Taking office

The new BBC Director of Nations and Regions, Ken MacQuarrie, has taken his job "with immediate effect". I hope that means Ken has agreed both a salary and budget.

Pat Loughrey was made redundant from the role in December 2009, and Margaret Hodge reminds us in her recent book, that his was the third highest pay-off of the Mark Thompson era. He received a lump sum of £600k, part of which was 'in lieu of notice', even though he'd worked the period and been paid for it, and £266,888 as a pension top up - the gift that keeps on giving. The whole of the Nations and Regions management team was restructured, with some going to News, others staying with their local teams and others taking deals. Overall, there would have been a big business case, showing the payback against the restructuring costs over at least five years.

Pat's final package was £311,580. Ken's currently on £192,800. Other members of the new 'Executive Committee who don't currently make it to full Executive are Valerie Hughes D'Aeth, on £295k and Matthew Postgate on £302k. Hacks will be watching where the MacQuarrie salary's pitched, given recent comparison papers appearing in newspapers.

And Ken will need at least a PA, an aide-de-camp, and a Special Assistant. Half a million, excluding running costs ?