Sometime in 2021, the Government of the Day will start to conduct a "mid-term healthcheck" on the BBC Charter. Tomorrow that's sort of four years away.
In 2021, the current Director-General, Lord Hall, will turn 70. Will he still want to be the DG ? Will the BBC have been sufficiently re-invented by then ?
Positioning to succeed him has already started. James Purnell, from his rag-bag portfolio of interests, has decided that a winning youth/IP strategy, mixed with radio protectionism, will provide him with the right platform for the top job. His Tweets now are a hipster social media version of Pick of the Week.
James Harding has either decided that the race is too long and boring, and requires too much concentration on cloth-cutting - something he failed to master at The Times - or that there's more money and fun to be had elsewhere, both for output and himself.
Charlotte Moore is hoping that Content speaks for itself - with great programmes and good audience figures. (Behind the scenes, Charlotte herself, if prompted, talks a little too much). The problem is that, with Lord Hall at her elbow, her big spend is on middle class entertainment and comfortable returning series. Netflix, whether it's worth it or not, has caught the imagination of younger families, with much less penetration amongst over 55s. Over four years, she, more than Lord Hall, needs product that under-34s can lock on to regularly. The One Show, Mrs Brown's Boys and BBC Music remain uncool, and iPlayer is where your mum and dad catch up on Countryfile. HIGNFY, Mock The Week and Michael McIntyre do not satisfy a hunger for sharper humour in this disrupted age. This has to change.
If Tim Davie gets the BBC Worldwide/BBC Studios operation right, his package will soar away from that appropriate for a DG - why bother ?
For my next stocking-filler, a scan of potential outsiders. It'll be short.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Gongs
Freelance presenter Eamonn Holmes, 58, has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the New Year's Honours List, for "services to broadcasting". On the overseas list, Eamonn's old GMB sparring partner Ross King, 54, now based in Los Angeles, also gets an OBE.
Rosie Millard, former BBC arts reporter, gets the OBE for services as Chair of Hull, City of Culture. Radio London presenter Eddie (Augustus) Nestor becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire. BBC pollster and heartthrob Professor John Curtice, who authoritatively declared a hung parliament in June, is knighted. Lord Bragg and Lady Antonia Fraser will be able to play word games together in ante-rooms ahead of ceremonies involving Companions of Honour.
Linda McAuley, consumer broadcaster on Radio Ulster for 22 years, is made an MBE. Rick Stein, most recently eating his way along the west coast of the USA and Mexico on tv, is made a CBE. There's an OBE for Revel Guest (one-time Panorama producer) and CBE for Peter Florence, prime-movers of the Hay Festival so loved by the BBC.
And Darcy Bussell, five years on the judging panel for Strictly, becomes a Dame. 18 years as principal dancer with the Royal Ballet may also have helped.
Rosie Millard, former BBC arts reporter, gets the OBE for services as Chair of Hull, City of Culture. Radio London presenter Eddie (Augustus) Nestor becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire. BBC pollster and heartthrob Professor John Curtice, who authoritatively declared a hung parliament in June, is knighted. Lord Bragg and Lady Antonia Fraser will be able to play word games together in ante-rooms ahead of ceremonies involving Companions of Honour.
Linda McAuley, consumer broadcaster on Radio Ulster for 22 years, is made an MBE. Rick Stein, most recently eating his way along the west coast of the USA and Mexico on tv, is made a CBE. There's an OBE for Revel Guest (one-time Panorama producer) and CBE for Peter Florence, prime-movers of the Hay Festival so loved by the BBC.
And Darcy Bussell, five years on the judging panel for Strictly, becomes a Dame. 18 years as principal dancer with the Royal Ballet may also have helped.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Lead generation
There's a steady growth in a new job title at the BBC - "Executive Lead". No, I don't know what it means either. It started in James Purnell's Radio & Education division last year, where Ben Howarth carries out the function. Then came an appointment in Design & Engineering, Eleanor van Heyningen.
