's rivals: "I wouldn't be worried about the Farage factor; I'd be much more worried about the platform it gives Ed Miliband."
The host of this pre-recorded programme, the FT's George Parker, manages to get the story in Saturday's print edition, Nine hours later, it's picked up by BBC News.
Same old story
The news that John Craven, at 74, has got a role hosting a new BBC2 game show, has, unsurprisingly irritated Miriam O'Reilly.
There may be others. The new programme is called Beat The Brain. Awfully close to a popular section of the Radio 4 quiz Brain of Britain, which is called Beat The Brains, where listeners' questions are put to the contestants. If they fail to answer both or either of them correctly, they win a £20 book token.
One suspects Beat The Brain is on a bigger scale. It's being made by Objective Productions, who bring you The Cube on ITV. They are looking for "fun and confident teams of four, who have what it takes to face fiendish puzzles, challenging mind games and devilish logic problems that will test their mental capabilities to the limit - all with the hope of winning a cash prize." You have til February 13 to apply.
There may be others. The new programme is called Beat The Brain. Awfully close to a popular section of the Radio 4 quiz Brain of Britain, which is called Beat The Brains, where listeners' questions are put to the contestants. If they fail to answer both or either of them correctly, they win a £20 book token.
One suspects Beat The Brain is on a bigger scale. It's being made by Objective Productions, who bring you The Cube on ITV. They are looking for "fun and confident teams of four, who have what it takes to face fiendish puzzles, challenging mind games and devilish logic problems that will test their mental capabilities to the limit - all with the hope of winning a cash prize." You have til February 13 to apply.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Free ad
Just ten days left to apply for three vacancies at the BBC Trust, after previous candidates were apparently found wanting, with the old bean constructed more for ornament than use, as Bertie Wooster put it. As well as the ability to talk, eat and dress yourself, you will need "significant
knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas: broadcasting and communications industries; digital/new media; consumer advocacy and/or research; economics and competition policy; governance of large-scale, complex organisations; commercial sectors.
For the position of Vice Chair we would expect candidates to have proven outstanding leadership skills to be able to deputise for the Chairman, if required, across the full range of the Trust’s responsibilities.
For the Trustee vacancies, it is essential that one of the vacancies is filled by someone with knowledge of and/or experience of editorial issues.
A member of the Trust will be appointed as Trustee for England following this competition...It is therefore desirable that one of the appointed Trust members has the ability to chair the Audience Council and a willingness to undertake the audience engagement activity associated with the role.
Crikey, if I don't have a few regular readers who might front up for this lot, I shall be very disappointed.
For the position of Vice Chair we would expect candidates to have proven outstanding leadership skills to be able to deputise for the Chairman, if required, across the full range of the Trust’s responsibilities.
For the Trustee vacancies, it is essential that one of the vacancies is filled by someone with knowledge of and/or experience of editorial issues.
A member of the Trust will be appointed as Trustee for England following this competition...It is therefore desirable that one of the appointed Trust members has the ability to chair the Audience Council and a willingness to undertake the audience engagement activity associated with the role.
Crikey, if I don't have a few regular readers who might front up for this lot, I shall be very disappointed.
Up and down the M1
There have been several reverse ferrets in the life of the BBC Asian Network. In terms of "home", it started life as a network rather than a station - joining together bits of Asian broadcasting across BBC local radio. In 1998, it moved to DAB, under the patronage of Jenny Abramsky, and invested in its own soap opera, an enhanced news team, and, eventually, new studios and offices in Leicester. From 2007, though, there was a drift of programme-making to London and Birmingham.
Then, in 2010, the Asian Network was threatened with the same axe that hovered over the neck of 6Music. Both survived - but the Asian Network ended up with a very much reduced budget. The news teams were centred in London, and the schedule featured more music.
Today we learn that the early evening weekday show, hosted by Bobby Friction, is moving from Birmingham to London in April, to join the Nihal phone-in and news teams; there are hints of more announcements on Monday. The BBC, under pressure to "fill up" the Birmingham production centre known at the Mailbox, says it will remain a 'key production base for output' - 'the biggest base' for Asian Network staff.
Meanwhile there'll be a flurry of induction courses for new staff arriving at the Mailbox over the next year. 200 posts from London are on the move, including Academy (training) staff, the core of HR and Internal Comms, property staff, the trainee and apprentice schemes, and outreach work. Guesses are that over 60% of staff currently in those posts have politely declined the opportunity, and taken the redundancy package.
The new cadre can expect to be greeted by Joe Godwin, who, it turns out, is to be Head of Birmingham as well as Director of the Academy. This frees Tommy Nagra to return to Manchester.
Then, in 2010, the Asian Network was threatened with the same axe that hovered over the neck of 6Music. Both survived - but the Asian Network ended up with a very much reduced budget. The news teams were centred in London, and the schedule featured more music.
