Congratulations to Lewis Goodall, off from Newsnight to join Sky News as a political correspondent.
From St John's Oxford, where he studied history and politics, Lewis joined Granada TV in 2010 as a researcher, where tasks included writing questions for University Challenge. Then a year with the IPPR, where James Purnell was in charge. This all qualified him to join Auntie as a broadcast journalist in 2012, rising to producer/presenter (with an agent).
It could have been different. View his profile from 2010, on Casting Call Pro. Marvel at his mastery of accents, his ballroom skills and willingness to perform in the nude.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Anchorboy
Silverbacks beware. The new top dog in US nightly news is David Muir, 43. He presents ABC's World News Tonight, and November figures give it the lead in total viewers over NBC and CBS for the first time in 15 years.
Lester Holt, anchor of NBC's Nightly News is 57. Scott Pelley, host of the CBS Evening News, is 59.
Lester Holt, anchor of NBC's Nightly News is 57. Scott Pelley, host of the CBS Evening News, is 59.
What gave you that idea ?
It was back in September 2015 that the BBC launched its Charter renewal 'big ideas' under the banner "British, Bold, Creative".
The Arts Group were asked to return with "proposals for how the project would work in operational terms". Might that take another 13 months ?
Bold they may have been, but the gestatory period seems rather extended. The latest Executive meeting reviewed The Ideas Service, including "a plan for the next stage
of development." and
the findings of the Arts Group, on "what a more 'open' BBC meant for arts and culture in the UK, as well as for the
BBC itself - and how it might be delivered."The Arts Group were asked to return with "proposals for how the project would work in operational terms". Might that take another 13 months ?
Broadcaster
The accepted history of the Panorama interview with Princess Diana is that the difficult bit was keeping it a secret from BBC Chairman Duke Hussey, who was married to one of The Queen's Ladies-in-Waiting.
Now Steve Hewlett, editor of Panorama at the time, has revealed the bigger problem. “The hardest thing was to keep it from Alan Yentob (then controller of BBC One). Everybody knew that if Yentob got the faintest whiff of it, it would be everywhere.”
Now Steve Hewlett, editor of Panorama at the time, has revealed the bigger problem. “The hardest thing was to keep it from Alan Yentob (then controller of BBC One). Everybody knew that if Yentob got the faintest whiff of it, it would be everywhere.”
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Froideur ?
Might there be tensions at the next meeting of the BBC Radio (& Music) Board ? When Lewis Carnie, new Head of Radio 2 (weekly reach 15.1m) and Paul Rodgers, new Head of 6Music (weekly reach 2.3m) are formally introduced to Gwyneth Williams, Controller Radio 4 (11.2m), Alan Davey, Controller Radio 3 (1.9m) and Jonathan Wall, Controller Radio 5Live (5.5m). And even Ben Cooper, Controller Radio 1 (9.8m) ?
Will Lewis and Paul ever reach the list of senior managers paid more that £150k ?
Perhaps the Board will be presented with a case study of the BBC Music Awards, now in their third year. Say the Excel has a capacity of 5,000 (still standing tickets left at £53.75), the BBC might expect to recover £225k. How much is Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, paying for this event ?
The list of Radio 1 Live Lounge performances shortlisted for an award (by the Radio 1 playlist committee) has been revealed. Spookily, three of the five - Craig David, The 1975 and Emeli Sande - are already part of the show's line-up. What are the odds of that happening ?
Will Lewis and Paul ever reach the list of senior managers paid more that £150k ?
Perhaps the Board will be presented with a case study of the BBC Music Awards, now in their third year. Say the Excel has a capacity of 5,000 (still standing tickets left at £53.75), the BBC might expect to recover £225k. How much is Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, paying for this event ?
The list of Radio 1 Live Lounge performances shortlisted for an award (by the Radio 1 playlist committee) has been revealed. Spookily, three of the five - Craig David, The 1975 and Emeli Sande - are already part of the show's line-up. What are the odds of that happening ?
Pastoral
As Director of Radio and Education James Purnell swings into programming action, it was inevitable he'd use his Twitter feed (15k followers) to promote his new empire.
In recent weeks, he's highlighted 6Music, Front Row, Bill Evans as Radio 3 Composer of the Week, the "Terrific Scientific" project from BBC Learning, a Radio 4 documentary about a Calais refugee, and more.
But I'm not sure where this Purnell re-tweet fits in, highlighting job opportunities at St John at Hackney. The church has been a previous venue for gospel recordings for Songs of Praise. Any clues, readers ?
In recent weeks, he's highlighted 6Music, Front Row, Bill Evans as Radio 3 Composer of the Week, the "Terrific Scientific" project from BBC Learning, a Radio 4 documentary about a Calais refugee, and more.
But I'm not sure where this Purnell re-tweet fits in, highlighting job opportunities at St John at Hackney. The church has been a previous venue for gospel recordings for Songs of Praise. Any clues, readers ?
Want to come and work with us? We have several positions available and would love to hear from you! Visit https://t.co/0Zqqj7pfcy— St John at Hackney (@StJohnatHackney) November 25, 2016
Intimacy and exclusivity
Robbie Williams will perform "exclusively" for the Radio 2 on December 8. "The intimate gig will take place in London and will be broadcast live on the network from 8pm, as well as in vision on the BBC Red Button and streamed on the Radio 2 website."
This will be entirely different from the intimate gig recorded earlier this month at The Troxy by Robbie, with guest appearances by Take That, due to be broadcast by ITV in December.
This will be entirely different from the intimate gig recorded earlier this month at The Troxy by Robbie, with guest appearances by Take That, due to be broadcast by ITV in December.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Iskender anxiety
For W1 Beeboids pining for doner, the wait could be a long one. Efes, the Turkish restaurant that has been running since 1974 in Great Titchfield Street, closed its doors in September, after a makeover and experiment with square plates failed to bring back trade. Now, the lease on the premises has been sold. The advertised premium was £750k and the rental £115k pa for 4,205 square feet.
What next ?
What next ?
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Plus and minus
The Sunday Times notes a number of BAME leavers at senior level in the BBC this year.
Aaqil Ahmed has left as Head of Religon & Ethics. Tony Phillips, who commissioned The Listening Project, has left Radio 4, and found work in New York. Tamara Howe, formerly Controller of Business for Comedy and Entertainment, has lost out in the Studios/commissioning split at tv, and left. Elonka Soros, until June Editor Diversity On Secondment to the Director-General's Office, has left. Jawad Iqbal, billed as Analysis and Insight Editor in News in 2015, is said to be leaving before the end of the year. Anjula Singh, recently working as Head of Business Change for News (surely a job for life ?), left two months ago. Controller of Languages Liliane Landor left News in June, just as News was working out how to spend £289m of Government money. Marcus Ryder has stepped down from running BBC Scotland's current affairs operations to be Chief International Editor of CCTVNews Digital (China's state broadcaster)
All balanced by the arrival of Martin Bashir.
Interestingly, the BBC says it would take more than 18 hours to work out comings and goings at Senior Management level in terms of ethnicity over the last ten years. A tad hard to believe - the first Greg Dyke diversity targets were set in Spring 2000.
Aaqil Ahmed has left as Head of Religon & Ethics. Tony Phillips, who commissioned The Listening Project, has left Radio 4, and found work in New York. Tamara Howe, formerly Controller of Business for Comedy and Entertainment, has lost out in the Studios/commissioning split at tv, and left. Elonka Soros, until June Editor Diversity On Secondment to the Director-General's Office, has left. Jawad Iqbal, billed as Analysis and Insight Editor in News in 2015, is said to be leaving before the end of the year. Anjula Singh, recently working as Head of Business Change for News (surely a job for life ?), left two months ago. Controller of Languages Liliane Landor left News in June, just as News was working out how to spend £289m of Government money. Marcus Ryder has stepped down from running BBC Scotland's current affairs operations to be Chief International Editor of CCTVNews Digital (China's state broadcaster)
Should be interesting. We must be the most unluckiest industry out there. We keep hiring people who can't cut it. https://t.co/9Ejmcrgk2G— Aaqil Ahmed (@aaqil1969) November 14, 2016
All balanced by the arrival of Martin Bashir.
Interestingly, the BBC says it would take more than 18 hours to work out comings and goings at Senior Management level in terms of ethnicity over the last ten years. A tad hard to believe - the first Greg Dyke diversity targets were set in Spring 2000.
It's a view
20 more flats at Television Centre have been made available for sale in Singapore. In earlier releases, 14 units were sold to residents of the Lion City.
These new units are priced from £1 million for a 900 sq ft two-bedroom unit, and from £1.5 million for a 1,400 sq ft three-bedroom unit. They are west-facing, with views over Hammersmith Park - that results in a 10% premium.
These new units are priced from £1 million for a 900 sq ft two-bedroom unit, and from £1.5 million for a 1,400 sq ft three-bedroom unit. They are west-facing, with views over Hammersmith Park - that results in a 10% premium.
Shiny
The BBC is looking for a software engineer to join "Project Silver" - "to help create exciting new tools that help the BBC create new live video content. Working alongside the BBC’s existing engineering teams, this project will create key services that will shape how BBC offers video online and via the Red Button."
It was only six years ago that another Project Silver was reshaping the BBC - finessing the departure of "Silver" - Deputy Director General Mark Byford. An excellent long read.
It was only six years ago that another Project Silver was reshaping the BBC - finessing the departure of "Silver" - Deputy Director General Mark Byford. An excellent long read.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Slap
I've had a little peek behind the Times paywall, for their interview with the Today programme's John Humphrys. There's a nice new picture of John at his home, but with credits I find difficult to believe were tolerated by the Senior Presenter, 73.
Shoot credits
Grooming Elle Tobin at ERA Management using UNITE Hair and LAB SERIES Skincare for Men
Shoot credits
Grooming Elle Tobin at ERA Management using UNITE Hair and LAB SERIES Skincare for Men
A BBC celebration
At 7.25pm Eastern Time tonight, BBC America ends a three-day Treksgiving Marathon.
Don't tilt
The Vertical Video rationale, as explained by James Metcalfe, Executive Product Manager, BBC News Apps & Connected TV...
"We know, through audience feedback, there were several reasons people were not watching our video on mobiles: Most of our video has traditionally required sound, which can be a problem when viewing in public and much of the video was embedded in small screens making it hard to watch without rotating the phone. In addition, much of our video offer has so far consisted of longer TV pieces that aren’t ideal if you’re after a quick update and short of time.
"Our new vertical video addresses all those issues. It will be shorter than films used elsewhere on the BBC and tell news stories in a succinct and snappy way. In addition, all of our vertical videos are subtitled and can be used without the sound on.
"We have been testing this update and the videos with different groups of people for a number of months and the response has been largely positive."
Here's a an old-fashioned non-yoof orientated landscape short promoting vertical video (no chuckling, please..)
"We know, through audience feedback, there were several reasons people were not watching our video on mobiles: Most of our video has traditionally required sound, which can be a problem when viewing in public and much of the video was embedded in small screens making it hard to watch without rotating the phone. In addition, much of our video offer has so far consisted of longer TV pieces that aren’t ideal if you’re after a quick update and short of time.
"Our new vertical video addresses all those issues. It will be shorter than films used elsewhere on the BBC and tell news stories in a succinct and snappy way. In addition, all of our vertical videos are subtitled and can be used without the sound on.
"We have been testing this update and the videos with different groups of people for a number of months and the response has been largely positive."
Here's a an old-fashioned non-yoof orientated landscape short promoting vertical video (no chuckling, please..)
Friday, November 25, 2016
Pon de replay
After a month of reflection (and maybe a review of savings targets) Director of Radio and Music Bob Shennan has decided he does have time, after all, to keep a controlling interest in Radio 2 and Radio 6Music.
So acting Controller Radio 2, Lewis Carnie bins his application form for the permanent gig, and moves from the title Head of Programmes, Radio 2, to the not-entirely-different Head of Radio 2 (let Towers-Perrin decide).
Bob has also acquired managerial control of Jan Younghusband (Millfield and Glyndebourne), Commissioning Editor BBC Music, who previously reported to Charlotte Moore, Director of Content.
So acting Controller Radio 2, Lewis Carnie bins his application form for the permanent gig, and moves from the title Head of Programmes, Radio 2, to the not-entirely-different Head of Radio 2 (let Towers-Perrin decide).
Bob has also acquired managerial control of Jan Younghusband (Millfield and Glyndebourne), Commissioning Editor BBC Music, who previously reported to Charlotte Moore, Director of Content.
Having a laugh ?
News at Huw will be pitted against David Walliams for at least one week in January.
ITV say they've signed Walliams to open the eight-week run of "The Nightly Show" in the New Year. Pilots, made by ITV Studios subsidiary, Second Act, start at the Cochrane Theatre in London next week. The idea is to record as live at 6pm, then tidy it up for a 30 minute broadcast at 10pm each weeknight. Other hosts will presumably be revealed as the pilots progress over the next two weeks.