The Deputy Director General, Anne Bulford, advertised for one back in July (I haven't been able to find whether or not the job was filled). Now The Office of The Chairman and Director General needs an Executive Lead. Doesn't everyone ?
The Deputy Director General, Anne Bulford, advertised for one back in July (I haven't been able to find whether or not the job was filled). Now The Office of The Chairman and Director General needs an Executive Lead. Doesn't everyone ?
Sorry
A chunky set of BBC News bloopers from 2017, (too) many of them featuring startled presenters battling stuttering software. And finishing with Huw Edwards doing the UK's most watched Sudoku solving...
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Op Ed
I'm grateful to a beady-eyed reader for spotting a Twitter 'like' from BBC Media Editor Amol Rajan, about the Prince Harry edition of Today. How disloyal can you get, in so many ways ? Is Today the only programme that has failed to offer a presentation opportunity to Amol ?
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Huw's loose
There's a slight anxiety at BBC News HQ that top newscaster Huw Edwards may have too much time on his hands. Up until July, he was making weekly trips to Cardiff, to front The Wales Report for BBC1 Wales. Now his hands have turned to social media...
Yesterday my colleague went on a date with @huwbbc because he responded to her writing that he was her "weird crush" and it is literally THE BEST thing to ever happen pic.twitter.com/pSIHf3cYKV— Giulia Crouch (@GiuliaCrouch) December 19, 2017
Is @Huwbbc's rap career wasted on @bbcnews? 🤔@Santandave1 @realmostack @CharlieSloth WYS? pic.twitter.com/39Bm3aZnOf— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 20, 2017
Oh! Wait! Watch @HuwsAtTen @BBCNews at Ten for the Christmas Special. Stand by... #HappyChristmas pic.twitter.com/X7YPYdRc9y— Huw Edwards (@huwbbc) December 21, 2017
Over my head
A thought-provoking stat I've picked up from my never-ending hunt for rubbish BBC job ads...
"The professional and business services functions: Finance, HR, Legal, Design & Engineering, Corporate, External Affairs, Marketing & Audiences etc; can be found in two divisions within the BBC, the Deputy Director General Group and Corporate, Policy and External Affairs. With just over 5,800 staff across the two professional services divisions......"
I find it odd to celebrate the scale of these operations, when the message Anne Bulford, as DDG, is trying to put out is a squeeze on overheads. Even if you strip out the 2,800 in Design and Engineering, it's a healthy 3,000 functionaries. Based on March 2017 headcount, the figures suggest 470 people have jobs in Corporate, Policy and External Affairs.
"The professional and business services functions: Finance, HR, Legal, Design & Engineering, Corporate, External Affairs, Marketing & Audiences etc; can be found in two divisions within the BBC, the Deputy Director General Group and Corporate, Policy and External Affairs. With just over 5,800 staff across the two professional services divisions......"
I find it odd to celebrate the scale of these operations, when the message Anne Bulford, as DDG, is trying to put out is a squeeze on overheads. Even if you strip out the 2,800 in Design and Engineering, it's a healthy 3,000 functionaries. Based on March 2017 headcount, the figures suggest 470 people have jobs in Corporate, Policy and External Affairs.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Stocking Filler 3
And we hear of a nice pre-Christmas present for key commissioning staff at Channel 4. Yes, those thought-leaders who decided to go home early on the day Ian Katz was selected by new boss Alex Mahon as Director of Programmes. They been awarded a substantial bonus (some talk of £50,000 per head), conditional on staying with the company for at least a year. Depending on negotiations with Culture Secretary Karen Bradley, some of that dosh may find its way into the provincial economy...
Pas de trois
How nice ! The Today programme, led by former Evening Standard editor Sarah Sands, returned to the fray with a 13-minute interview with Evening Standard Editor George Osborne, conducted by English National Ballet boss Tamara Rojo.
George performed several echappés and manèges, whilst Tamara, armed with questions that seemed very knowing about the family lives of top Conservatives, executed several reverances grandes. When the curtain fell, there came a back-announcement through gritted teeth by former BBC Political Editor, Nick Robinson. Tamara Rojo later told listeners she wished she'd had a second go at it.