Today we learn that the early evening weekday show, hosted by Bobby Friction, is moving from Birmingham to London in April, to join the Nihal phone-in and news teams; there are hints of more announcements on Monday. The BBC, under pressure to "fill up" the Birmingham production centre known at the Mailbox, says it will remain a 'key production base for output' - 'the biggest base' for Asian Network staff.
Meanwhile there'll be a flurry of induction courses for new staff arriving at the Mailbox over the next year. 200 posts from London are on the move, including Academy (training) staff, the core of HR and Internal Comms, property staff, the trainee and apprentice schemes, and outreach work. Guesses are that over 60% of staff currently in those posts have politely declined the opportunity, and taken the redundancy package.
The new cadre can expect to be greeted by Joe Godwin, who, it turns out, is to be Head of Birmingham as well as Director of the Academy. This frees Tommy Nagra to return to Manchester.
Point scoring
The Oxford Media Convention, set up by the IPPR, has firmed up its 2015 agenda - and it's slightly underwhelming. Mark Thompson, formerly of the BBC, now with the New York Times, has turned down their kind invitation to present a keynote speech - instead we get Stephen "Dapper" Dunbar-Johnson, President of the International New York Times, formerly FT ad sales man, based in Paris.
The event opens with Ed Vaizey, of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. There's no indication he'll be staying for the afternoon panel discussion, "What is the point of the DCMS ?".
The event opens with Ed Vaizey, of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. There's no indication he'll be staying for the afternoon panel discussion, "What is the point of the DCMS ?".
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Un-European Activities Committee
If you've got 90 minutes to kill, try yesterday's European Scrutiny Select Committee session, with Rona Fairhead and Richard Ayre of the BBC Trust.
The loony gavotte between Bill Cash and his henchmen and the BBC over bending to the will of Parliament continued. Lord Patten first refused to attend, and then was saved from the ordeal by ill-health. Rona and Richard turned up, bearing news that the Director General Lord Hall would not - and might, if pushed, make the Committee issue a warrant. Richard Ayre explained that the DG was mindful that saying yes to all Select Committee invitations laid BBC editorial decision-making open to relentless questioning on the rights and wrongs of editorial decisions by MPs - and this was, after all, an election year.
Starey-eyed Jacob Rees-Mogg and James Clappison licked their lips at the thought of the Serjeant-at-Arms breaking into W1A and dragging Tone out. The rest of the committee read out questions written by Bill C, who had lost his voice. The MPs said they had important further questions to ask, and the BBC was using sophistry to place itself above accountability.
Then fellow committee member Michael Connarty revealed what sort of important further questions he had on his mind for Auntie - how Top Gear was misinforming the electorate, how humanism wasn't getting a fair hearing, and why the BBC had failed to report the Committee's self-evidently important report last November.
Rona and Richard tried a little light deflection - BBC Parliament was reaching record audiences, BBC News had monstered the story of the European arrest warrants, BBC News had a Europe Editor (not Gavin Esler, but Gavin Hewitt, Richard) and, spookily handily, there was a report on the previous night's Ten O'Clock tv bulletin (not "News at Ten", Rona) on an EU change on GM crops.
Eventually the Cash Kraken awoke - spool to 15.54.35. It was indeed the failure to mention the Committee's very important report that had him spitting blood from his damaged larynx. This failure was a self-evident breach of the Charter, and somebody must be punished. In future, all news items and their contributors were to be vetted by Bill and the Committee for appropriate European impartiality.
If I were Tony, a short spell in prison would be preferable.
Risk assessment
Yesterday was a day of song and dance, risks, and assurances for BBC Director General Tony Hall. In the morning, a pretty average year's assembly of music and dance programmes was dragged together and squeezed uncomfortably into one of the "themed seasons" now pervading the BBC's
output. Thus a programme on popular music in the Deep South from comic Reginald D Hunter is put together with a "working title" half-baked idea from Radio 3 called Classical Voice Season, and lo, we will get battered with new glitzy graphics and trailed to death over the year ahead. I'm marginally surprised the elastic didn't quite stretch to The Voice and Strictly.
At lunchtime the DG addressed staff on the challenges of the year ahead. He told them Auntie was entering a "high risk" period up to Charter Renewal, which could see it "cut down" and "stuck in an analogue cul-de-sac". The BBC may lose the "freedom to reinvent itself" if the year ahead does not go to plan, he said, urging employees to speak up for the corporation "against those who would bring it down". All a bit scary - however, he soon returned to the Bumper Book of Leadership Speeches: "Our confidence will never be arrogance, our pride will never be complacency, our determination will never be defensiveness...I am confident that at the end of the process we will emerge stronger, re-energised and with our best days ahead of us".
House organ Ariel decided to lead with another assurance. At least, it looks like one. "Hall: Production will not be privatised". "We're not a commissioner broadcaster, we're a creator". BBC production's future, he said, was "not one which is being diminished and never one that is being privatised".