ITV say they've signed Walliams to open the eight-week run of "The Nightly Show" in the New Year. Pilots, made by ITV Studios subsidiary, Second Act, start at the Cochrane Theatre in London next week. The idea is to record as live at 6pm, then tidy it up for a 30 minute broadcast at 10pm each weeknight. Other hosts will presumably be revealed as the pilots progress over the next two weeks.
Black Friday Factoid
There are 1261 people employed in BBC network radio on permanent and fixed term contracts (as at 31st October 2016).
32 have "change" in their job title - 2.5% of the workforce. Table reads oddly - 32 have co-ordination, co-ordinating, or co-ordinator in their title.
Spending time with plants
£130k for doing nowt.
"BBC employees are only put on ‘garden leave’ in exceptional cases, and all cases are subject to the prior approval of the BBC’s Senior Management Remuneration Committee (“SMRC”). Even if approved, an employee may not be put on garden leave if the matter is resolved in a different way.
"For the financial year 2015/2016, the BBC’s Reward Department recorded five cases where SMRC approved garden leave, two of which were senior managers. The total amount of salary paid during garden leave for those five employees was £130,939.93.
"In these cases, by ‘garden leave’ we mean that the employee remained employed for their notice period but would be at home and not working; this might be warranted for a number of reasons, for example, the employee’s post may have been closed and there was no suitable work for them, or the employee may have been unwell."
"BBC employees are only put on ‘garden leave’ in exceptional cases, and all cases are subject to the prior approval of the BBC’s Senior Management Remuneration Committee (“SMRC”). Even if approved, an employee may not be put on garden leave if the matter is resolved in a different way.
"For the financial year 2015/2016, the BBC’s Reward Department recorded five cases where SMRC approved garden leave, two of which were senior managers. The total amount of salary paid during garden leave for those five employees was £130,939.93.
"In these cases, by ‘garden leave’ we mean that the employee remained employed for their notice period but would be at home and not working; this might be warranted for a number of reasons, for example, the employee’s post may have been closed and there was no suitable work for them, or the employee may have been unwell."
Top table plan
Ruth Gledhill, formerly of The Times, has extracted some clarification from the BBC about James Purnell and 'Religion and Ethics', for the website Christian Today...
A BBC spokesman told Christian Today that Purnell will not be "head of religion" but will represent religion at the top table at the BBC. Until now there has been no one on the executive board who has been specifically responsible for religion. He will not be involved in day-to-day commissioning but will oversee the corporation's religious "strategy", the spokesman said.
Twinkly
BBC Radio 2's Record of the Week, "It's Better to Dream - Christmas Mix" was written by Nashville-based Steve Mandile and Andy Childs. It's a tweaked version of a track on Sir Cliff Richard's new album, in Cliff's words, "with added twinkly keyboards and Christmas lyrics".
Steve first started working with Cliff in 2004, writing and producing three tracks on the album "Something's Going On", including the title track. In 2013, he backed Cliff at the Grand Ole Opry. The current album. "Just Fabulous Rock'n'Roll" was actually recorded a year ago, in Blackbird Studios and Parlour Productions, Nashville.
Sir Cliff moved to Sony to manage the Christmas release. It's available at 20% off for Black Friday on Amazon. Sony have three artists in the performance line-up for the forthcoming BBC Music Awards - Robbie Williams, Craig David and Zara Larsson.
Sunday update: Sony artist John Legend added to line-up.
Sir Cliff moved to Sony to manage the Christmas release. It's available at 20% off for Black Friday on Amazon. Sony have three artists in the performance line-up for the forthcoming BBC Music Awards - Robbie Williams, Craig David and Zara Larsson.
Sunday update: Sony artist John Legend added to line-up.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Slow news
Just managed to get my first sample of Vertical Video on the BBC News app. There seems to be a front page still calling it Ten To Watch. At time of writing, there are 8 to watch, including a clip of Donald Trump's Thanksgiving message from thirteen-odd hours ago, President Obama pardoning a turkey, and the longest - a featurette on Swedish anti-Nazi activist, Tess Asplund "six months after she defied 300 neo-Nazis."
Yes it was May 2016 when it all happened. Buzzfeed revisited her twelve days ago. Now it's part of what we were told was to be "a summary of the day’s news in an easy-to-consume and engaging format."
Yes it was May 2016 when it all happened. Buzzfeed revisited her twelve days ago. Now it's part of what we were told was to be "a summary of the day’s news in an easy-to-consume and engaging format."
Does he want the Earth ?
BBC DG Lord Hall might need someone to tell him that giving departments to James Purnell doesn't make everything alright. Yesterday it was revealed that Jim now has custody of religious affairs programming, and that this was evidence that the BBC was taking "one of the big issues of our times" seriously, and things would be "joined up"' across television, radio and news.
This shift ought to be read in conjunction with a story in the current Private Eye, which suggests that Jim, Director of Radio and Education "with responsibility for BBC’s arts, children’s, education, music and network radio output", and now "Gods", has been in a toe-to-toe territory fight with Director of Content, Charlotte Moore.
The patch in dispute was called "Factual Commissioning", re-organised earlier this year in a way that closed the door on Religion and Ethics commissioning as a discreet unit, headed by Aqil Ahmed. It was, at least until yesterday, the responsibility of Tom McDonald, Head of Natural History & Specialist Factual Commissioning, Television, covering Natural History, Science, History, Religion & Business. Tom reports up to Alison Kirkham, Controller of BBC Factual Commissioning, who in turn owes allegiance to Charlotte Moore.
All this good stuff - history, science etc - seemed like a fit to James Purnell in his extended role, and in line with the McKinsey three-humped camel structure of Information, Education and Entertainment; Charlotte "Shiny Floor" Moore should stick to Michael McIntyre and Mrs Brown, while Jim does the classy stuff.
We know now that Jim has got God - will he get Planet Earth II, too ?
This shift ought to be read in conjunction with a story in the current Private Eye, which suggests that Jim, Director of Radio and Education "with responsibility for BBC’s arts, children’s, education, music and network radio output", and now "Gods", has been in a toe-to-toe territory fight with Director of Content, Charlotte Moore.
The patch in dispute was called "Factual Commissioning", re-organised earlier this year in a way that closed the door on Religion and Ethics commissioning as a discreet unit, headed by Aqil Ahmed. It was, at least until yesterday, the responsibility of Tom McDonald, Head of Natural History & Specialist Factual Commissioning, Television, covering Natural History, Science, History, Religion & Business. Tom reports up to Alison Kirkham, Controller of BBC Factual Commissioning, who in turn owes allegiance to Charlotte Moore.
All this good stuff - history, science etc - seemed like a fit to James Purnell in his extended role, and in line with the McKinsey three-humped camel structure of Information, Education and Entertainment; Charlotte "Shiny Floor" Moore should stick to Michael McIntyre and Mrs Brown, while Jim does the classy stuff.
We know now that Jim has got God - will he get Planet Earth II, too ?
Very powerful man
Thommo got the last question when Trump came to visit the New York Times.
SULZBERGER: So, I, with apologies, I’m going to go to our C.E.O., Mark Thompson, for the last, last question.
TRUMP: Very powerful man …
MARK THOMPSON: Thank you, and it’s a really short one, but after all the talk about libel and libel laws, are you committed to the First Amendment to the Constitution?
TRUMP: Oh, I was hoping he wasn’t going to say that. I think you’ll be happy. I think you’ll be happy. Actually, somebody said to me on that, they said, ‘You know, it’s a great idea, softening up those laws, but you may get sued a lot more.’ I said, ‘You know, you’re right, I never thought about that.’ I said, ‘You know, I have to start thinking about that.’ So, I, I think you’ll be O.K. I think you’re going to be fine.
SULZBERGER: So, I, with apologies, I’m going to go to our C.E.O., Mark Thompson, for the last, last question.
TRUMP: Very powerful man …
MARK THOMPSON: Thank you, and it’s a really short one, but after all the talk about libel and libel laws, are you committed to the First Amendment to the Constitution?
TRUMP: Oh, I was hoping he wasn’t going to say that. I think you’ll be happy. I think you’ll be happy. Actually, somebody said to me on that, they said, ‘You know, it’s a great idea, softening up those laws, but you may get sued a lot more.’ I said, ‘You know, you’re right, I never thought about that.’ I said, ‘You know, I have to start thinking about that.’ So, I, I think you’ll be O.K. I think you’re going to be fine.
Big wheels
In July last year, Sky corporate affairs wallah Graham McWilliam was brought in as Deputy Head of Sky News, responsible for "non-editorial functions". He carried on with his other big Sky role, as Chairman of Tour Racing Limited, owner of Team Sky, four times winners of the Tour De France - a position he's held since the team was set up in 2009.
Now it seems, McWilliams' Sky News job is done - as Team Sky maintains its position in the headlines over mystery medical packages.
Now it seems, McWilliams' Sky News job is done - as Team Sky maintains its position in the headlines over mystery medical packages.
With all the noise around Team Sky, I sent a message to the Team over the weekend to assure them of Sky's support. Here's what I said: pic.twitter.com/zi7S4j8kPR— Graham McWilliam (@grahammcwilliam) October 10, 2016
Looking for trouble
The fearless sages of the Ofcom Content Board have spoken. FOX News has broken their rules.
Nobody complained, but Ofcom decided to do some "routine monitoring" of the Hannity show during the Presidential election campaign, and decided that three one-hour episodes were in breach of their code.
During campaigns, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 require due impartiality from broadcasters in their coverage of major matters of political or industrial controversy and current public policy. "An appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes”. Over a full 26 pages of transcripts and assessment, Ofcom reckons that, basically, 23 guests backed Trump, Hillary Clinton only appeared in clips, and Hannity said she was lying. Again and again.
FOX argued viewers knew what they were tuning in for with Hannity, a programme of 'commentary'. Ofcom was having none of it.
"Given the amount and nature of the critical statements made about Hillary Clinton and her campaign, we considered that a significant viewpoint which was not adequately and fairly within the programmes was that of Hillary Clinton or her campaign, or the Democratic Party more generally. How these alternative viewpoints could and should have been reflected within the programmes was an editorial matter for the Licensee, but we considered it was incumbent on FNN to do so in order to preserve due impartiality."
FOX News was created by Rupert Murdoch, and is owned by 21st Century Fox, part-inheritors of News Corporation, which in turn owns 39.14% of Sky, who re-broadcast FOX News here. I reckon they're quaking.
Nobody complained, but Ofcom decided to do some "routine monitoring" of the Hannity show during the Presidential election campaign, and decided that three one-hour episodes were in breach of their code.
During campaigns, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 require due impartiality from broadcasters in their coverage of major matters of political or industrial controversy and current public policy. "An appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes”. Over a full 26 pages of transcripts and assessment, Ofcom reckons that, basically, 23 guests backed Trump, Hillary Clinton only appeared in clips, and Hannity said she was lying. Again and again.
FOX argued viewers knew what they were tuning in for with Hannity, a programme of 'commentary'. Ofcom was having none of it.
"Given the amount and nature of the critical statements made about Hillary Clinton and her campaign, we considered that a significant viewpoint which was not adequately and fairly within the programmes was that of Hillary Clinton or her campaign, or the Democratic Party more generally. How these alternative viewpoints could and should have been reflected within the programmes was an editorial matter for the Licensee, but we considered it was incumbent on FNN to do so in order to preserve due impartiality."
FOX News was created by Rupert Murdoch, and is owned by 21st Century Fox, part-inheritors of News Corporation, which in turn owns 39.14% of Sky, who re-broadcast FOX News here. I reckon they're quaking.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Slot Watch
Users of the BBC News app can now try out the latest leap forward into the Future of News: The Vertical Video Experience.
My items on the end of "Ten To Watch", the previous incarnation of this specially-made set of short, portrait-shaped videos, seem to have been premature. Under the new care of Controller, BBC News Mobile and Online, Fiona Campbell, it has regenerated like an improved Dr Who: "We’ve changed the name as we didn’t want to restrict ourselves to just 10 videos – it may be more or less depending on the day’s news." Readers will be delighted to know that the list will be "curated".
"Our second vertical video offering, BBC Stories - personal, emotive, immersive, best of video - will come out in early December."
My items on the end of "Ten To Watch", the previous incarnation of this specially-made set of short, portrait-shaped videos, seem to have been premature. Under the new care of Controller, BBC News Mobile and Online, Fiona Campbell, it has regenerated like an improved Dr Who: "We’ve changed the name as we didn’t want to restrict ourselves to just 10 videos – it may be more or less depending on the day’s news." Readers will be delighted to know that the list will be "curated".
"Our second vertical video offering, BBC Stories - personal, emotive, immersive, best of video - will come out in early December."
Timing
In the settlement notice between Natasha Kaplinsky and Mirror Group Newspapers, the newspaper side acknowledges that six out of 23 articles published between 2003 and late 2009 were "the products of its journalists' unlawful activities."