George performed several echappés and manèges, whilst Tamara, armed with questions that seemed very knowing about the family lives of top Conservatives, executed several reverances grandes. When the curtain fell, there came a back-announcement through gritted teeth by former BBC Political Editor, Nick Robinson. Tamara Rojo later told listeners she wished she'd had a second go at it.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Across all platforms
A very merry Christmas to all readers.
(You shouldn't really have time to be reading this, should you ? Get back in the kitchen and HELP !)
(You shouldn't really have time to be reading this, should you ? Get back in the kitchen and HELP !)
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Briefs
Yalding House, previously the home of Radio 1, welcomes new tenants in the New Year. Russells, solicitors specialising in the music industry, are moving out of Soho and into two floors of the refurbished building at 152-156 Great Portland Street W1.
Russells won Law Firm Of The Year at the 2017 Music Week Awards - the first appearance of this category. Previous clients have included George Michael and Amy Winehouse; current include Coldplay, Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, Elbow, Kraftwerk and Clean Bandit. The reputation management side of the business has acted for Cheryl (Cole), Jeremy Kyle and Linford Christie.
Russells won Law Firm Of The Year at the 2017 Music Week Awards - the first appearance of this category. Previous clients have included George Michael and Amy Winehouse; current include Coldplay, Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, Elbow, Kraftwerk and Clean Bandit. The reputation management side of the business has acted for Cheryl (Cole), Jeremy Kyle and Linford Christie.
Functionality
September minutes from the BBC Board find our governance heroes in contemplative mood, with few firm instructions back to Lord Hall.
On diversity, "Directors agreed that more needed to be done to improve levels of female and BAME representation at the most senior levels and that there was also a need to increase the representation of women in Design and Engineering."
On operational issues, "The Board discussed the Health and Safety investigation into a fall from height that took place at Elstree Studios in 2014." Let's not move too fast here, eh ?
They all got a briefing on their decision-making responsbilities: "Directors also noted the requirement in article 20(2) of the Charter: 'that Directors may neither seek nor take instructions from Government Ministers' "
The author of the minute on distribution challenges ought to be sent for re-education: "The Board discussed the critical principles that inform the BBC’s distribution strategy. Key among these was universality: the requirement to deliver services to all audiences across the UK and affordability, ensuring value for money for licence-fee payers. However, the ability to offer its services with public service curation and functionality, maintain a direct relationship with audiences, provide high quality, innovative services and ensure the proper attribution of content would also be important to the BBC in an environment where content was increasing [sic] delivered through internet services and social media."
On diversity, "Directors agreed that more needed to be done to improve levels of female and BAME representation at the most senior levels and that there was also a need to increase the representation of women in Design and Engineering."
On operational issues, "The Board discussed the Health and Safety investigation into a fall from height that took place at Elstree Studios in 2014." Let's not move too fast here, eh ?
They all got a briefing on their decision-making responsbilities: "Directors also noted the requirement in article 20(2) of the Charter: 'that Directors may neither seek nor take instructions from Government Ministers' "
The author of the minute on distribution challenges ought to be sent for re-education: "The Board discussed the critical principles that inform the BBC’s distribution strategy. Key among these was universality: the requirement to deliver services to all audiences across the UK and affordability, ensuring value for money for licence-fee payers. However, the ability to offer its services with public service curation and functionality, maintain a direct relationship with audiences, provide high quality, innovative services and ensure the proper attribution of content would also be important to the BBC in an environment where content was increasing [sic] delivered through internet services and social media."
Manana
Things that might have happened at the BBC in 2017, now pushed back to 2018.