This may puzzle some, and perhaps even Anna Mallett, who's leading Project Green, aimed at nestling some or all of BBC Production in Tim Davie's Worldwide, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, chaired by Tony Hall. There'll probably be some conflation with loss-making BBC Studios and Post Production.
It's hard to imagine what sort of rationale will be used to decide who goes, or who stays. Already, the Nations, Regions and Television are very confused - is it to be based on likely profitability, current failure/success in winning commissions, or cost-of-production comparisons ? Or is it to be intellectual - shiny floor stuff, quizzes, "premium drama", low-cost daytime go; culture, childrens and such stay ? And crucially, will production costs fall or rise ? What happens to "compete and compare", say, when Eastenders has to pay a real commercial rent for Elstree, and fully include it in their rates ?
On "premium drama", would the BBC of the last century have made Intruders, Ripper Street, Atlantis, Musketeers, Orphan Black ? Will the BBC of the current century continue to "buy" them from Worldwide ? If, say, Fox offers more, does Worldwide sell to them ? And will Mallett's proposals, due with the Executive by the end of the month, and with the Trust by March, answer the questions ?
One advantage seen by the scheme's proponents is the ability to pay "talent" more, with less scrutiny than fully within Auntie. BBC Worldwide only discloses the salary of two executives; dividing the salary bill by number of employees in the last full year produces an average of over £67k. Soon BBC Worldwide moves from White City to the refurbished Stage 6 of Television Centre. Hacks who used to inhabit the space won't recognise it. Worldwide's second house move in less than a decade, and its costs, might take some of the scrutiny away from Broadcasting House.
At lunchtime the DG addressed staff on the challenges of the year ahead. He told them Auntie was entering a "high risk" period up to Charter Renewal, which could see it "cut down" and "stuck in an analogue cul-de-sac". The BBC may lose the "freedom to reinvent itself" if the year ahead does not go to plan, he said, urging employees to speak up for the corporation "against those who would bring it down". All a bit scary - however, he soon returned to the Bumper Book of Leadership Speeches: "Our confidence will never be arrogance, our pride will never be complacency, our determination will never be defensiveness...I am confident that at the end of the process we will emerge stronger, re-energised and with our best days ahead of us".
House organ Ariel decided to lead with another assurance. At least, it looks like one. "Hall: Production will not be privatised". "We're not a commissioner broadcaster, we're a creator". BBC production's future, he said, was "not one which is being diminished and never one that is being privatised".
This may puzzle some, and perhaps even Anna Mallett, who's leading Project Green, aimed at nestling some or all of BBC Production in Tim Davie's Worldwide, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, chaired by Tony Hall. There'll probably be some conflation with loss-making BBC Studios and Post Production.
It's hard to imagine what sort of rationale will be used to decide who goes, or who stays. Already, the Nations, Regions and Television are very confused - is it to be based on likely profitability, current failure/success in winning commissions, or cost-of-production comparisons ? Or is it to be intellectual - shiny floor stuff, quizzes, "premium drama", low-cost daytime go; culture, childrens and such stay ? And crucially, will production costs fall or rise ? What happens to "compete and compare", say, when Eastenders has to pay a real commercial rent for Elstree, and fully include it in their rates ?
On "premium drama", would the BBC of the last century have made Intruders, Ripper Street, Atlantis, Musketeers, Orphan Black ? Will the BBC of the current century continue to "buy" them from Worldwide ? If, say, Fox offers more, does Worldwide sell to them ? And will Mallett's proposals, due with the Executive by the end of the month, and with the Trust by March, answer the questions ?
One advantage seen by the scheme's proponents is the ability to pay "talent" more, with less scrutiny than fully within Auntie. BBC Worldwide only discloses the salary of two executives; dividing the salary bill by number of employees in the last full year produces an average of over £67k. Soon BBC Worldwide moves from White City to the refurbished Stage 6 of Television Centre. Hacks who used to inhabit the space won't recognise it. Worldwide's second house move in less than a decade, and its costs, might take some of the scrutiny away from Broadcasting House.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Wonder no more
The Magic of Julia Bradbury only improved last night's audience for The Wonder of Britain a tad last night, and not enough to save its primetime slot. 1.8m watched at 9pm in ITV, up from 1.7m last week. But episodes 3 to 5 of the series are nowhere to be seen in ITV's forthcoming schedules.
- Catching up on the start of the week, Panorama opened its 2015 season with an old face: reporter John Ware took voluntary redundancy from the BBC in 2012, but was back with a piece on British Muslims, wrapped with a trip to Paris, in a programme made by Films of Record, run by Roger Graef and Neil Grant. The audience - 2.95m and a 12.5% share - was up on the 2.37m 2104 average. John's daughter is popular music artiste Jessie Ware, Her second album, Tough Love, has won rave reviews, she featured in the latest BandAid recording and she's about to tour America. The video for her current single "You & I" features family and friends, but not John, who separated from Jessie's mum when she was ten. Nonetheless, she's proud to say ‘My eyebrows and my furrowed brow come from my dad.'