The notice about actress Sarah Parish says MGN papers hacked her phone between 2003 and 2005, and hired private investigators seven times between 2002 and 2005 to uncover private information about her.
27 other claimants have reached settlements and received apologies from MGN, sharing pay-out totalling £500k.
The Editor of the Daily Mirror from 1996 to 2004 was Piers Morgan; from 2004 to 2012 it was Richard Wallace.
The notice about actress Sarah Parish says MGN papers hacked her phone between 2003 and 2005, and hired private investigators seven times between 2002 and 2005 to uncover private information about her.
27 other claimants have reached settlements and received apologies from MGN, sharing pay-out totalling £500k.
The Editor of the Daily Mirror from 1996 to 2004 was Piers Morgan; from 2004 to 2012 it was Richard Wallace.
Right-o
Here's the bit of Lord Hall's speech to the Voice of the Listener and Viewer conference in London, which refers to the creation of a Netflix of the spoken word
"One of the big challenges I have set my teams is just that: to enhance our global audio offer. The BBC makes the best radio in the world. It is one of our crown jewels, and we have an extraordinary wealth of audio riches at our disposal.
But, with the level of excellence we have, are we doing enough to push the fantastic drama, arts, comedy and entertainment we deliver on the world stage? With our world-class content, we could use our current output and the richness of our archive to create a Netflix of the spoken word."
This is all a bit odd. Exabytes of BBC audio are available on-demand in this country. But stray abroad and most of the content is 'geo-blocked'. This is usually a blanket block, because there's a risk the BBC hasn't secured international rights.
It doesn't seem to be a problem for other big beasts with international reputations. Try NPR, Minnesota Public Radio, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle - no sign of geo-blocking, at least in the UK.
If Lord Hall really wants The Archers to go worldwide, the first call is probably Equity.
"One of the big challenges I have set my teams is just that: to enhance our global audio offer. The BBC makes the best radio in the world. It is one of our crown jewels, and we have an extraordinary wealth of audio riches at our disposal.
But, with the level of excellence we have, are we doing enough to push the fantastic drama, arts, comedy and entertainment we deliver on the world stage? With our world-class content, we could use our current output and the richness of our archive to create a Netflix of the spoken word."
This is all a bit odd. Exabytes of BBC audio are available on-demand in this country. But stray abroad and most of the content is 'geo-blocked'. This is usually a blanket block, because there's a risk the BBC hasn't secured international rights.
It doesn't seem to be a problem for other big beasts with international reputations. Try NPR, Minnesota Public Radio, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle - no sign of geo-blocking, at least in the UK.
If Lord Hall really wants The Archers to go worldwide, the first call is probably Equity.
Sin tax
Just to be even-handed, there are some 'fruit and veg' plurals and apostrophes in the BBC Radio Festive press release....
Shaun Keaveny will co-host his BBC Radio 6 Music Breakfast show on Boxing Day with two superlative Brian’s - Eno and Cox
In a first for Composer of the Week in it’s over seventy years history, Donald Macleod luxuriates in the theatrical and charismatic world of Ivor Novell
Asian Networks brings The Official Asian Music Chart Of The Year to listeners with Suzi Mann
Shaun Keaveny will co-host his BBC Radio 6 Music Breakfast show on Boxing Day with two superlative Brian’s - Eno and Cox
In a first for Composer of the Week in it’s over seventy years history, Donald Macleod luxuriates in the theatrical and charismatic world of Ivor Novell
Asian Networks brings The Official Asian Music Chart Of The Year to listeners with Suzi Mann
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Gary: Tank Commander
While we're waiting for a decision on a Scottish Six and a new Director of BBC Scotland, let's welcome a couple of commercial boys to the BBC Scotland news team.
Howard Simpson, fifteen years with STV, started a fortnight ago as News Editor.
Coming in the New Year is Matt Roper, six years with STV in various digital roles, as Editor of Mobile and Online.
BBC Scotland News chief Gary Smith clearly couldn't find promotable talent in his existing team.
Howard Simpson, fifteen years with STV, started a fortnight ago as News Editor.
Right- that's enough gardening done... Time to start @BBCScotlandNews . Let's get to it.— Howard Simpson (@MrHowardSimpson) 7 November 2016
Coming in the New Year is Matt Roper, six years with STV in various digital roles, as Editor of Mobile and Online.
BBC Scotland News chief Gary Smith clearly couldn't find promotable talent in his existing team.
Proof
Naughty step for the Arts team, in the BBC tv Christmas press release.
The arts are celebrated this festive season, with Darcey Bussell looking for Margot Fontaine [Fonteyn]; the Royal Ballet production of The Nutcracker, with a tribute to choreographer and director Sir Peter Wright to coincide with his 90th birthday; revered author Alan Bennett opening up his diaries, and Glyndenbourne [Glyndebourne] Festival 2016 featuring on BBC Four alongside the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna. BBC Three will make you think and laugh this Christmas with box sets of some of BBC Three’s best shows, including Pheobe [Phoebe] Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, Tom Davis’ Murder In Successville, hit dramas Thirteen and Barracuda, documentaries including Drugs Map Of Britain and American High School. And, as an extra bonus, box sets of some BBC Three classics including Being Human and Bad Education. Merry Christmas from the BBC.
The arts are celebrated this festive season, with Darcey Bussell looking for Margot Fontaine [Fonteyn]; the Royal Ballet production of The Nutcracker, with a tribute to choreographer and director Sir Peter Wright to coincide with his 90th birthday; revered author Alan Bennett opening up his diaries, and Glyndenbourne [Glyndebourne] Festival 2016 featuring on BBC Four alongside the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna. BBC Three will make you think and laugh this Christmas with box sets of some of BBC Three’s best shows, including Pheobe [Phoebe] Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, Tom Davis’ Murder In Successville, hit dramas Thirteen and Barracuda, documentaries including Drugs Map Of Britain and American High School. And, as an extra bonus, box sets of some BBC Three classics including Being Human and Bad Education. Merry Christmas from the BBC.
The 70s
The BBC has re-issued paperwork from the Brian Neil report, in response to a Freedom of Information enquiry. The QC was asked by the BBC to investigate allegations of payola and sexual misconduct, and produced what he called his interim report in 1972. One element was a front page story in the News of the World, April 1971. Samantha McAlpine, a regular teenage visitor to Top of The Pops, had committed suicide, and her mother gave quotes from her diary about DJs on the show to the newspaper.
Here's the conclusion from Neil about that element - which, most people believe refers to Tony Blackburn; it clears him. Yet Lord Hall felt that a reading of this document required Blackburn to lose his BBC employment, because he said he didn't remember being interviewed by Neil, and stuck by that position in front of Dame Janet Smith's enquiry. Blackburn returns to the BBC in the New Year.
Here's the conclusion from Neil about that element - which, most people believe refers to Tony Blackburn; it clears him. Yet Lord Hall felt that a reading of this document required Blackburn to lose his BBC employment, because he said he didn't remember being interviewed by Neil, and stuck by that position in front of Dame Janet Smith's enquiry. Blackburn returns to the BBC in the New Year.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Open goal
Congratulations to Amol Rajan, 33, (Graveney School and Downing College, Cambridge), anointed Media Editor for the BBC.
Amol, still titled Editor-at-large of the no-longer printed Independent, likes rum, reggae and cricket. He has been preparing himself for this big gig by, this week, joining the tasting panel on the Professional Masterchef series, and filling the phone-in gap on the Asian Network left by Nihal Arthanayake's move to Radio 5Live. Apparently he'll still do some radio presenting.
Amol is represented by Knight Ayton Management, and lives in Islington wth his wife Charlotte Faircloth; they met in Cambridge. She thanked him especially in the acknowledgements of her 2013 academic study of Militant Lactivism in London and Paris - "you have been both intellectually demanding and kind, which is a rare but wonderful combination." BBC News boss James Harding is also a big fan, describing Amol as "an exceptional talent", with a "widely-admired" record as editor of The Indie.
"Notes to Editors: Amol was appointed following an open and competitive recruitment process by a BBC News board." Rather sad they feel the need to stress it....
Amol, still titled Editor-at-large of the no-longer printed Independent, likes rum, reggae and cricket. He has been preparing himself for this big gig by, this week, joining the tasting panel on the Professional Masterchef series, and filling the phone-in gap on the Asian Network left by Nihal Arthanayake's move to Radio 5Live. Apparently he'll still do some radio presenting.
Amol is represented by Knight Ayton Management, and lives in Islington wth his wife Charlotte Faircloth; they met in Cambridge. She thanked him especially in the acknowledgements of her 2013 academic study of Militant Lactivism in London and Paris - "you have been both intellectually demanding and kind, which is a rare but wonderful combination." BBC News boss James Harding is also a big fan, describing Amol as "an exceptional talent", with a "widely-admired" record as editor of The Indie.
"Notes to Editors: Amol was appointed following an open and competitive recruitment process by a BBC News board." Rather sad they feel the need to stress it....
Influencing people
The BBC has revealed its annual list of 100 Women for 2016 - selected because they are "inspirational and influential".
Brits should recognise the names of Nadiya Hussain, Jeanette Winterson and Heather Rabbatts. Less widely known, perhaps, is Liliane Landor, who left the BBC's employment very abruptly in June this year. She'd been leading on plans to spend new Foreign Office money on new language offerings from the World Service. Her brief biog says: "Worked for the BBC for 26 years, latterly as head of languages at the World Service, where she helped put different voices, faces and accents on BBC News."
The anonymous panel of judges may be at odds here with BBC Director of News James Harding. It will probably take the NAO or a Select Committee to work out how much of this new Foreign Office money goes to 'core services' (cf BBC Monitoring).
Brits should recognise the names of Nadiya Hussain, Jeanette Winterson and Heather Rabbatts. Less widely known, perhaps, is Liliane Landor, who left the BBC's employment very abruptly in June this year. She'd been leading on plans to spend new Foreign Office money on new language offerings from the World Service. Her brief biog says: "Worked for the BBC for 26 years, latterly as head of languages at the World Service, where she helped put different voices, faces and accents on BBC News."
The anonymous panel of judges may be at odds here with BBC Director of News James Harding. It will probably take the NAO or a Select Committee to work out how much of this new Foreign Office money goes to 'core services' (cf BBC Monitoring).
Well schooled
What a refreshing treat to see new young musical talent on The XFactor, with the cast of School Of Rock, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the West End, taking to the stage for the opening number.
Unless, of course, you'd already caught them on the BBC's Children In Need, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Radio 2, Front Row, etc, etc
Unless, of course, you'd already caught them on the BBC's Children In Need, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Radio 2, Front Row, etc, etc
Get with the project
"BBC Radio needs to be able to effectively compete [techie split infinitive] with digital native media organisations who are less constrained by legacy technology and delivery platforms."
Thus adverts for staff to join a current BBC 'programme', delivering what they're calling "Internet-Fit Radio". It's coming to the end of a one-year design phase (thus demonstrating further the BBC's lack of agility). From April next year, it should move into a three- to -five-year implementation programme, rebuilding infrastructure and refitting studios.
This programme comes some twenty years after general acceptance that the internet and internet protocol transmission is here to stay. Spookily, over the next five years, BBC Radio Production, home to this project, has to get real and compete with indies for the right to make 60% of current network output.
Thus adverts for staff to join a current BBC 'programme', delivering what they're calling "Internet-Fit Radio". It's coming to the end of a one-year design phase (thus demonstrating further the BBC's lack of agility). From April next year, it should move into a three- to -five-year implementation programme, rebuilding infrastructure and refitting studios.
This programme comes some twenty years after general acceptance that the internet and internet protocol transmission is here to stay. Spookily, over the next five years, BBC Radio Production, home to this project, has to get real and compete with indies for the right to make 60% of current network output.
Movement
The news that Facebook is hiring an additional 500 staff for its UK operation comes ahead of a move to new accommodation, in One Rathbone Square, W1.
The social media giant has taken all available office space in the development, and wants to convert some of the ground floor retail areas for its own use, subject to planning permission. The office deal gives .
Facebook 227,324 sq ft for 15 years at an initial rent of £16.9m a year, after receiving 30 months rent free. There's no break clause.
Rathbone Square was designed by Make Architects for developers Great Portland Estates from old Post Office buildings - it's a short stroll from the emerging Crossrail mega-hub at Tottenham Court Road. Facebook have a hedge for further expansion, with options on more office space at Dean St and along Oxford Street.
Most of Facebook's London staff are currently north of Warren Street, along the Euston Road, with some still in rented space closer to the BBC. A move to the eastern side of Fitzrovia would take some pressure off the BBC's favoured eateries and places of liquid refreshment, and perhaps result in fewer beards in the area.