1: Civilisations
2: A new weather system
3: A new pay and grading system (cf Lucy Adams' latest blog)
4: New terms and conditions of service
5: Someone to grip all this Customer Relationship Management mallarkey at executive level, first advertised in September
1: Civilisations
2: A new weather system
3: A new pay and grading system (cf Lucy Adams' latest blog)
4: New terms and conditions of service
5: Someone to grip all this Customer Relationship Management mallarkey at executive level, first advertised in September
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Two's company
The BBC News Channel, unloved by James Harding, has spent nearly two years moving to single-headed presentation, in a bid to save money on presenter salaries. So it must be marginally frustrating to find that this year's big impact has been the 7pm pairing of Christian Fraser in London and Katty Kay in Washington, in the show that has evolved to the now-meaningless title of Beyond 100 Days (cf 606 on Radio 5 Live).
This week, PBS decided to rebroadcast at least half an hour of the show across America (and on WNET in New York) filling some of the hole left by Charlie Rose, sacked in November after complaints from eight women that he'd made unwanted sexual advances.
This week, PBS decided to rebroadcast at least half an hour of the show across America (and on WNET in New York) filling some of the hole left by Charlie Rose, sacked in November after complaints from eight women that he'd made unwanted sexual advances.
Take One
And here's a Christmas message from Open University Vice-Chancellor Peter Horrocks, demonstrating all the communication skills learned in 33 years in BBC News. Peter is supported in his PR efforts by a number of other BBC alumni.
Stocking Filler 2
A nice present for Johnston Press CEO Ashley Highfield would be someone to re-negotiate the company's debt burden.
Ashley would like us all to note the success of the iNewspaper, now apparently bringing £1m a month into the company coffers. Let's remember he paid £24m for the asset, and the company has an outstanding bond of £220m which becomes payable early in 2019. Next year, Johnston Press will be bolstered by 30 'local democracy' reporters, paid for out of our licences fees - I'm guessing that's worth at least £1m. Meanwhile, irritating our Ashley from the sidelines is Norwegian disrupter Christian Ager-Hanssen and his Custos group. JP shares started the year around 13p each - they look set to end at around 12p - market capitalisation just under £14m.
If he can't get the big loan re-negotiated, Ashley might at least like a permanent company chairman. Camilla Rhodes has been in the role as interim since January.
Ashley would like us all to note the success of the iNewspaper, now apparently bringing £1m a month into the company coffers. Let's remember he paid £24m for the asset, and the company has an outstanding bond of £220m which becomes payable early in 2019. Next year, Johnston Press will be bolstered by 30 'local democracy' reporters, paid for out of our licences fees - I'm guessing that's worth at least £1m. Meanwhile, irritating our Ashley from the sidelines is Norwegian disrupter Christian Ager-Hanssen and his Custos group. JP shares started the year around 13p each - they look set to end at around 12p - market capitalisation just under £14m.
If he can't get the big loan re-negotiated, Ashley might at least like a permanent company chairman. Camilla Rhodes has been in the role as interim since January.
Friday, December 22, 2017
The opposite of elitist
Some insight into the current lifestyle of Today editor Sarah Sands, from an interview in the ever-popular Country & Town House Magazine. The neo-Georgian town house in Kensington has been sold; a flat has been purchased, but she's currently living out of a suitcase in a friend's spare room. ‘It makes you feel good, actually. I really enjoy the hair-shirt bit of it. It reminds you that this is public service.’ The friend is apparently able to accommodate husband Kim, who brings her a cup of tea at 5am.
Cheeky Sarah also cocks a snook at BBC rulings on climate-change denier Nigel Lawson ‘There were people who said you mustn’t have him on, as if it were so dangerous and irresponsible that it was some kind of public health matter. And I said what, whatever he talks about ? Then this story came up about Nigel being an unpopular name, so I called him up and asked him to talk about that instead.’
And she defends her Ferrero Rocher moment, when she said listening to Today should be like attending an ambassador's reception. ‘It immediately sounds snooty and flippant, when all I meant was, why should these sets of interesting and influential people have these conversations and keep them among themselves. Wouldn’t it be great if the whole world could listen in? It’s the opposite of elitist.’
