By the book

Ofcom has applied slightly-tightened thumbscrews to the BBC, in a series of quotas, proportions and percentages of genres required of its various networks and channels. It builds on the style set by the BBC Trust - at one time demanding creativity, innovation, distinctiveness and super-high-quality, and at the same, issuing a painting-by-numbers chart to achieve it all.

There are some new ideas, springing from the minds of the policy wonks at Riverside House (I can't imagine the licence-fee payers taking to the streets with "Lord Hall: We want new minimum levels of first-run UK originations for BBC One, BBC Two, CBBC and CBeebies - and we want them NOW").

In creativity corner, we have extended opportunities over tea and biscuits to consider the BBC's "creative remit" and associated performance measures. This is something the BBC has to write every year under the new Charter - the first has to be handed in by July 3rd, and if Ofcom doesn't like it, it will tighten up performance measures by September.

There are also new requirements that specify not just how much tv production should be outside London, but minima for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England-outside-the-M25. Ofcom's Director of Content Policy Jacquie Hughes, seven months in the job, lives 50 miles outside the M25 in rural Oxfordshire. She worked for the BBC for 20 years, and one of her areas was commissioning religious programmes. The new performance requirements for the BBC suggest more religious programming in peaktime.

She's big in the Maidenhead Marlins swimming club. Heaven knows what that means for 5Live.