Rathbone Square was designed by Make Architects for developers Great Portland Estates from old Post Office buildings - it's a short stroll from the emerging Crossrail mega-hub at Tottenham Court Road. Facebook have a hedge for further expansion, with options on more office space at Dean St and along Oxford Street.
Most of Facebook's London staff are currently north of Warren Street, along the Euston Road, with some still in rented space closer to the BBC. A move to the eastern side of Fitzrovia would take some pressure off the BBC's favoured eateries and places of liquid refreshment, and perhaps result in fewer beards in the area.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Sweet soil, hello again...
Former BBC DG Mark Thompson is clearly unwilling to abandon his British roots. From his Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan, the current New York Times CEO has secured a spell on the board of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Still, he only has to make one meeting a year, usually chaired by The Prince of Wales. Perhaps Skype will do.
Big-ish
Red frizzante all round in the Charlotte Moore household today - the Director of BBC Content and Chief Minder of BBC1 will have been delighted by the return of Michael McIntyre's Big Show to Saturday night's schedule. It was watched by an average of 6.18 million viewers, according to the overnight figures, just shading the XFactor, at 6.13m. The graphs apparently show that XFactor was generally ahead of the pleased-with-himself roly-poly funster, but lost out in the mutiple ad-breaks.
But is it distinctive, Ofcom ?
But is it distinctive, Ofcom ?
Circular
Your weekend reading really should include Michael Wolff's interview with Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in The Hollywood Reporter. Here's a teaser - Steve's thoughts on the US media.
"The media bubble is the ultimate symbol of what's wrong with this country. It's just a circle of people talking to themselves who have no f—ing idea what's going on. If The New York Times didn't exist, CNN and MSNBC would be a test pattern. The Huffington Post and everything else is predicated on The New York Times. It's a closed circle of information from which Hillary Clinton got all her information — and her confidence. That was our opening."
"The media bubble is the ultimate symbol of what's wrong with this country. It's just a circle of people talking to themselves who have no f—ing idea what's going on. If The New York Times didn't exist, CNN and MSNBC would be a test pattern. The Huffington Post and everything else is predicated on The New York Times. It's a closed circle of information from which Hillary Clinton got all her information — and her confidence. That was our opening."
Add
My report of the #saveBBCradio meeting at Westminster missed the BBC's participation.
Director of Radio and Education James Purnell sent his new No 2, Bob. This from the NUJ notes of events.....
Bob Shennan told the meeting that the status quo was untenable. He said there had been talk of radio production going the same ways as TV with 100 per cent being put out to tender. He admitted the BBC had been put under pressure from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and politicians to go further than to 60 per cent, but eventually they came up with a deal that RIG [Radio Independents Group] could agree to. He admitted the tendering process would shift resources away from programme making, but said the BBC’s in-house production would benefit from the competition and would win out because of its quality. “Just because 60 per cent is put out to tender, it does not mean that 60 per cent will go out of the BBC,” he said.
Director of Radio and Education James Purnell sent his new No 2, Bob. This from the NUJ notes of events.....
Bob Shennan told the meeting that the status quo was untenable. He said there had been talk of radio production going the same ways as TV with 100 per cent being put out to tender. He admitted the BBC had been put under pressure from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and politicians to go further than to 60 per cent, but eventually they came up with a deal that RIG [Radio Independents Group] could agree to. He admitted the tendering process would shift resources away from programme making, but said the BBC’s in-house production would benefit from the competition and would win out because of its quality. “Just because 60 per cent is put out to tender, it does not mean that 60 per cent will go out of the BBC,” he said.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Sharon Jones RIP
If there hadn't been Sharon Jones, there might not have been worldwide fame for Amy Winehouse - discuss.
Sharon has died aged sixty, after a three year battle with pancreatic cancer. She'd grown up singing in gospel choirs in South Carolina, and moved to Brooklyn as a child. She'd worked as a prison officer at Rikers Island and as an armed guard for Wells Fargo; she first started in professional music as a session singer and with wedding bands. She moved from backing singer to lead at the age of 40 with the single “Damn It’s Hot,” in 1996.
Her producer, Gabriel Roth set up an old-style soul band band around Sharon - The Dap-Kings were formed from former members of The Soul Providers and The Mighty Imperials. Roth, as 'Bosco Mann', was on bass, Binky Griptite was on guitar, Homer Steinweiss on drums, and Earl Maxton on keyboards. Plus a horn section of Leon Michels and Anda Szilagyi. The retro thing ran through the operation - they liked releasing old school 7inch 45s, and recording on reel to reel tape machines.
British producer Mark Ronson was a big fan, and hired the Dap-Kings (sans Sharon) to work on Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black. Then the band accompanied Amy on her US tour.
Here's Sharon live in Seattle - sorry about the ad.
Sharon has died aged sixty, after a three year battle with pancreatic cancer. She'd grown up singing in gospel choirs in South Carolina, and moved to Brooklyn as a child. She'd worked as a prison officer at Rikers Island and as an armed guard for Wells Fargo; she first started in professional music as a session singer and with wedding bands. She moved from backing singer to lead at the age of 40 with the single “Damn It’s Hot,” in 1996.
Her producer, Gabriel Roth set up an old-style soul band band around Sharon - The Dap-Kings were formed from former members of The Soul Providers and The Mighty Imperials. Roth, as 'Bosco Mann', was on bass, Binky Griptite was on guitar, Homer Steinweiss on drums, and Earl Maxton on keyboards. Plus a horn section of Leon Michels and Anda Szilagyi. The retro thing ran through the operation - they liked releasing old school 7inch 45s, and recording on reel to reel tape machines.
British producer Mark Ronson was a big fan, and hired the Dap-Kings (sans Sharon) to work on Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black. Then the band accompanied Amy on her US tour.
Here's Sharon live in Seattle - sorry about the ad.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Talking comfortably
Those pining for a return to Television Centre might consider applying for the job of Marketing Suite Assistant, with estate agents Savills.
Here's my selection from the list of 'Key Responsibilities'.
Here's my selection from the list of 'Key Responsibilities'.
- Managing cleaning of Pavilion
- Managing repairs to all marketing material, models/film etc.
- Ensuring supplies of all collateral are kept in stock
- Managing the ‘ambience’ side of the marketing suite in terms of music, candles, diffusers etc.
- Meeting and greeting visitors
- Managing supplies of refreshments
- Being an ambassador for the project and able to talk comfortably about the project
Titbits
- Earlier this month Sky News boss John Ryley told the Guardian "We are making the biggest investment since Sky News began in 1989". Clearly the investment is in bricks, mortar, glass and engineering at the cost of people - why else would cheeky staffers hold a Survivors Party last night ?
- Former BBC Balkans expert Misha Glenny (Mr Kirsty Lang) has been cheered to find that a drama series based on his 2008 book MacMafia is now being co-funded by BBC America and BBC Worldwide, as well as Cuba Pictures and the BBC proper.
- Top programme on the BBC last night ? Sadly not The Apprentice, but the bundle of BBC regional and national news shows at 6.30pm - 5.6m viewers in the overnights, a 31% share of the available viewers.
Timetable
We should know who is to be the first chair of the new BBC (unitary) Board by at least January 12th 2017.
That's the closing date for applications to be a non-executive on the same board; clearly both the DCMS and BBC are a little nervous about people applying 'blind'. The preferred candidate for the Chair will sit in on all the interviews for non-executives, whether they are putting themselves forward down the "Nations & Regions" route, to represent the interests of licence-fee payers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, or if they want to be a non-exec bringing other specialist background to the table.
That's the closing date for applications to be a non-executive on the same board; clearly both the DCMS and BBC are a little nervous about people applying 'blind'. The preferred candidate for the Chair will sit in on all the interviews for non-executives, whether they are putting themselves forward down the "Nations & Regions" route, to represent the interests of licence-fee payers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, or if they want to be a non-exec bringing other specialist background to the table.
Push
Amazon are pulling plenty of levers to maximise their investment in Clarkson, Hammond and May. The first Grand Tour show is now available in the US, the UK, Germany, Austria, Japan - and, quietly, Australia. They promise a total of 200 countries will have access by December. New episodes will be released every Friday for the next eleven weeks.
And today, Black Friday, there's a discount for taking out an Amazon Prime subscription around the world. In the UK, a year's deal costs £59, as opposed to the usual £79, until midnight tonight.
And today, Black Friday, there's a discount for taking out an Amazon Prime subscription around the world. In the UK, a year's deal costs £59, as opposed to the usual £79, until midnight tonight.
You say that, but...
In a post-truth world, imagining the course of a live or as-live broadcast interview is a tricky business.
As a trainee in the early 70s, I occasionally studio-produced The World Tonight on Radio 4, presented then by Douglas Stewart. Douglas would hand-write twelve or so questions ahead of each interview, in his presenter's cubby hole. They followed his own estimate of presumed answers, locked and frozen in order. "You say that, but....", "Given that is your position, what do you say to....", "In the light of that, shall we turn to..." etc etc. Thankfully, most one-to-one interviews were pre-recorded, and turned into something less obviously structured with the help of a razor blade - especially required when the answers were not what Douglas had anticipated, but had still sailed on.
There were three BBC News interviews this week where it seemed to me that the home side - either editor, fixer, researcher, producer or presenter - hadn't properly thought things through. All three were uncomfortable listens.
Justin Webb on Today wanted to be the first to prove that the Breitbart website was anti-semitic; his interviewee Joel Pollack had been around the block before. Sarah Montague, also on Today, wanted autistic Lauri Love, accused of hacking US government computers, to admit the offence on air. Evan Davis, on Newsnight, seemed annoyed that former Yorkshire copper Sir Norman Bettison, of Hillsborough notoriety, had the audacity to write a book; Sir Norman, a Oxford University psychology and philosophy graduate, was largely impervious, as Evan became obviously more exasperated, dropping question note after question note.
Improvement needed.
As a trainee in the early 70s, I occasionally studio-produced The World Tonight on Radio 4, presented then by Douglas Stewart. Douglas would hand-write twelve or so questions ahead of each interview, in his presenter's cubby hole. They followed his own estimate of presumed answers, locked and frozen in order. "You say that, but....", "Given that is your position, what do you say to....", "In the light of that, shall we turn to..." etc etc. Thankfully, most one-to-one interviews were pre-recorded, and turned into something less obviously structured with the help of a razor blade - especially required when the answers were not what Douglas had anticipated, but had still sailed on.
There were three BBC News interviews this week where it seemed to me that the home side - either editor, fixer, researcher, producer or presenter - hadn't properly thought things through. All three were uncomfortable listens.
Justin Webb on Today wanted to be the first to prove that the Breitbart website was anti-semitic; his interviewee Joel Pollack had been around the block before. Sarah Montague, also on Today, wanted autistic Lauri Love, accused of hacking US government computers, to admit the offence on air. Evan Davis, on Newsnight, seemed annoyed that former Yorkshire copper Sir Norman Bettison, of Hillsborough notoriety, had the audacity to write a book; Sir Norman, a Oxford University psychology and philosophy graduate, was largely impervious, as Evan became obviously more exasperated, dropping question note after question note.
Improvement needed.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Thriller ?
I'm at a loss to understand how BBC drama commissioning works these days. BBC America, half owned by AMC Networks, has commissioned London-based Sid Gentle Films to make an eight-part series out of the Villanelle spy novellas, written by London-based Yank Luke Jennings. Villanelle is a Russian-born psychotic professional assassin, hunted by British spy Eve Polastri. The series will be called Killing Eve, and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge for transmission in 2018.
There's no sign of BBC Worldwide involvement, who are normally keen to be in everyone's press releases. Does the BBC have to buy this from BBC America ?
There's no sign of BBC Worldwide involvement, who are normally keen to be in everyone's press releases. Does the BBC have to buy this from BBC America ?
Ungripped
It's all gone a bit wild and whacky at Radio 2, with Big Bob out of the way. Jeremy Clarkson is on The Steve Wright Show this afternoon (at least it's all edited, to make both parties vaguely funny); and Simon Mayo is still doing recipes. Today, Canard Aux Peches from Pierre Koffman.
Good Morgan ?
We're heading (next week) to the first anniversary of Piers Morgan's three-day-a-week contract presenting Good Morning Britain on ITV
The overnights say 740k were watching. That compares with 610k for Piers' first day on contract. It compares with a 710k the following Thursday, when he was off. And it compares with the 800k average Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley were returning when fired from Daybreak in November 2011.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 17, 2016
The overnights say 740k were watching. That compares with 610k for Piers' first day on contract. It compares with a 710k the following Thursday, when he was off. And it compares with the 800k average Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley were returning when fired from Daybreak in November 2011.
Content is king
There are 111 vacancies currently advertised on the BBC jobs website. Eight are involved directly in 'content'. They need a Broadcast Journalist (newsreader) at Radio Humberside; a Broadcast Journalist who speaks Gaelic; two who are bilingual in Hausa and English; two who are bilingual in Thai and English; an Investigations Editor for Newsnight; and a Tutti 1st Violin for the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
The rest are in marketing, engineering, HR, finance, operations and administration. Plus some work experience opportunities.