Cheeky Sarah also cocks a snook at BBC rulings on climate-change denier Nigel Lawson ‘There were people who said you mustn’t have him on, as if it were so dangerous and irresponsible that it was some kind of public health matter. And I said what, whatever he talks about ? Then this story came up about Nigel being an unpopular name, so I called him up and asked him to talk about that instead.’
And she defends her Ferrero Rocher moment, when she said listening to Today should be like attending an ambassador's reception. ‘It immediately sounds snooty and flippant, when all I meant was, why should these sets of interesting and influential people have these conversations and keep them among themselves. Wouldn’t it be great if the whole world could listen in? It’s the opposite of elitist.’
Division
There's nothing quite as festive as some fasted-footed crashing together of managements. And the winners in the BBC Worldwide/BBC Studios squeeze have been announced.
Tom Fussell (Westminster and Bristol University), currently CFO of BBC Worldwide, will take on the role of CFO for the new BBC Studios. (Dr) Anna Mallett (Durham, Oxford and Harvard), currently COO for BBC Studios, will be the COO for the new BBC Studios. Alongside this new role, Anna will also hold the position of Managing Director for Production.
Martyn Freeman, currently General Counsel for BBC Worldwide, will take on this role for the wider group, which Studios never knew they needed. Jabbar Sardar, HR Director at BBC Studios wins the role for the new merged BBC Worldwide/Studios. All four get to sit on Tim Davie's new executive committee from April next year.
BBC Worldwide dispensed with the title COO on the departure of David Gibbons in September last year - could they have planned all this ?
Tom Fussell (Westminster and Bristol University), currently CFO of BBC Worldwide, will take on the role of CFO for the new BBC Studios. (Dr) Anna Mallett (Durham, Oxford and Harvard), currently COO for BBC Studios, will be the COO for the new BBC Studios. Alongside this new role, Anna will also hold the position of Managing Director for Production.
Martyn Freeman, currently General Counsel for BBC Worldwide, will take on this role for the wider group, which Studios never knew they needed. Jabbar Sardar, HR Director at BBC Studios wins the role for the new merged BBC Worldwide/Studios. All four get to sit on Tim Davie's new executive committee from April next year.
BBC Worldwide dispensed with the title COO on the departure of David Gibbons in September last year - could they have planned all this ?
- Elsewhere on the jobs front, Crown Prince of Fair Selection amd Slayer of Unconscious Bias, James Purnell, has announced that the Religious Affairs Correspondent will be re-named Religion Editor. Many union members are hoping that there will be a process, rather than the simple elevation of current post-holder Martin Bashir.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Stocking Filler 1
Yes, I've succumbed. But I've held off longer than most bits of BBC News. Here's a short-ish series of space-filling posts, suggesting gifts for my favourite people.
Charlotte Moore - a nicely-wrapped and brilliant 16-34 impresario.
It's been a good year in general for the BBC's Uber TV Controller - but there's little movement on the 16-34 audience front. Popular music remains a problem. BBC Music's current strategy seems to be 'tent-pole' events, buoyed by the huge audience for the One Love concert back in June. But the one-singer one-show specials, which started with Adele back in 2015, have run their course. U2's special, at 9pm on BBC1 on Tuesday, was watched by an average of just 1.42m - a 7.4% share.
The show, featuring a stadium band confined in the 5,000 sq ft of Abbey Road 1 (owned by U2's record company), also had too much talking, and searching questions from hostess Cat Deeley ("Do you pack your own suitcases ?").
The other big investment, hoping that the magic of James Corden's production company can breathe life into the corpse of Top of the Pops, continues in the New Year, with a second run of Sounds Like Friday Night, despite first series audiences averaging below 2m.
The problem is that there is little to welcome under-30s to BBC1 and BBC2 at the start of the evening. On BBC1 and 2 between 5pm and 7pm, one of the four hours is filled with news, and, most evenings, another hour and a bit is filled with Pointless/Eggheads. Popular culture is tangentially reflected, in the annual run of Strictly Takes Tow, featuring craze dances from the 50s like the Cha-Cha-Cha and Rumba. The One Show is simply not cool, a day-glo version of the old Tonight, with obvious and painful plug interviews.