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Barnaby
So farewell Barney Jones - editor of BBC Breakfast with Frost for 12 years, and editor of The Andrew Marr Show for 9 years. Be-suited Barney could often be seen on camera welcoming
ministers to Television Centre or Broadcasting House - unless they were the Prime Minister, when Bigger Suits often appeared, but not always - see left. These shots featured in cutaways on news bulletin pieces for the rest of Sunday - almost a vt editor tradition.
Barney (Christ's Hospital and Swansea) had a leaving do with music from Nick Lowe, who's featured in the Marr tail-end music spot.
You might think that incoming editor Rob Burley (? and Nottingham), younger than Barney by 20-odd years, will be looking to a new generation of musicians - but you might be wrong. In Rob's CV is a biography
of easy-listening icon Eva Cassidy, co-written with Jonathan Maitland.
Barney (Christ's Hospital and Swansea) had a leaving do with music from Nick Lowe, who's featured in the Marr tail-end music spot.
You might think that incoming editor Rob Burley (? and Nottingham), younger than Barney by 20-odd years, will be looking to a new generation of musicians - but you might be wrong. In Rob's CV is a biography
of easy-listening icon Eva Cassidy, co-written with Jonathan Maitland.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Colours
This morning's Today programme discussion, on election leader debates, did not really signpost the political leanings of the participants. Former BBC chairman Lord Grade is now, at David Cameron's invitation, a Tory peer; has described Dave as the "perfect Prime Minister"; and is not averse to appearances at £50-a-head party fundraisers. His final position - only televised debates between Cameron and Miliband really matter.
His fellow panellist was Roger Mosey, the BBC's first and last (currently) Editorial Director, now Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge. Roger felt sure the Greens "should be in the mix somewhere", as they are polling at the same levels as the Libdems.
His fellow panellist was Roger Mosey, the BBC's first and last (currently) Editorial Director, now Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge. Roger felt sure the Greens "should be in the mix somewhere", as they are polling at the same levels as the Libdems.
In the @Selwyn1882 gardens today: still plenty of green. Ann's Court just visible through the trees. Via @ARFlather pic.twitter.com/aWNF2nIsla
— Roger Mosey (@rogermosey) November 20, 2014
Beautiful mix today of green and autumnal russet in the @Selwyn1882 Virginia Creeper. #Cambridge pic.twitter.com/vQyD0Z2kvc
— Roger Mosey (@rogermosey) September 22, 2014
Starting over
It looks like the BBC decision to move the Children In Need operation to Salford Quays has been as successful in retaining the skills of existing staff as the move of HR and training to Birmingham. No fewer than six middle management jobs with CiN are currently available on the external BBC recruitment website.
Edgy
Insiders with an eye for visual standards have sneaked me lift lobby pictures from the BBC's W1A headquarters. The giant numbers appear to have been tarted up, perhaps for filming the next series of the mockumentary, but the masking tape skills of the painters are, frankly, flaky.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
World weary
In the topsy-turvy world of BBC international journalism, there are entertaining times ahead, as Auntie drives towards Lord Hall's target of 500m consumers.
The production teams for BBC World News, bringing tv news to the globe, are being asked to make cuts of close to £1m for the next financial year.This figure nearly matches the additional spending at HQ incurred in the last financial year - Global News Limited hired 30 extra staff, and paid its board members 16% more than the previous year. 1600 Monday correction: The bigger HQ budget for Global News HQ in 2012/13 was largely because of the merger of the management teams of bbc.com and BBC World.
Nonetheless, the unions will still seek information on what sort of cuts GNL HQ is facing in 2015/6, as output teams contract in search of the balance of quality deemed appropiate to increase the audience.
The production teams for BBC World News, bringing tv news to the globe, are being asked to make cuts of close to £1m for the next financial year.
Nonetheless, the unions will still seek information on what sort of cuts GNL HQ is facing in 2015/6, as output teams contract in search of the balance of quality deemed appropiate to increase the audience.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
On yer bikes
And lo, the new-kids-on-the-leadership-debate-block have invited The Greens to join their online contribution to the election, poo-poohing the "rules" of the BBC and Ofcom.
The consortium, of The Guardian, Telegraph and YouTube (Google), is proposing what it calls a Digital Debate, to be held around the end of March, when Parliament is dissolved.
Entertainingly, David Cameron is now saying he won't take part in debates unless the Greens are invited. This looks set to be a mildly entertaining slow bicycle race....
The consortium, of The Guardian, Telegraph and YouTube (Google), is proposing what it calls a Digital Debate, to be held around the end of March, when Parliament is dissolved.