The rest are in marketing, engineering, HR, finance, operations and administration. Plus some work experience opportunities.
Uberisation
Last night's meeting in the Commons to #saveBBCradio attracted some influential names, gathered to oppose the plan to put 60% of network radio production out to tender..
"This is the death of BBC Radio" said Paul Jackson, head of BBC Entertainment in the 90s. "Are the BBC really hapy to shift money from creative into administrative ? " asked Sir John Tusa, former Newsnight presenter and MD of the World Service.
David John of Equity pointed out that the union doesn't have agreements with indies in general. "Actors have been told they won't be paid for rehearsals. We don't want radio to just survive, we want it to flourish. We feel this plan goes against that".
Telegraph critic Gillian Reynolds was on form. "Have licence-fee payers been consulted about these changes to radio? Are they aware ? No."
"Rupert Murdoch has just made a significant investment in [UK] fradio - be warned.
"We are not trying to demonise indies. We are just trying to prevent the Uberisation of radio."
"This is the death of BBC Radio" said Paul Jackson, head of BBC Entertainment in the 90s. "Are the BBC really hapy to shift money from creative into administrative ? " asked Sir John Tusa, former Newsnight presenter and MD of the World Service.
David John of Equity pointed out that the union doesn't have agreements with indies in general. "Actors have been told they won't be paid for rehearsals. We don't want radio to just survive, we want it to flourish. We feel this plan goes against that".
Telegraph critic Gillian Reynolds was on form. "Have licence-fee payers been consulted about these changes to radio? Are they aware ? No."
"Rupert Murdoch has just made a significant investment in [UK] fradio - be warned.
"We are not trying to demonise indies. We are just trying to prevent the Uberisation of radio."
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Big Questions
The World At One. Extended by 15 minutes in 2011 to carry more news.
Today, presenter and Netflix subscriber Martha Kearney rings up the writer of Netflix drama series The Crown, Peter Morgan, and asks him whether it's all true or not. It lasts 5 minutes 27 secs.
Today, presenter and Netflix subscriber Martha Kearney rings up the writer of Netflix drama series The Crown, Peter Morgan, and asks him whether it's all true or not. It lasts 5 minutes 27 secs.
Matrixed environment
Sorry to post this one just as some may be sitting down to a spot of lunch. The BBC is advertising for a Head of Marketing Sciences.
"Audiences bring the outside in via research, insights and data; Marketing takes the inside out via brand strategies, campaigns and audience engagement."
"This is an exciting opportunity for a senior Marketing Scientist with experience using advanced statistical techniques to look at multiple data sets, and with a proven track record as a strategic thinker with the ability to communicate meaningful insight to stakeholders across a matrixed environment."
"As the Head of Marketing Sciences you will lead the BBCs statistical thinking about audiences, bringing the data to life and using it to drive change that provides stability, growth and brilliant content. You will be responsible for the insight gained from the use of wide ranging statistical applications including but not limited to audience forecasting, segmentation, advanced data analysis and media mix modelling. We want you to be forward thinking bringing new innovations, ideas and methods into the organisation especially in statistical methods, pattern recognition, predictive modelling and time series analysis. As a leader in Marketing Sciences you will manage discussions with stakeholders, working closely with our data science team, strategy and the wider Audiences team, recommending advanced statistical techniques to drive strategic and tactical changes to meet business needs."
"Audiences bring the outside in via research, insights and data; Marketing takes the inside out via brand strategies, campaigns and audience engagement."
"This is an exciting opportunity for a senior Marketing Scientist with experience using advanced statistical techniques to look at multiple data sets, and with a proven track record as a strategic thinker with the ability to communicate meaningful insight to stakeholders across a matrixed environment."
"As the Head of Marketing Sciences you will lead the BBCs statistical thinking about audiences, bringing the data to life and using it to drive change that provides stability, growth and brilliant content. You will be responsible for the insight gained from the use of wide ranging statistical applications including but not limited to audience forecasting, segmentation, advanced data analysis and media mix modelling. We want you to be forward thinking bringing new innovations, ideas and methods into the organisation especially in statistical methods, pattern recognition, predictive modelling and time series analysis. As a leader in Marketing Sciences you will manage discussions with stakeholders, working closely with our data science team, strategy and the wider Audiences team, recommending advanced statistical techniques to drive strategic and tactical changes to meet business needs."
Imagine
"Hello, you're through to Content Control, Compete and Compare Central - what's your problem ?"
"Hello again. It's The One Show here - thanks for all your help with Sir Cliff last week. It's about Clarkson."
"You're winding me up - we're still on the Gompertz case for that free News plug, The Today programme are doing that turncoat Wilman, and now you ?"
"Well if we do Clarkson, we're reckoning on a Top Ten placing in your Compete and Compare Social Media Meltdown Weekly Metric - that's the sort of thing you want, isn't it ? And free publicity for competitors hits both Transparency and Distinctive key performance indicators, as I remember .."
"Look, it's a straight forward no - Tony's had enough."
"Well what if we just do Hammond and May.... (fade out)
(A little later)
"Hello, Content Control here. What's the issue ?"
"Afternoon, boss, Radio 2 here...."
"Hello again. It's The One Show here - thanks for all your help with Sir Cliff last week. It's about Clarkson."
"You're winding me up - we're still on the Gompertz case for that free News plug, The Today programme are doing that turncoat Wilman, and now you ?"
"Well if we do Clarkson, we're reckoning on a Top Ten placing in your Compete and Compare Social Media Meltdown Weekly Metric - that's the sort of thing you want, isn't it ? And free publicity for competitors hits both Transparency and Distinctive key performance indicators, as I remember .."
"Look, it's a straight forward no - Tony's had enough."
"Well what if we just do Hammond and May.... (fade out)
(A little later)
"Hello, Content Control here. What's the issue ?"
"Afternoon, boss, Radio 2 here...."
Talking your language
The BBC has put much more detail on how it intends to spend Foreign Office money in expanding the World Service.
There are to be offerings, of varying scale, delivery and ambition, in 11 'new' languages. Here they are, listed by Wiki's estimate of how many people have each as their first tongue.
Punjabi 100m
Korean 76m
Telugu 76m
Marathi 73m
Gujurati 49m
Nigerian Pidgin 30m
Yoruba 28m
Igbo 24m
Afaan Oromo 24m
Amharic 24m
Tigrinya 4m
That's a new market totalling over 500m - and good old BBC Advertising is already on the case.
It's a pleasure to read that there'll also be additional investment in World Service English, "with new programmes, more original journalism, and a broader agenda". It would be interesting to know if this is new money from the Foreign Office or from James Harding's licence-fee pot.
The BBC says this is the biggest expansion since the 1940s, with broadcasting planned for 40 languages including English, by the end of 2017. Ahem. In 2005 the World Service was broadcasting in 43 languages including English: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Caribbean-English, Cantonese, French for Africa, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese plus Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, and Thai - the last ten pulled in 2006.
Punjabi 100m
Korean 76m
Telugu 76m
Marathi 73m
Gujurati 49m
Nigerian Pidgin 30m
Yoruba 28m
Igbo 24m
Afaan Oromo 24m
Amharic 24m
Tigrinya 4m
That's a new market totalling over 500m - and good old BBC Advertising is already on the case.
Target non-English speaking audiences all around the world to get more traction on your next campaign https://t.co/9FR6dCNfoo https://t.co/pm9R8nYHgT— BBC_Advertising (@BBC_Advertising) November 16, 2016
It's a pleasure to read that there'll also be additional investment in World Service English, "with new programmes, more original journalism, and a broader agenda". It would be interesting to know if this is new money from the Foreign Office or from James Harding's licence-fee pot.
The BBC says this is the biggest expansion since the 1940s, with broadcasting planned for 40 languages including English, by the end of 2017. Ahem. In 2005 the World Service was broadcasting in 43 languages including English: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Caribbean-English, Cantonese, French for Africa, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese plus Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, and Thai - the last ten pulled in 2006.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Quizzical
A dull, low-scoring edition of University Challenge on BBC2 still racked up 3.1m viewers (14% share), according to the overnight ratings - that's up between 300k and 500k on the current average. Some compensation for Paxman for his book sales.
I'm a Celebrity attracted close to 9.4m (including those watching on +10, pushing Children in Need Rocks below 4m (how far, I'm not sure). Yet the BBC News at Huw with Sophie still rallied to 4.2m.
I'm a Celebrity attracted close to 9.4m (including those watching on +10, pushing Children in Need Rocks below 4m (how far, I'm not sure). Yet the BBC News at Huw with Sophie still rallied to 4.2m.
Nicked
Former BBC inquisitor Nick Pollard has stepped up to chair Ofcom's Content Board on an interim basis, and will join the regulator's main board. This follows the departure of former Economist editor Bill Emmott, who wrote an article Ofcom thought broke their code of practice.
Six months at Ofcom will probably involve Nick in writing the 'distinctive' requirement into the BBC's new service licences. What fun !
Six months at Ofcom will probably involve Nick in writing the 'distinctive' requirement into the BBC's new service licences. What fun !
Monday, November 14, 2016
Behind you
Born in Bulkington, he got his first taste of showbusiness as a cub scout in the gang show at Bedworth Civic Hall. This was followed by appearances with Nuneaton Amateur Operatics and Dramatics Society and PR Panto Productions ('The Midlands No 1'), and after leaving Blue Coat School in Coventry, he studied drama at Hull University.
Does it add up ?
Old hand Tony Lennon of the broadcast union BECTU has penned the organisation's response to the BBC Trust's consultation on making BBC Studios a commercial subsidiary.
Here's his conclusion:
FUNDAMENTAL CONTRADICTIONS
BBC Studios will find that many aspects of its operation are at odds with the BBC’s public purposes, principles, and practices:
An obligation of commercial efficiency, and profit-production, will conflict with the need for programme-makers to take risks in the interests of range and diversity, rather than backing sure-fire hits.
The company’s presence as a commercial entity within the BBC’s structure will expose it to many on-costs that competitors either don’t carry, or pay less for.
Public obligations like providing training for the whole industry and achieving employment diversity, are at odds with the practical financial realities of the sector in which BBC Studios will have to compete.
Fulfilling the public purposes incumbent on the BBC - including citizenship, education and learning, stimulating the UK’s regions, and delivering new technology to the public - can only be delivered by BBC Studios if it incurs costs that none of its competitors have to carry.
Here's his conclusion:
FUNDAMENTAL CONTRADICTIONS
BBC Studios will find that many aspects of its operation are at odds with the BBC’s public purposes, principles, and practices:
An obligation of commercial efficiency, and profit-production, will conflict with the need for programme-makers to take risks in the interests of range and diversity, rather than backing sure-fire hits.
The company’s presence as a commercial entity within the BBC’s structure will expose it to many on-costs that competitors either don’t carry, or pay less for.
Public obligations like providing training for the whole industry and achieving employment diversity, are at odds with the practical financial realities of the sector in which BBC Studios will have to compete.
Fulfilling the public purposes incumbent on the BBC - including citizenship, education and learning, stimulating the UK’s regions, and delivering new technology to the public - can only be delivered by BBC Studios if it incurs costs that none of its competitors have to carry.
Neck
Style iconoclast Alan Yentob found some proper trousers for last night's Evening Standard Theatre Awards; but still cocked a trendy snook by dispensing with a bow tie. Here he is mentoring XFactor favourite Sadiq Khan.
Leon Russell RIP
It would be an unmatched cv for any pianist - playing on The Beachboys' California Girls, Bobby 'Boris Pickett's Monster Mash and The Byrds' Mr Tambourine Man.
But Leon Russell also wrote Delta Lady, A Song For You, Tightrope, This Masquerade, Superstar, and this, Hummingbird, which B B King included on his own favourite album, Indianola Mississippi Seeds, with Leon as pianist.
But Leon Russell also wrote Delta Lady, A Song For You, Tightrope, This Masquerade, Superstar, and this, Hummingbird, which B B King included on his own favourite album, Indianola Mississippi Seeds, with Leon as pianist.
Tower blocking
BBC staffers still toiling at White City could find it all a little shadier in the future. The new landlords are proposing three new blocks on the space at the south of the former White City Stadium site, with the tallest rising to 22 storeys above ground, and the next a healthy 12. The existing buildings to the north are no more than six or seven storeys.
The space is currently part grassed, and nice for picnics, and part, a rather damaged temporary car park (Reader, I worked on its design !) now functioning as a sort of compound for odd vehicles. At one stage, the BBC proposed a new concert hall should complete the site. If Hammersmith & Fulham Council had been friendlier to Auntie, it might have happened.
The architects are Allies & Morrison; these are not designs, but demonstrations of the proposed shape and scale of the buildings, named, imaginatively, Gateway West, Gateway Central and Gateway East.