This is the space where, at the birth of modern pop, BBC and ITV ran shows like 6.5 Special, Ready Steady Go, The Beat Room, and later How It Is, DEF II, The Tube and more. Way back, Crackerjack had guest bands every Friday night, and Peter Glaze and Leslie Crowther mangling current pop hits. This ought to be the play space for a new show-runner, desperately needed on Charlotte's team.
Charlotte Moore - a nicely-wrapped and brilliant 16-34 impresario.
It's been a good year in general for the BBC's Uber TV Controller - but there's little movement on the 16-34 audience front. Popular music remains a problem. BBC Music's current strategy seems to be 'tent-pole' events, buoyed by the huge audience for the One Love concert back in June. But the one-singer one-show specials, which started with Adele back in 2015, have run their course. U2's special, at 9pm on BBC1 on Tuesday, was watched by an average of just 1.42m - a 7.4% share.
The show, featuring a stadium band confined in the 5,000 sq ft of Abbey Road 1 (owned by U2's record company), also had too much talking, and searching questions from hostess Cat Deeley ("Do you pack your own suitcases ?").
The other big investment, hoping that the magic of James Corden's production company can breathe life into the corpse of Top of the Pops, continues in the New Year, with a second run of Sounds Like Friday Night, despite first series audiences averaging below 2m.
The problem is that there is little to welcome under-30s to BBC1 and BBC2 at the start of the evening. On BBC1 and 2 between 5pm and 7pm, one of the four hours is filled with news, and, most evenings, another hour and a bit is filled with Pointless/Eggheads. Popular culture is tangentially reflected, in the annual run of Strictly Takes Tow, featuring craze dances from the 50s like the Cha-Cha-Cha and Rumba. The One Show is simply not cool, a day-glo version of the old Tonight, with obvious and painful plug interviews.
This is the space where, at the birth of modern pop, BBC and ITV ran shows like 6.5 Special, Ready Steady Go, The Beat Room, and later How It Is, DEF II, The Tube and more. Way back, Crackerjack had guest bands every Friday night, and Peter Glaze and Leslie Crowther mangling current pop hits. This ought to be the play space for a new show-runner, desperately needed on Charlotte's team.
Peak listening
If you want to know how radio news and current affairs should be done, get your BBC Radio iPlayer app tuned to Radio Oxford's breakfast show, tomorrow between 7am and 10am. Guest editor is BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson.
John, now domiciled in the city of dreaming spires, quite often features on the station's output. Here's a picture with mid-morning hostess Kat Orman.
John, now domiciled in the city of dreaming spires, quite often features on the station's output. Here's a picture with mid-morning hostess Kat Orman.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Masters of ambivalence
The BBC's Religious and Ethics review has somehow detected a thirst for more. Perhaps because 48 of the 150 "stakeholders" involved in the process boast religious titles. Perhaps because that's the current BBC style, despite clear figures that 51% of the UK population say they have no religion.
So we're told that, whilst the BBC already produces over 7,000 hours of broadcasting "in this area", what's going to increase is "ambition", rather than hours. Viewers may be interested to know that the BBC2 drama "The Boy With The Top Knot", based on the memoirs of Satnam Sanghera counts as a "Faith Film"; and Sally Phillips' documentary, "A Word Without Down's Syndrome ?" was Ethics.
Next, we re-classify all drama containing a moral dilemma - surely "Wolf Hall" is an examination of religion, power, childlessness etc ?
Meanwhile, there'll be more noting of religious festivals outside the usual C of E dates on The One Show, Chris Evans and Newsround; there'll be a Year of Beliefs in 2019 (anyone remember what the BBC Year of 2017 was all about ? Culture ? Opera ?). The BBC will host a bi-annual Belief Summit. And the external provider of anti-unconscious bias training to the BBC will be asked to include a module that ensures no unconscious religious prejudice infects the caring and loving soul of Auntie. So, as they say, that's all good then.