Entertainingly, David Cameron is now saying he won't take part in debates unless the Greens are invited. This looks set to be a mildly entertaining slow bicycle race....
Friday, January 9, 2015
Weathered
The BBC has "approximately" 35 weather presenters; this looks like a low estimate, as the figure "does not include part time, freelancers or those staff
who are covering other areas (e.g. news) but occasionally also cover weather."
Lay off
If the BBC's decision to put a chopper up for the search of Sir Cliff Richard's flat was iffy, and the decision to use aerial pictures through windows of plod going through drawers etc was dodgy, the decision to enter the whole caboodle for a Royal Television Society gong produces one certainty - it won't win.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Narrow thinking
I find it enormously depressing that unelected Ofcom and BBC functionaries are left to make rules about democratic debate in this country. And that both sets of rules currently exclude The Green Party from leaders debates - as they poll at around 6%.
Perhaps one of the debate organisers might try to open theirs up....
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Non-collegiate
The new Principal of King's College London, Anglo-Aussie Ed Byrne, will have to use all the understanding of a neuro-scientist and the persuasion of a poet if he's to get his organisational rebranding through.
He wants to drop "College" from everyday use, saying "King's London" will be the 'promotional name' in future, though degrees and legal documents will still carry the full title. The furore following his announcement, on December 16, is so far unabated, and Ed has offered two 'fora' (quaint, eh ?) to staff and students next Tuesday, to let off steam.
Looking back on his video message on arrival in August, he was already eschewing 'college' then Indeed he prefers to think of his new home as a stand-alone unversity, with himself as Vice-Chancellor.
Let's hope things don't go too badly for Ed next week. There was a fiery start to King's College. The Duke of Wellington chaired the public meeting which launched King's in June 1828. Early in 1829 the Earl of Winchilsea publicly challenged Wellington about his simultaneous support for the Anglican King's College and the Roman Catholic Relief Act. The result was a duel in Battersea Fields on 21 March. Shots were fired but no-one was hurt. There are fuller contemporary reports from the Sussex Advertiser and the Huntingdon, Bedford and Peterborough Gazette in the British Library's newspaper archive.
He wants to drop "College" from everyday use, saying "King's London" will be the 'promotional name' in future, though degrees and legal documents will still carry the full title. The furore following his announcement, on December 16, is so far unabated, and Ed has offered two 'fora' (quaint, eh ?) to staff and students next Tuesday, to let off steam.
Looking back on his video message on arrival in August, he was already eschewing 'college' then Indeed he prefers to think of his new home as a stand-alone unversity, with himself as Vice-Chancellor.
Let's hope things don't go too badly for Ed next week. There was a fiery start to King's College. The Duke of Wellington chaired the public meeting which launched King's in June 1828. Early in 1829 the Earl of Winchilsea publicly challenged Wellington about his simultaneous support for the Anglican King's College and the Roman Catholic Relief Act. The result was a duel in Battersea Fields on 21 March. Shots were fired but no-one was hurt. There are fuller contemporary reports from the Sussex Advertiser and the Huntingdon, Bedford and Peterborough Gazette in the British Library's newspaper archive.
Two more scoops
The BBC has been given an exclusive look at a new kind of battery charger that can recharge a modern smartphone in less time than it takes to boil a kettle. The technology has been developed by Israeli start-up Storedot. The company's chief executive, Doron Myersdorf, showed the BBC's Leo Kelion how a smartphone could be recharged from being nearly out-of-juice to full capacity in a short space of time.
Just extraordinary: an exhibitor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas demonstrates his new gizmo to the BBC and then disappears from the sight of all other journalists....
Recovery teams looking for bodies and wreckage from the AirAsia flight that crashed last week say they may have spotted what could be the tail section of the plane, where the crucial "black box" flight recorders are located... The BBC's Kiki Siregar has had exclusive access to a Russian search plane.
Those naughty Russians wouldn't want anything in the world's media that might show them in a good light, but the BBC made them see sense.
Just extraordinary: an exhibitor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas demonstrates his new gizmo to the BBC and then disappears from the sight of all other journalists....
Recovery teams looking for bodies and wreckage from the AirAsia flight that crashed last week say they may have spotted what could be the tail section of the plane, where the crucial "black box" flight recorders are located... The BBC's Kiki Siregar has had exclusive access to a Russian search plane.
Those naughty Russians wouldn't want anything in the world's media that might show them in a good light, but the BBC made them see sense.
Media no-show
Steve Hewlett abdicates for BBC's royal documentary inquest http://t.co/vQbXGtmwUO... all true!My loyal weekend readers would have been ahead of the game on this one...
— Steve Hewlett (@steve_hewlett) January 7, 2015
Reunited
Former BBC HR boss Lucy Adams has been joined by former BBC HR executive Karen Moran at her new berth, Firehouse.