The space is currently part grassed, and nice for picnics, and part, a rather damaged temporary car park (Reader, I worked on its design !) now functioning as a sort of compound for odd vehicles. At one stage, the BBC proposed a new concert hall should complete the site. If Hammersmith & Fulham Council had been friendlier to Auntie, it might have happened.
The architects are Allies & Morrison; these are not designs, but demonstrations of the proposed shape and scale of the buildings, named, imaginatively, Gateway West, Gateway Central and Gateway East.
 |
| New buildings in red shaded area |
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Richard Anthony Baker
Richard Anthony Baker, a BBC news writer, producer and presenter for 30-odd years, has died aged 70.
Richard came from an East End working-class heritage. The Bakers made fireworks, eventually selling out to Brocks. His father, Bill moved to Leigh-on-Sea. He took the stage name Will Keogh and became a minor music hall comedian, basing his act on that of Billy Bennett. Son Richard built on that acquired family knowledge to produce and present series after series on Radio 2 on the music hall greats, and several books on the same topic. Richard also collected Victorian sheet music, which he played on the trombone, tuba and sousaphone.
His elder brother John joined the BBC as a studio manager, eventually being paid for his musical skills at the Radiophonic Workshop.
Richard joined the BBC Radio Newsroom as a sub, rising to Assistant Editor. He used it as a springboard for many other things. He contributed jokes to Weekending, produced International Assignment on Radio 4, and devised and presented over three hundred editions of Brief Lives on Radio 5 Live, the pioneering radio obituary programme, pre-cursor of the slightly-better-staffed The Last Word on Radio 4. The obituary-writing continued after the BBC, with close to three hundred produced for The Stage. He also co-edited a six-monthly-journal, British Music Hall Studies.
Richard came from an East End working-class heritage. The Bakers made fireworks, eventually selling out to Brocks. His father, Bill moved to Leigh-on-Sea. He took the stage name Will Keogh and became a minor music hall comedian, basing his act on that of Billy Bennett. Son Richard built on that acquired family knowledge to produce and present series after series on Radio 2 on the music hall greats, and several books on the same topic. Richard also collected Victorian sheet music, which he played on the trombone, tuba and sousaphone.His elder brother John joined the BBC as a studio manager, eventually being paid for his musical skills at the Radiophonic Workshop.Richard joined the BBC Radio Newsroom as a sub, rising to Assistant Editor. He used it as a springboard for many other things. He contributed jokes to Weekending, produced International Assignment on Radio 4, and devised and presented over three hundred editions of Brief Lives on Radio 5 Live, the pioneering radio obituary programme, pre-cursor of the slightly-better-staffed The Last Word on Radio 4. The obituary-writing continued after the BBC, with close to three hundred produced for The Stage. He also co-edited a six-monthly-journal, British Music Hall Studies.
Rotation
Yet another Brit with the BBC in his CV gets a gig running news at RTE.
Jon Williams, who rose to boss BBC foreign newsgathering before his departure for the States in 2013, is returning from running ABC's international news operations, to become Managing Director of News and Current Affairs, based in Dublin.
He replaces Kevin Bakhurst, former BBC News channel boss, who has left Dublin for a role in Ofcom. But Kevin was also billed as Deputy Director General - a title not (yet ?) afforded to Jon. Jon (King George V Southport, BA Politics & History, Manchester, Liverpool FC supporter) is, I guess, entering his fifties, but retains youthful looks through running and yoga.
Jon Williams, who rose to boss BBC foreign newsgathering before his departure for the States in 2013, is returning from running ABC's international news operations, to become Managing Director of News and Current Affairs, based in Dublin.
He replaces Kevin Bakhurst, former BBC News channel boss, who has left Dublin for a role in Ofcom. But Kevin was also billed as Deputy Director General - a title not (yet ?) afforded to Jon. Jon (King George V Southport, BA Politics & History, Manchester, Liverpool FC supporter) is, I guess, entering his fifties, but retains youthful looks through running and yoga.
Measurements
The advert, internal only, for a new editor of the Today programme on Radio 4, has appeared pretty quickly after the announcement that Jamie Angus, current incumbent, is off to the World Service Group.
Today, apparently without contradiction or challenge, is "the BBC’s primary news-making outlet".
"The editor will aim both to increase the tune-in time for the many millions of existing listeners and, by embracing and supporting new digital initiatives, to reach out to new, younger audiences."
Despite a thirty-year-odd career in radio, I am unfamiliar with the metric 'tune-in time'; Google is no help either, so I may not be applying.
Today, apparently without contradiction or challenge, is "the BBC’s primary news-making outlet".
"The editor will aim both to increase the tune-in time for the many millions of existing listeners and, by embracing and supporting new digital initiatives, to reach out to new, younger audiences."
Despite a thirty-year-odd career in radio, I am unfamiliar with the metric 'tune-in time'; Google is no help either, so I may not be applying.
- A correspondent with more up-to-date knowledge of measuring radio audiences writes that tune-in-time "is not what grown-up audience analysts say. TSL is 'time spent listening' and used as a formal metric in many markets, including the US. 'Hours per listener' is Rajar's equivalent, but is quoted by station, not programme. A sensible hours strategy would use Today to drive up hours per listener across the whole of Radio 4. 'Listen again' metrics aside, trying to grow hours only within Today will be frustrated by lifestyle-driven behaviours like people going to work."
- At least there's an ad. No sign of one yet for the next Controller of Radio 2.
Costly
An argument over legal costs means Alan Yentob's lawyers might not get quite as much dosh from the Mirror Group in the phone-hacking case as previously thought.
Mr Yentob and his solicitors Steel and Shamash entered into a conditional fee agreement (no win, no fee) in September 2013 , but didn't officially inform the Mirror legal team that the deal was in place until April 2014, and that's against the rules. In a hearing to settle disputes over who pays what, lawyers for Mr Yentob agreed it was an oversight, and that there was no good reason for the delay, but that it was clear to everyone this was a CFA case. Master Gordon-Saker said that wasn't good enough.
It looks, to this amateur, like Mr Yentob's solicitors will lose out on three months' fees. Maybe Al, who was awarded £85k in damages, can help them out.
Mr Yentob and his solicitors Steel and Shamash entered into a conditional fee agreement (no win, no fee) in September 2013 , but didn't officially inform the Mirror legal team that the deal was in place until April 2014, and that's against the rules. In a hearing to settle disputes over who pays what, lawyers for Mr Yentob agreed it was an oversight, and that there was no good reason for the delay, but that it was clear to everyone this was a CFA case. Master Gordon-Saker said that wasn't good enough.
It looks, to this amateur, like Mr Yentob's solicitors will lose out on three months' fees. Maybe Al, who was awarded £85k in damages, can help them out.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Tweets and emails
If you enjoy data-mining, you'll enjoy this analysis of Donald Trump's Tweets.
It works out which have come from his own Samsung Galaxy, using Android, and which from iPhones, written by his staff. And it further confirms direct authorship using punctuation and word scans, and something called 'sentiment' data - the Android tweets are demonstrably angrier and more negative.
He needs considerable training or permanent confiscation of the Samsung. Why, it's almost like using a private email server....
It works out which have come from his own Samsung Galaxy, using Android, and which from iPhones, written by his staff. And it further confirms direct authorship using punctuation and word scans, and something called 'sentiment' data - the Android tweets are demonstrably angrier and more negative.
He needs considerable training or permanent confiscation of the Samsung. Why, it's almost like using a private email server....
Merry-go-round 3
Congratulations to Mark Hedgecoe, newly appointed Head of BBC Factual, Scotland. He will also have some form of pastoral care ('a broader non-editorial leadership role') of all BBC Studios activity in Scotland.
Mark, 48, went to Eagle House, prep school for Wellington, where there's too much information to choose from. He won Victor Ludorum of the Middle School, shooting medals, played No 8 at Rugby, etc, as well as finding time to play The Dragon King in Where The Rainbow Ends, and The Mikado in the G&S entertainment of the same name. Thence to Durham University, and a BBC traineeship.
London-based in tv science, history and other documentary production, he moved from the shadow of QPR to the countryside north of Glasgow a couple of years ahead of the Scottish referendum. Housed not far from Duntreath Castle, he's a trustee of the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust. He's been acting Head of Arts in Scotland, which may or may not mean that he's responsible, pastorally at least, for Alan Yentob - who can tell ?
Mark, 48, went to Eagle House, prep school for Wellington, where there's too much information to choose from. He won Victor Ludorum of the Middle School, shooting medals, played No 8 at Rugby, etc, as well as finding time to play The Dragon King in Where The Rainbow Ends, and The Mikado in the G&S entertainment of the same name. Thence to Durham University, and a BBC traineeship.
London-based in tv science, history and other documentary production, he moved from the shadow of QPR to the countryside north of Glasgow a couple of years ahead of the Scottish referendum. Housed not far from Duntreath Castle, he's a trustee of the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust. He's been acting Head of Arts in Scotland, which may or may not mean that he's responsible, pastorally at least, for Alan Yentob - who can tell ?
Merry-go-round 2
The BBC's Head of Religion and Ethics, Aaqil Ahmed, is leaving the BBC, after his job was split in two and taken away. The bit where he makes programmes has gone to a new department, BBC Factual Scotland, to be run by Mark Hedgecoe (more later) with support from one of Aaqil's team, Tommy Nagra.
One of the department's biggest earners, Songs of Praise, is already out to tender, under "Compete and Compare". (Quite how any of this helps keep up production quotas in Salford, where the show is headquartered, is another matter, for another time).
Aaqil's other task was to commission programmes, which he lost in 2015, when religion was bundled up with science, business and history. Aaqil's departure is a blow to diversity at senior management level; he's been a mover and shaker on that front for a number of outside organisations. He was born in Bolton, did a B.Tec in graphic design at Wigan College of Technology, then a degree in Photography Film and Video at Westminster. He started at the BBC straight from there as a researcher in the 'Multicultural Programmes Unit', and has been with Auntie most of his career, apart from 6 years at Channel 4. Here's a sort of parting plea from Aaqil.
One of the department's biggest earners, Songs of Praise, is already out to tender, under "Compete and Compare". (Quite how any of this helps keep up production quotas in Salford, where the show is headquartered, is another matter, for another time).
Aaqil's other task was to commission programmes, which he lost in 2015, when religion was bundled up with science, business and history. Aaqil's departure is a blow to diversity at senior management level; he's been a mover and shaker on that front for a number of outside organisations. He was born in Bolton, did a B.Tec in graphic design at Wigan College of Technology, then a degree in Photography Film and Video at Westminster. He started at the BBC straight from there as a researcher in the 'Multicultural Programmes Unit', and has been with Auntie most of his career, apart from 6 years at Channel 4. Here's a sort of parting plea from Aaqil.
Merry-go-round 1
Worra lorra job news at the BBC (for a Friday).
Jamie Angus, 42 (Old Dumptonian, Winchester College, Modern Languages, Magdalen, Oxford and LibDem press officer) is leaving the editorship of Today on Radio 4, for a new role as Deputy Director of the World Service Group and Editorial Director of BBC Global News Ltd - an entertaining job straddling advertising-funded and licence-fee funded output.
Jamie's BBC CV, running since 1999, has switched between domestic and global output, and has been turbo-charged by turbulent times, helping out with the post-McAlpine interregnum at Newsnight when Lord Hall arrived as DG, and winning the Today gig, at least partially, by proposing Mishal Husain as a new presenter. He's overseen the Nick Robinson/James Naughtie gavotte, and added pretty fixed additional business and arts slots to Today framework.
Friday also saw the last day at the BBC for Richard Porter. Richard's job looked a little like the one Jamie's got until earlier this year, when Mary Wilkinson stepped up as acting Editorial Director. Mary will continue in the role to help with Jamie's transition.
Jamie Angus, 42 (Old Dumptonian, Winchester College, Modern Languages, Magdalen, Oxford and LibDem press officer) is leaving the editorship of Today on Radio 4, for a new role as Deputy Director of the World Service Group and Editorial Director of BBC Global News Ltd - an entertaining job straddling advertising-funded and licence-fee funded output.
Jamie's BBC CV, running since 1999, has switched between domestic and global output, and has been turbo-charged by turbulent times, helping out with the post-McAlpine interregnum at Newsnight when Lord Hall arrived as DG, and winning the Today gig, at least partially, by proposing Mishal Husain as a new presenter. He's overseen the Nick Robinson/James Naughtie gavotte, and added pretty fixed additional business and arts slots to Today framework.
Friday also saw the last day at the BBC for Richard Porter. Richard's job looked a little like the one Jamie's got until earlier this year, when Mary Wilkinson stepped up as acting Editorial Director. Mary will continue in the role to help with Jamie's transition.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Two penn'orth
There's an emerging consensus that if journalists had spent more time examining underlying issues and less on tracking campaign rhetoric, then the Brexit and US Election Results would have been less of a shock - both to the journalists and their readers/viewers/listeners.