So we're told that, whilst the BBC already produces over 7,000 hours of broadcasting "in this area", what's going to increase is "ambition", rather than hours. Viewers may be interested to know that the BBC2 drama "The Boy With The Top Knot", based on the memoirs of Satnam Sanghera counts as a "Faith Film"; and Sally Phillips' documentary, "A Word Without Down's Syndrome ?" was Ethics.
Next, we re-classify all drama containing a moral dilemma - surely "Wolf Hall" is an examination of religion, power, childlessness etc ?
Meanwhile, there'll be more noting of religious festivals outside the usual C of E dates on The One Show, Chris Evans and Newsround; there'll be a Year of Beliefs in 2019 (anyone remember what the BBC Year of 2017 was all about ? Culture ? Opera ?). The BBC will host a bi-annual Belief Summit. And the external provider of anti-unconscious bias training to the BBC will be asked to include a module that ensures no unconscious religious prejudice infects the caring and loving soul of Auntie. So, as they say, that's all good then.
More ?
The Times and Today have been briefed about the BBC's latest review of religious output - but at time of writing, it's not formally published, so we don't know who wrote it. Pithy Nick Robinson summarised the BBC's response as "to do more God" - without, as yet, bringing forward evidence that it's what the sovereign body of licence payers want.
"More" is not yet quantified. Thought for The Day will stay, but have "a wider range of voices" (cf reviews of 2002, 2009 etc etc). The BBC global religious affairs team will be boosted; Global News, remember, takes advertising worldwide, and is also in receipt of new Foreign Office funding. The One Show is instructed to do more on non-Christian religious festivals - a cost-neutral command.
More later. Meanwhile Mr Robinson held Mr Purnell's toes to the fire on Today and secured the admission that the BBC's person in charge of religious programming is an atheist.
"More" is not yet quantified. Thought for The Day will stay, but have "a wider range of voices" (cf reviews of 2002, 2009 etc etc). The BBC global religious affairs team will be boosted; Global News, remember, takes advertising worldwide, and is also in receipt of new Foreign Office funding. The One Show is instructed to do more on non-Christian religious festivals - a cost-neutral command.
More later. Meanwhile Mr Robinson held Mr Purnell's toes to the fire on Today and secured the admission that the BBC's person in charge of religious programming is an atheist.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Maybe it's because...
Here's another C4 exec swerving Karen Bradley's provincial plans for the network. News and current affairs commissioner Daniel Pearl (Hills Road 6th Form College, Cambridge; Wadham Oxford; and the LSE) is joining C5.
Daniel came to Channel 4 in 2012, after dotting around BBC News, and commissions Dispatches, amongst other output. He says "Channel 5 is on a real high, bucking the trend among broadcasters, growing its audiences and delivering a strong reputation for quality, popular programming". And all from a London postcode.
Daniel came to Channel 4 in 2012, after dotting around BBC News, and commissions Dispatches, amongst other output. He says "Channel 5 is on a real high, bucking the trend among broadcasters, growing its audiences and delivering a strong reputation for quality, popular programming". And all from a London postcode.
Exxies
Which, I wonder, will come first ? 2018, or publication of the next tranche of BBC senior management expenses ? The BBC's commitment is to quarterly publication - the last set we have covers the three months to March. Normal release of the next quarter would have come in November.
Shrinking Panorama
With the burritos barely cold from James Harding's leaving do, news of cuts to come are in Press Gazette.
Panorama will require a smaller meeting room next year, losing two posts, to just 11.5. Our World, a half hour series that peppers the schedules of BBC World News, will make fewer new programmes next year. The department in question is TV Current Affairs, or what's left of it.
Panorama will require a smaller meeting room next year, losing two posts, to just 11.5. Our World, a half hour series that peppers the schedules of BBC World News, will make fewer new programmes next year. The department in question is TV Current Affairs, or what's left of it.