Karen also worked with Lucy when she was at posh lawyers, Eversheds, and ran a lay-off-Lucy campaign in Ms Adams's darker days with Auntie.
Meanwhile Lucy continues to re-evaluate what happened in her time supported by the licence-fee and what she's learned, this time in a blog about communications on the business networking site Linkedin. She reveals there were times of crisis when she had to play "hunt the executive", and commends displays of frailty from bosses who want to prove their authenticity.
Necked
The Magic of Julia Bradbury doesn't seem to have worked for The Wonder of Britain, ITV's new five-part history/countryside conflation. Against BBC warhorse Silent Witness at 9pm last night, it only attracted 1.7m viewers - 7.6% of the available audience.
Also distracting ITV viewers was the BBC2/Plum Pictures documentary, Inside [Richard Branson's] Necker Island, which seems to have been commissioned as part of the Science and Natural History genre, but clearly was meant to titillate. It ended up with 2.8m viewers, 12.4% share.
Inside Necker Island was described as "an ogling, panting documentary" by the Mail's TV critic, Christopher Stevens. Which is rich.
Also distracting ITV viewers was the BBC2/Plum Pictures documentary, Inside [Richard Branson's] Necker Island, which seems to have been commissioned as part of the Science and Natural History genre, but clearly was meant to titillate. It ended up with 2.8m viewers, 12.4% share.
Inside Necker Island was described as "an ogling, panting documentary" by the Mail's TV critic, Christopher Stevens. Which is rich.
Webb master
It's not the first time the BBC has turned to a business brain to fill a slot normally assigned to someone recognised as a "creative leader". Alice Webb, according to Auntie's house organ Ariel, has no programme-making or editorial experience, yet has won through interviews to become the new Director of Children's - both output and production.
Alice joined from PA Consulting ten years ago, and is currently Chief Operating Officer, England (formerly North) for Peter Salmon. She has a degree in civil and mechanical engineering from Liverpool, three kids and a home somewhere in striking distance of Salford Quays. This is still more than can be said for Peter Salmon, or indeed for a former Director of Children's with a business background, Richard Deverell, now trying to balance the books at Kew.
Tim Davie is cited as one business type who took on creative leadership - running the Radio division for four years, from a background starting as a Procter & Gamble trainee. Some woukld argue that John Birt was more a self-trained management consultant than a creative leader in his time at the BBC - indeed, he went on to work for McKinsey after he left.
As a COO, Alice will know all about salary setting. She's currently on £189,600. Her predecessor at Children's, Joe Godwin, had risen to £169,400 after 28 years with the BBC. Let's see where Alice's package ends up. And, if Children's production goes to the new super-indie, how that will be reflected in her salary.
Alice joined from PA Consulting ten years ago, and is currently Chief Operating Officer, England (formerly North) for Peter Salmon. She has a degree in civil and mechanical engineering from Liverpool, three kids and a home somewhere in striking distance of Salford Quays. This is still more than can be said for Peter Salmon, or indeed for a former Director of Children's with a business background, Richard Deverell, now trying to balance the books at Kew.
Tim Davie is cited as one business type who took on creative leadership - running the Radio division for four years, from a background starting as a Procter & Gamble trainee. Some woukld argue that John Birt was more a self-trained management consultant than a creative leader in his time at the BBC - indeed, he went on to work for McKinsey after he left.
As a COO, Alice will know all about salary setting. She's currently on £189,600. Her predecessor at Children's, Joe Godwin, had risen to £169,400 after 28 years with the BBC. Let's see where Alice's package ends up. And, if Children's production goes to the new super-indie, how that will be reflected in her salary.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
In and out
All a bit odd. Ben Clissitt, with a Guardian online sport pedigree, joined the Telegraph in 2010, and, under Jason Seiken, was promoted in February last year, to "director of visual journalsim".
In October, it was announced he was on the move to Bloomberg, as Director of Digital Content, EMEA. So hacks, both digital and analogue, were surprised to see him back at Telegraph Towers today, where he has a new role filling in behind former Director of Talent and Transformation, Richard Ellis.
Could John Micklethwait, ex-Economist and new Bloomberg Head Honcho, have had a hand in this ?
In October, it was announced he was on the move to Bloomberg, as Director of Digital Content, EMEA. So hacks, both digital and analogue, were surprised to see him back at Telegraph Towers today, where he has a new role filling in behind former Director of Talent and Transformation, Richard Ellis.
Could John Micklethwait, ex-Economist and new Bloomberg Head Honcho, have had a hand in this ?