For the BBC, political teams in Millbank love a good binary row; Dimbleby and his producers seem to relish combative editions of Question Time; and even Andrew Neil on the worthy Daily Politics plays up to his own self-appointed Gimlet-eyed Inquisitor role by eviscerating junior politicians, rather than looking at policy.
The issues, at home and abroad, have been covered; the question is, with sufficient prominence ?
Remember John Humphrys on UK immigration ? Here's a good Radio 4 Analysis on the USA turning to protectionism. And here's a clear Reality Check: Do foreign workers take jobs and cut wages ?
Good, straightforward reporting and analysis. What is perhaps missing is 'debate'. I think current affairs shows were slightly hamstrung by counting appearances in the Brexit campaign, and a tad squeamish about casting long discussions on the future of free trade, movement of labour, crime, race, religion and terrorism, explicitly as part of 'issue' coverage, rather than as daily business. Such debates are hard to set up, hard to research, and hard to chair. It's also hard to attract an audience for them - especially on tv.
The issues still matter now. Let's see some BBC 'specials' soon.
For the BBC, political teams in Millbank love a good binary row; Dimbleby and his producers seem to relish combative editions of Question Time; and even Andrew Neil on the worthy Daily Politics plays up to his own self-appointed Gimlet-eyed Inquisitor role by eviscerating junior politicians, rather than looking at policy.
The issues, at home and abroad, have been covered; the question is, with sufficient prominence ?
Remember John Humphrys on UK immigration ? Here's a good Radio 4 Analysis on the USA turning to protectionism. And here's a clear Reality Check: Do foreign workers take jobs and cut wages ?
Good, straightforward reporting and analysis. What is perhaps missing is 'debate'. I think current affairs shows were slightly hamstrung by counting appearances in the Brexit campaign, and a tad squeamish about casting long discussions on the future of free trade, movement of labour, crime, race, religion and terrorism, explicitly as part of 'issue' coverage, rather than as daily business. Such debates are hard to set up, hard to research, and hard to chair. It's also hard to attract an audience for them - especially on tv.
The issues still matter now. Let's see some BBC 'specials' soon.
Get set - go
A little tardy on this, but it seems the UK breakfast tv audience response to the US election results was in inverse proportion to the various channels' spend on glitzy Times Square studio spots.
The smallest box of all, with guests lined up like ducks in a underlit shooting gallery, was rented by the BBC, and rewarded with a peak of 3.4m viewers at 7.45am, as Andrew Neil and Katty Kay ploughed on. Piers Morgan and overcoated-Susanna Reid, make much more of the view, were watched by an average of 980k, GMB's highest figures since the morning of Brexit. Sky News Sunrise attracted just 210k viewers.
The smallest box of all, with guests lined up like ducks in a underlit shooting gallery, was rented by the BBC, and rewarded with a peak of 3.4m viewers at 7.45am, as Andrew Neil and Katty Kay ploughed on. Piers Morgan and overcoated-Susanna Reid, make much more of the view, were watched by an average of 980k, GMB's highest figures since the morning of Brexit. Sky News Sunrise attracted just 210k viewers.
Handover
Transition is never cheap in finely-honed bureaucracies. The latest BBC Trust minutes hint at the issue as the Trust disappears at the start of April, with responsibilities split between the new (unitary) Board, and Ofcom.
The Trust noted that Ofcom had submitted an estimate of the charges it would apply to the BBC for regulation from April 2017, and for transitional work done during the current financial year. [redacted] Members agreed to discuss the charges further with Ofcom and DCMS.
Last year, the Trust handed over (from the licence fee) £2.425m to Ofcom in regulatory fees, and a further £445k for market impact assessments. BBC Trust staff produced a salary bill of £4.2m, with fees to twelve Trustees adding up to £588k. (That compares with £208k spent on 5 non-executive directors on Lord Hall's main board.)
Will it cost more than 2015/6's £10.2m to regulate the BBC in the next financial year ?
The Trust noted that Ofcom had submitted an estimate of the charges it would apply to the BBC for regulation from April 2017, and for transitional work done during the current financial year. [redacted] Members agreed to discuss the charges further with Ofcom and DCMS.
Last year, the Trust handed over (from the licence fee) £2.425m to Ofcom in regulatory fees, and a further £445k for market impact assessments. BBC Trust staff produced a salary bill of £4.2m, with fees to twelve Trustees adding up to £588k. (That compares with £208k spent on 5 non-executive directors on Lord Hall's main board.)
Will it cost more than 2015/6's £10.2m to regulate the BBC in the next financial year ?
Reigning men
In August 2013, Lord Hall said he wanted half of all 41 local radio breakfast programmes to be hosted or co-hosted by a woman, by the end of 2014.
The BBC internal awards for local radio are made by panels that combine internal and external judges. They still haven't quite grasped Lord Hall's breakfast agenda.
Best Breakfast Programme
2016 Toby Foster, Radio Sheffield
2015 Andy Whittaker, Radio Nottingham
2014 Toby Foster, Radio Sheffield*
2013 Tony Snell, Radio Merseyside
This year's awards ceremony was in Newcastle, and was a chance for nominees to meet the new top man, Ken MacQuarrie, Director of Nations and Regions, along with local radio boss David Holdsworth. It was jointly hosted by Alfie Joey of BBC Radio Newcastle and Britain's Got Talent fame, and fellow impressionist Jon Culshaw.
*Martyn Weston, Toby's managing editor, left Sheffield in April this year. Katrina Bunker is the new editor.
The BBC internal awards for local radio are made by panels that combine internal and external judges. They still haven't quite grasped Lord Hall's breakfast agenda.
Best Breakfast Programme
2016 Toby Foster, Radio Sheffield
2015 Andy Whittaker, Radio Nottingham
2014 Toby Foster, Radio Sheffield*
2013 Tony Snell, Radio Merseyside
This year's awards ceremony was in Newcastle, and was a chance for nominees to meet the new top man, Ken MacQuarrie, Director of Nations and Regions, along with local radio boss David Holdsworth. It was jointly hosted by Alfie Joey of BBC Radio Newcastle and Britain's Got Talent fame, and fellow impressionist Jon Culshaw.
*Martyn Weston, Toby's managing editor, left Sheffield in April this year. Katrina Bunker is the new editor.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Business as usual ?
Sir Cliff Richard is a guest on The One Show tonight. What on earth will they talk about ?
As Private Eye has noted, his new single, Roll Over Beethoven, is on the Radio 2 "A" playlist, until at least 12th November. His previous three singles failed to make the Top 60 in the UK, though a re-release of 1992's "I Still Believe In You" hit the magic 57 in 2014.
Sir Cliff is seeking damages from the BBC and the South Yorkshire Police for 'misuse of private information' leading to a severe loss of earnnings, a claim reportedly totalling £1m.
As Private Eye has noted, his new single, Roll Over Beethoven, is on the Radio 2 "A" playlist, until at least 12th November. His previous three singles failed to make the Top 60 in the UK, though a re-release of 1992's "I Still Believe In You" hit the magic 57 in 2014.
Sir Cliff is seeking damages from the BBC and the South Yorkshire Police for 'misuse of private information' leading to a severe loss of earnnings, a claim reportedly totalling £1m.
Jimmy jams
Alan Yentob will be delighted with a Scottish 'Specialist Factual' BAFTA for his "Imagine" on Australian novelist Richard Flanagan.
What else has the great man been getting out of bed for recently, you ask ? The premiere of The Crown, brought to you by the buying power of Netflix.
What else has the great man been getting out of bed for recently, you ask ? The premiere of The Crown, brought to you by the buying power of Netflix.
Too much information
October 2013 BBC DG Lord Hall unveils his vision: "We are going to simplify the organisation".
November 2016: The BBC advertises for an HR Senior Advisor, Complex Reporting. "To participate (and sometimes lead on behalf of the Complex Reporting Lead) in the production of scheduled, ad hoc, and specialised reporting for central and operational HR, and wider business requirements where verified by the aligned HR operational structure, to agreed service levels (where applicable) or custom agreement"
November 2016: The BBC advertises for an HR Senior Advisor, Complex Reporting. "To participate (and sometimes lead on behalf of the Complex Reporting Lead) in the production of scheduled, ad hoc, and specialised reporting for central and operational HR, and wider business requirements where verified by the aligned HR operational structure, to agreed service levels (where applicable) or custom agreement"
- Real HR Nerds will be delighted to learn from the advert that the the successful candidate will have to work with a new ‘HR Reporting Suite’ as being currently developed by BBC Scotland resources, clearly the go-to-boys for knocking together a piece of bespoke software for a bespoke system. Simpler, but still very special....
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Mr Popular
Congratulations to Jonathan Swain, 43 (English Literature, Pembroke, Cambridge), newly-appointed Head of the new Popular Factual Unit at BBC Studios. He'll look after existing shows like Countryfile and Crimewatch, and will scuttle between Bristol, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Jon's media career (as far as I can find) started as film researcher for an episode of John Fisher's Heroes of Comedy, about Bernard Manning, in 2000. He joined Optomen TV, now part of All3 Media (in turn owned by Discovery and Liberty Global), in 2001, producing shows such as Gordon Ramsay's F-Word and The Great British Menu. He was appointed to the Optomen board in May 2015, but left the company in July this year.
Jon's media career (as far as I can find) started as film researcher for an episode of John Fisher's Heroes of Comedy, about Bernard Manning, in 2000. He joined Optomen TV, now part of All3 Media (in turn owned by Discovery and Liberty Global), in 2001, producing shows such as Gordon Ramsay's F-Word and The Great British Menu. He was appointed to the Optomen board in May 2015, but left the company in July this year.
Diary
Here's a selection of former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale's declared meetings from April to June, as he worked on the draft BBC Charter...
Lord Birt
Armando Ianucci
Ashley Highfield of Johnston Press (current share price 12.37p)
Lord (Guy) Black of The Telegraph
Murdoch McLennan of The Telegraph
Adam Crozier, ITV
Julian Sturdy MP and constituent from Guild of Television Cameramen
Peter (Mr Louise) Mensch
Rona Fairhead (twice)
Maverick TV (makers of C4's Embarassing Bodies)
Miriam O'Reilly
Lord Birt
Armando Ianucci
Ashley Highfield of Johnston Press (current share price 12.37p)
Lord (Guy) Black of The Telegraph
Murdoch McLennan of The Telegraph
Adam Crozier, ITV
Julian Sturdy MP and constituent from Guild of Television Cameramen
Peter (Mr Louise) Mensch
Rona Fairhead (twice)
Maverick TV (makers of C4's Embarassing Bodies)
Miriam O'Reilly
Cultivated
John Whittingdale has declared tickets for Muse, Deep Purple, The Olivier Awards, Nabucco, Swan Lake, West Ham v Arsenal, England v Sri Lanka, French farce The Painkiller, the Capital Summertime Ball and Radio 1's Big Weekend in Exeter, in his truncated Culture Secretary expenses from April to June.
He also was entertained to lunch by BBC DG Lord Hall, BBC politics producer Robbie Gibb, Robert Peston of ITN, James Slack of The Daily Mail, Tim Shipman of The Sunday Times and Steven Swinford of The Daily Telegraph.
He also was entertained to lunch by BBC DG Lord Hall, BBC politics producer Robbie Gibb, Robert Peston of ITN, James Slack of The Daily Mail, Tim Shipman of The Sunday Times and Steven Swinford of The Daily Telegraph.
First ?
Looks like AP called it first, at 2.31am Eastern Time... And then you can toss up between CNN, Fox and AP as to who got there first with the Clinton concession phone call.
BREAKING: Donald Trump is elected president of the United States. pic.twitter.com/yJpgfsAbc6— The Associated Press (@AP) November 9, 2016
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Stripes
Today is the 49th anniversary of the opening of BBC Radio Leicester. A former producer, presenter and history buff, Stephen Butt has set up a blog to capture memories ahead of next year's 50th celebrations.
Here's a pair of young Radio Leicester tyros, not from the opening day, but the 1980s. Gawd knows where they are now...
Here's a pair of young Radio Leicester tyros, not from the opening day, but the 1980s. Gawd knows where they are now...
Figure it out
Simple questions, asked the previous two years and answered then without demur. This year ?
Q: Please tell me how many grade 11 staff the BBC employed in the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Please say also:
- what was the total wage bill for all grade 11 staff during this period?
- what was the average salary?
- how many people on grade 11 were on a salary above the ceiling of the grade?
- what was the average salary of those within the pay grade?
- what was the average salary of those above the pay grade?
Would you please say additionally how many employees on this grade are paid more than £100,000 per annum and how many more than £143,462 per annum.
A: Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) 2 October 2016.
I apologise but we are currently not in a position to respond to your request. I sincerely apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause you.
I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that your request is a priority as it is late.