Norman conquest
Nobody should boo the BBC's Norman Smith. But I think some are missing a point in explaining the heckling he got at Miliband's presser yesterday. Here's Norman's question:
"Mr Miliband, you’ve attacked the Tories for going negative in this campaign already over this publication of a dossier about your spending commitments. But haven’t you gone negative over the NHS because you say it would be unrecognisable in five years’ time, and yet Mr Cameron has pledged to ring fence the NHS budget, an extra £2billion has been promised and there has been no winter crisis. So aren’t you scaremongering... "
At that point shouts of "Pillock" and "Go back to London" were heard from the assembled claque. I think it was really about Norman's assertion that there's no winter crisis in the NHS; Labour will work hard at proving there is an unreported story here, and Jeremy Hunt is trying to keep a lid on a very tight situation.
"Mr Miliband, you’ve attacked the Tories for going negative in this campaign already over this publication of a dossier about your spending commitments. But haven’t you gone negative over the NHS because you say it would be unrecognisable in five years’ time, and yet Mr Cameron has pledged to ring fence the NHS budget, an extra £2billion has been promised and there has been no winter crisis. So aren’t you scaremongering... "
At that point shouts of "Pillock" and "Go back to London" were heard from the assembled claque. I think it was really about Norman's assertion that there's no winter crisis in the NHS; Labour will work hard at proving there is an unreported story here, and Jeremy Hunt is trying to keep a lid on a very tight situation.
Gone to black
There's a little more meat in the latest published minutes from the BBC Trust - nine pages !
We learn that a quartet of Rona Fairhead, Diane Coyle, Sonita Alleyne and Bill Matthews has 'volunteered' to handle the Trust's response to the Dame Janet Smith Review, looking at issues arising from the activities of Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall.
And there's an enticing piece of blacking out, for an item attended by no less than three lawyers from the Trust's chosen legal firm - Chicago-headquartered Baker & McKenzie.
One new piece of bureaucratic daftness - the Trust wants to create a single "service licence" for BBC News. Presumably, the thinking is that, as broadcast channels become less important, genre control is the way ahead for Great Portland Street.
We learn that a quartet of Rona Fairhead, Diane Coyle, Sonita Alleyne and Bill Matthews has 'volunteered' to handle the Trust's response to the Dame Janet Smith Review, looking at issues arising from the activities of Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall.
And there's an enticing piece of blacking out, for an item attended by no less than three lawyers from the Trust's chosen legal firm - Chicago-headquartered Baker & McKenzie.
One new piece of bureaucratic daftness - the Trust wants to create a single "service licence" for BBC News. Presumably, the thinking is that, as broadcast channels become less important, genre control is the way ahead for Great Portland Street.
Dark
So St Peter's Oxford (prop Mark Damazer) beat Selwyn Cambridge (prop Roger Mosey) 235 to 100 in last night's University Challenge. St Peter's fielded an all-male side - something Mr Damazer would never have countenanced at Radio 4.
In charge
One of these people is editor of the Ten O'Clock News on BBC1
Tonight at 10 @BBCNews - @bbcnickrobinson on spending spat. @TulipMazumdar in Sierra Leone. @jennyhillBBC in Dresden. @danroan in Oldham.
— Jonathan Munro (@jonathancmunro) January 5, 2015
At 10 with @huwbbc: @bbcnickrobinson on spending row. @TulipMazumdar in S Leone #Ebola. @Peston+oil. @danroan+Evans. @paulwoodbbc+refugees.
— Paul Royall (@paulroyall) January 5, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
January Blues
There'll be more of this - tonight's University Challenge pits former BBC against former BBC: St Peter's College, Oxford (Master Mark Damazer, former news guru and Controller Radio 4) against Selwyn College, Cambrtidge (Master Roger Mosey, former news guru and broadcasting Olympian).
Both have switched colours from their student days. Damazer, a programme fan, never competed when a student at Gonville & Caius, Cambridge.
Mosey did, for Wadham, Oxford.
Both have switched colours from their student days. Damazer, a programme fan, never competed when a student at Gonville & Caius, Cambridge.
Mosey did, for Wadham, Oxford.
Junket
Lots to catch up on for the BBC Executive as they re-assemble for a tricky quarter. Once they've got tales of Tel Aviv and the Canaries out of the way, it's an intimidating in-tray.
At the top is strategy for handling the delayed Dame Janet Smith Review, followed by the plans for a BBC tv super-indie. Also to be dealt with - a delayed NAO Review into progress on promised savings under Delivering Quality First.
The Trust next meets on 23 January - will the DCMS finally have found two new members of suitable quality to fill the gaps in their ranks ? And when will the Proms have a new boss ?
All in all, a grim Monday. They'd all rather be at The Mondrian for the press launch of The Voice...I wonder who is paying.
SCREENING ROOM
Styled and furnished by iconic British designer Tom Dixon, the state-of-the-art screening room is London’s newest destination. With 56 seats, 4K resolution and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound, it is the ideal venue for all your entertainment needs including private and press screenings, junkets, presentations and product launches. Seven wired and linked Junket rooms with outside space and river views are also available.
At the top is strategy for handling the delayed Dame Janet Smith Review, followed by the plans for a BBC tv super-indie. Also to be dealt with - a delayed NAO Review into progress on promised savings under Delivering Quality First.