Q: Please tell me how many grade 11 staff the BBC employed in the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Please say also:
- what was the total wage bill for all grade 11 staff during this period?
- what was the average salary?
- how many people on grade 11 were on a salary above the ceiling of the grade?
- what was the average salary of those within the pay grade?
- what was the average salary of those above the pay grade?
Would you please say additionally how many employees on this grade are paid more than £100,000 per annum and how many more than £143,462 per annum.
A: Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) 2 October 2016.
I apologise but we are currently not in a position to respond to your request. I sincerely apologise for this delay and for any inconvenience this may cause you.
I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that your request is a priority as it is late.
Just wanna be Liked by you
Launched just over a week ago, this new Facebook page brings together a lot of material already created elsewhere in the BBC. Nonetheless, it is "curated", as I believe they say these days, so ain't without cost. Is this an information gap that needs distinctive BBC plugging, or are there existing providers (Mumsnet) on the patch ?
And should it be doing recipes ?
- If you enjoyed the toe-curling Newsnight 'discussion' between Martin Amis and Ann Coulter, Emily sat down with them for a further 18 minutes of wibble on Facebook Live. Again, presumably without cost to the licence-fee payer ?
Earth movers
BBC Earth is the brand used to deliver natural history shows to subscribers abroad; it's also the title of an entirely worthy section of the BBC website. And, spookily, the title of a new magazine, available at £3.99 a month, with the first issue lauched to co-incide with the new show. Prosecco all round for BBC Worldwide's Nicholas Brett and publishing partner Nicola Murphy.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Jimmy Young
It might not have happened for Jimmy Young at the BBC. After six years in the RAF from 1939 (he was a PT instructor, but also immersed himself in ENSA) he found an agent in Lilian Aza, who looked after Gracie Fields. She sent him to audition at the BBC; but he got a letter of rejection.
He carried on as a clerk at the Ministry of Education, and got a gig singing and playing the piano in a sports club in Thames Ditton. There he caught the ear of BBC producer George Innes. And, lo, on August 9 1949, he was guest singer with the Ronnie Pleydell Band on the Light Programme.
(George had a long BBC history - starting as a 16 year old sound effects boy on Baird tv broadcasts in 1930; working on the first Radio Newsreels in the war, and going on to devise The Black and White Minstrel Show).
Jimmy was a radio regular from almost that first performance, on shows like Stars of Tomorrow on the Home Service and Variety Bandbox (in one 1950 edition, he starred alongside Les Compagnons de Chanson and 'Peter Sellers with Miriam Karlin). By 1951, Jimmy had his first hit, "Too Young", under manager Dick Rowe (the man who rejected the Beatles) and top billing on the radio with the Ray Martin Orchestra in support.
In 1953, he present Flat Spin ("a miscellany of records") on the Home Service. This may have been the BBC's first 'unscripted' music show. The rest you know.
He carried on as a clerk at the Ministry of Education, and got a gig singing and playing the piano in a sports club in Thames Ditton. There he caught the ear of BBC producer George Innes. And, lo, on August 9 1949, he was guest singer with the Ronnie Pleydell Band on the Light Programme.
(George had a long BBC history - starting as a 16 year old sound effects boy on Baird tv broadcasts in 1930; working on the first Radio Newsreels in the war, and going on to devise The Black and White Minstrel Show).
Jimmy was a radio regular from almost that first performance, on shows like Stars of Tomorrow on the Home Service and Variety Bandbox (in one 1950 edition, he starred alongside Les Compagnons de Chanson and 'Peter Sellers with Miriam Karlin). By 1951, Jimmy had his first hit, "Too Young", under manager Dick Rowe (the man who rejected the Beatles) and top billing on the radio with the Ray Martin Orchestra in support.
In 1953, he present Flat Spin ("a miscellany of records") on the Home Service. This may have been the BBC's first 'unscripted' music show. The rest you know.
Pop pickers
There looks have been some commendable work by the organisers of the Brit Awards, in refreshing their 1,200-strong voting panel. It is an industry panel, made up of invitees from artists, retailers, online retailers, concert promoters, venues, publishers, NUS Representatives, music colleges, producers, big and little record labels, bloggers, press etc.
The final invitation list for the 2017 Awards is made up of 52 per cent male and 48 per cent female members – a shift from a 70/30 split for the 2016 Awards. 17 per cent of this year’s invitees are BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) – up from the 15 per cent figure in 2016.
Meanwhile, at the BBC Music Awards this year there are just five gongs - BBC Music British Artist of the Year, as decided by the BBC Music committee; BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year decided by the BBC Music Introducing panel; BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Performance of the Year voted for by the Radio 1 Playlist Committee; BBC Radio 2 Album of the Year voted for by the Radio 2 Playlist Committee. The BBC Song of the Year is voted for by members of the public. Last year it was from a shortlist of ten tracks which had been given the most airplay across the BBC’s music radio networks and BBC Music Television over the previous 12 months - presumably thanks to the BBC Music committee, the BBC Music Introducing panel and the Radio 1 and 2 playlist committees.
The final invitation list for the 2017 Awards is made up of 52 per cent male and 48 per cent female members – a shift from a 70/30 split for the 2016 Awards. 17 per cent of this year’s invitees are BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) – up from the 15 per cent figure in 2016.
Meanwhile, at the BBC Music Awards this year there are just five gongs - BBC Music British Artist of the Year, as decided by the BBC Music committee; BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year decided by the BBC Music Introducing panel; BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Performance of the Year voted for by the Radio 1 Playlist Committee; BBC Radio 2 Album of the Year voted for by the Radio 2 Playlist Committee. The BBC Song of the Year is voted for by members of the public. Last year it was from a shortlist of ten tracks which had been given the most airplay across the BBC’s music radio networks and BBC Music Television over the previous 12 months - presumably thanks to the BBC Music committee, the BBC Music Introducing panel and the Radio 1 and 2 playlist committees.
People in glass boxes
Lovable spikey-haired Sky News boss John Ryley, 54, (Eastbourne College and Durham) bigs up his new glass box studio in an interview with The Guardian, and spreads around some figures.
He tells the paper that, by the end of this year Sky News will have achieved 1bn views on social media, and on mobile, weekly viewing is 5.1m, up 18% year on year. His considered opinion on the opposition ? " I do feel if I’m honest that over the last 18 months that the BBC News channel has lost a bit of its life and vitality."
For the last complete month of published BARB figures, in September, Sky News had a 0.73% share of the market with viewing average at 10 minutes per head. 18 months ago, Sky's share was 0.80%, with a viewing average of 12 minutes.
The BBC News Channel in September stood at 1.00% share, with 14 minutes viewing per head. 18 months ago its share was 1.05%, with 15 minutes viewing per head.
He tells the paper that, by the end of this year Sky News will have achieved 1bn views on social media, and on mobile, weekly viewing is 5.1m, up 18% year on year. His considered opinion on the opposition ? " I do feel if I’m honest that over the last 18 months that the BBC News channel has lost a bit of its life and vitality."
For the last complete month of published BARB figures, in September, Sky News had a 0.73% share of the market with viewing average at 10 minutes per head. 18 months ago, Sky's share was 0.80%, with a viewing average of 12 minutes.
The BBC News Channel in September stood at 1.00% share, with 14 minutes viewing per head. 18 months ago its share was 1.05%, with 15 minutes viewing per head.
Still got it
An impressive overnight ratings debut for Planet Earth II, watched by an average of 9.2m. The XFactor Results scored 6.5m, up from the previous week's 6.2m.
Strictly's results show averaged 10.1m. Poldark and Countryfile scored 5.8m each.
Strictly's results show averaged 10.1m. Poldark and Countryfile scored 5.8m each.
Who said what ?
I'm grateful to radio futurologist James Cridland for pointing me to some new software from Adobe, which, in theory, would allow you to synthesise speech from typed words with someone's 'real' voice.
The programme needs to sample some twenty minutes of your speech to develop a full sound profile, which is then applied over regular speech synthesising trickery.
I have to confess this might have happened earlier. The BBC's R&D department came to me sometime in the last century, to ask if news would be interested in capturing reporter's audio profiles, then using them to rebuild despatches filed down rubbish phone lines, to improve quality. The problem was that, it couldn't happen instantly - and thus wouldn't improve audibility for live broadcasting, two-ways etc. I was also worried about applying the wrong audio profile to a reporter - mixing up, say, Industrial Correspondent Nick Jones with news reporter Val Jones. We didn't take it further.
The programme needs to sample some twenty minutes of your speech to develop a full sound profile, which is then applied over regular speech synthesising trickery.
I have to confess this might have happened earlier. The BBC's R&D department came to me sometime in the last century, to ask if news would be interested in capturing reporter's audio profiles, then using them to rebuild despatches filed down rubbish phone lines, to improve quality. The problem was that, it couldn't happen instantly - and thus wouldn't improve audibility for live broadcasting, two-ways etc. I was also worried about applying the wrong audio profile to a reporter - mixing up, say, Industrial Correspondent Nick Jones with news reporter Val Jones. We didn't take it further.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Formal proposals
Just some odds and ends on the current "Compete and Compare"implementation row in BBC Radio, which must be leaving Culture Secretary Karen Bradley very confused.
This is what the draft framework agreement between the BBC and the DCMS says, to be appended to the new Charter.
The BBC must secure competition between BBC producers and external producers (whether independent producers or not) as follows- ....
(b) in relation to making relevant radio programmes the BBC must secure competition for at least 60% of Total Relevant Broadcasting Time by 31st December 2022.
This is what Lord Hall said back in July 2014, when the sensible voices of radio were still holding out against James Purnell and a wholesale "Compete and Compare" operation on national radio networks.
With compete or compare, competition should go beyond television production. Can we extend competitive access for independent producers in radio, if that will mean broader choice and better ideas? The market is completely different, of course. The global opportunity is much more limited and commercial radio commissions almost nothing from the sector.
And this is what Helen Boaden said in June 2015 - when she was still Director of Radio.
Subject to the endorsement of the BBC executive board and the BBC Trust, we are ready to make a commitment that within six years of implementing our proposals, around 60 percent of eligible network radio hours will have been opened up to competition. This means we expect that the number of eligible hours open to competition between in-house and indies will increase threefold from 9,000 hours now to around 27,000 hours at the end of the six year period.
The only note of concern in the Charter renewal debate came from the BBC Trust, in a submission to Government...
A significant increase in the independent production quota would not be in the interest of licence fee payers as it could lead to a position where the BBC is forced to commission ideas externally simply to comply with a quota rather than selecting the best ideas regardless of source....
The Trust is concerned that the BBC Executive proposals may involve significant additional costs both in terms of implementation and administration. At this stage, the BBC Executive have not been able to narrow down the range of potential costs nor identify how these might be funded. If the necessary funds had to come from BBC Radio, programming budgets would be likely to be affected calling into question whether the reform would be value for money for the licence fee payer.
When we receive formal proposals from the BBC we will want to test them to make sure that any changes are made at a pace that delivers the best results for listeners.
Anyone see more formal proposals ? Over to you, Jimmy.
This is what the draft framework agreement between the BBC and the DCMS says, to be appended to the new Charter.
The BBC must secure competition between BBC producers and external producers (whether independent producers or not) as follows- ....
(b) in relation to making relevant radio programmes the BBC must secure competition for at least 60% of Total Relevant Broadcasting Time by 31st December 2022.
This is what Lord Hall said back in July 2014, when the sensible voices of radio were still holding out against James Purnell and a wholesale "Compete and Compare" operation on national radio networks.
With compete or compare, competition should go beyond television production. Can we extend competitive access for independent producers in radio, if that will mean broader choice and better ideas? The market is completely different, of course. The global opportunity is much more limited and commercial radio commissions almost nothing from the sector.
And this is what Helen Boaden said in June 2015 - when she was still Director of Radio.
Subject to the endorsement of the BBC executive board and the BBC Trust, we are ready to make a commitment that within six years of implementing our proposals, around 60 percent of eligible network radio hours will have been opened up to competition. This means we expect that the number of eligible hours open to competition between in-house and indies will increase threefold from 9,000 hours now to around 27,000 hours at the end of the six year period.
The only note of concern in the Charter renewal debate came from the BBC Trust, in a submission to Government...
A significant increase in the independent production quota would not be in the interest of licence fee payers as it could lead to a position where the BBC is forced to commission ideas externally simply to comply with a quota rather than selecting the best ideas regardless of source....
The Trust is concerned that the BBC Executive proposals may involve significant additional costs both in terms of implementation and administration. At this stage, the BBC Executive have not been able to narrow down the range of potential costs nor identify how these might be funded. If the necessary funds had to come from BBC Radio, programming budgets would be likely to be affected calling into question whether the reform would be value for money for the licence fee payer.
When we receive formal proposals from the BBC we will want to test them to make sure that any changes are made at a pace that delivers the best results for listeners.
Anyone see more formal proposals ? Over to you, Jimmy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