The Trust next meets on 23 January - will the DCMS finally have found two new members of suitable quality to fill the gaps in their ranks ? And when will the Proms have a new boss ?
All in all, a grim Monday. They'd all rather be at The Mondrian for the press launch of The Voice...I wonder who is paying.
SCREENING ROOM
Styled and furnished by iconic British designer Tom Dixon, the state-of-the-art screening room is London’s newest destination. With 56 seats, 4K resolution and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound, it is the ideal venue for all your entertainment needs including private and press screenings, junkets, presentations and product launches. Seven wired and linked Junket rooms with outside space and river views are also available.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Genie still in bottle
There's still no sign of a new slot for Steve Hewlett's documentary "Reinventing The Royals", which was originally planned for transmission last night on BBC2. It's been made by Steve's own indie, Genie Pictures.
The Mail today characterises the pulling of the programme as the result of a continuing row between Sally Osman (ex BBC spin, now Buck Pal) and Kristina Kyriacou (ex Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole spin, now Clarence House). If Sally's ambitious plans of a year ago had come to fruition, Ms K ought to be working out of Buck Pal by now.
Steve H maintains Twitter silence on the subject, though he still plugs his Media Show on Radio 4; perhaps a guest presenter should interview him about it for the next edition ?
And if, as the BBC spins, the problem is over the use of some archive footage, put the show out with a graphic and voice-over explaining what's missing and why.
The Mail today characterises the pulling of the programme as the result of a continuing row between Sally Osman (ex BBC spin, now Buck Pal) and Kristina Kyriacou (ex Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole spin, now Clarence House). If Sally's ambitious plans of a year ago had come to fruition, Ms K ought to be working out of Buck Pal by now.
Steve H maintains Twitter silence on the subject, though he still plugs his Media Show on Radio 4; perhaps a guest presenter should interview him about it for the next edition ?
And if, as the BBC spins, the problem is over the use of some archive footage, put the show out with a graphic and voice-over explaining what's missing and why.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Musk
The BBC's investment in The Musketeers may produce returns around the world, but the second series kicked off with an audience of just 3.64m in the UK, down from 3.98m for the last episode of Series 1.
The new, after-the-watershed-no-Capaldi show is captioned "Contains some upsetting scenes" on the iPlayer. Mmm.
The new, after-the-watershed-no-Capaldi show is captioned "Contains some upsetting scenes" on the iPlayer. Mmm.
Early 2015 exclusives
BBC correspondents are still elbowing all-comers away as they drive to the heart of the stories that matter....
Thirty years ago, just before midnight on New Year's Eve, Michael Harrison slipped away from his family's party at home in Surrey and was driven to Parliament Square. There, he made history - by making Britain's first mobile phone call to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, the chairman of a new firm called Racal Vodafone...... In an exclusive interview, Michael Harrison recalls that historic moment to BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
Exclusive look inside Northampton's new train station... The BBC's Richard Westcott was the first journalist to visit a brand new station that is being built in Northampton.
Should the promotion of electronic cigarettes be more tightly regulated? In this special edition of World Business Report, we ask whether the marketing of e-cigarettes risks glamourising smoking once again. Marie Keyworth hears from a divided public health community and has an exclusive interview with e-cigarette manufacturer Imperial Tobacco.
Thirty years ago, just before midnight on New Year's Eve, Michael Harrison slipped away from his family's party at home in Surrey and was driven to Parliament Square. There, he made history - by making Britain's first mobile phone call to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, the chairman of a new firm called Racal Vodafone...... In an exclusive interview, Michael Harrison recalls that historic moment to BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
Exclusive look inside Northampton's new train station... The BBC's Richard Westcott was the first journalist to visit a brand new station that is being built in Northampton.
Should the promotion of electronic cigarettes be more tightly regulated? In this special edition of World Business Report, we ask whether the marketing of e-cigarettes risks glamourising smoking once again. Marie Keyworth hears from a divided public health community and has an exclusive interview with e-cigarette manufacturer Imperial Tobacco.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Good start
Most of us seem to have slumped in front of BBC1 yesterday, and either lost the remote control or the energy to use it.
From the regional news at 6.20pm (6.95m almost a cool million up on the preceding network bulletin), we get Esio Trot 6.47m, Miranda 7.27m, Eastenders 8.53m and Mrs Brown's Boys 7.94m.
Even the late night regional news gets 5.51m.
The contrarian in me notes that last year, Sherlock hit 9.2m, up against a Harry Potter premiere on ITV.
Even the late night regional news gets 5.51m.
The contrarian in me notes that last year, Sherlock hit 9.2m, up against a Harry Potter premiere on ITV.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Flash bang wallop
The horse had somewhat bolted when this caption appeared at the end of tv coverage of the New Year's Eve firework display in London.
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