Monday, December 18, 2017
Money man
BBC DDG Anne Bulford has appointed Glyn Isherwood as Group Finance and Operations Director. He comes from Channel 4, where he's worked since 2007, and where Anne Bulford promoted him to Finance Director in 2010. He gets a seat on the BBC's Executive Committee, nudging the balance to 8 men v 3 women.
Glyn (BA Econ Manchester and KPMG) will join in the New Year, and thus maintains his neat little Georgian gaff not far from Elephant & Castle, rather than facing a Karen-Bradley-driven house move.
Glyn (BA Econ Manchester and KPMG) will join in the New Year, and thus maintains his neat little Georgian gaff not far from Elephant & Castle, rather than facing a Karen-Bradley-driven house move.
Big H
BBC2 has commissioned a documentary about Harvey Weinstein, from director Ursula Macfarlane.
It will "chart Weinstein’s extraordinary rise to power and prominence from his first steps in Hollywood in the 1970s and illuminate Hollywood’s deep-rooted sexism revealing how the powerful have been able to construct a complex web of defences to shield themselves and behave with impunity.
"Weinstein will include interviews with sources including the many actresses who have been brave enough to tell their stories, together with journalists, producers, directors, actors, agents, lawyers and others who have previously been unable or unwilling to talk publicly about Weinstein and the culture of fear and abuse that permeates Hollywood."
It will "chart Weinstein’s extraordinary rise to power and prominence from his first steps in Hollywood in the 1970s and illuminate Hollywood’s deep-rooted sexism revealing how the powerful have been able to construct a complex web of defences to shield themselves and behave with impunity.
"Weinstein will include interviews with sources including the many actresses who have been brave enough to tell their stories, together with journalists, producers, directors, actors, agents, lawyers and others who have previously been unable or unwilling to talk publicly about Weinstein and the culture of fear and abuse that permeates Hollywood."
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Keely Smith RIP
The singer, Keely Smith, who was both wife and foil to Louis Prima, has died aged 89.
Counting up
An average of 11.7m watched the Strictly final on BBC1 - that's a whopping 56.2% of anyone with a tv turned on at the time. Last year, the figure was 11.8m - but the share was 53.2%.
The Sunday Mirror 'reveals' the fee structure that keeps the celebrities in the hunt, claiming everyone's on a basic of £25k, rising to £40k if they're still in the contest in October, and £60k if they make the quarter-finals. The paper says winner Joe McFadden will get £100,000. The professional dancers are said to be on £30k for the series, whether they get stuck with a donkey or a twinkletoes...Anton may be on £40k. The judges are believed to be paid £110,000.
Claudia Winkleman - Abbott to Tess Daly's Costello - is on something above £450k for a year of BBC activities. Tess Daly is on between £350k and £400k.
The Sunday Mirror 'reveals' the fee structure that keeps the celebrities in the hunt, claiming everyone's on a basic of £25k, rising to £40k if they're still in the contest in October, and £60k if they make the quarter-finals. The paper says winner Joe McFadden will get £100,000. The professional dancers are said to be on £30k for the series, whether they get stuck with a donkey or a twinkletoes...Anton may be on £40k. The judges are believed to be paid £110,000.
Claudia Winkleman - Abbott to Tess Daly's Costello - is on something above £450k for a year of BBC activities. Tess Daly is on between £350k and £400k.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Old hand
We took 92-year-old Trevor Hill from Gloucestershire back to his old haunts at the BBC in London - if you watch nothing else, we recommend this: https://t.co/VOXb009Ki4 pic.twitter.com/6RyiB1FqI6— BBC West Live (@BBCBristol) December 15, 2017
Friday, December 15, 2017
Next....
A modest 57% rise in January for new BBC News boss Fran Unsworth, who will be paid the same as James Harding - £340k. Fran, a BBC lifer, will be on 'old benefits', so it's a considerable pension boost, when she chooses to go. The final interview panel was Lord Hall, HR boss Valerie Hughes D'Aeth and Ken MacQuarrie, Director of Nations and Regions.
A successful internal candidate always creates hope for others down the line. Who will now lead the World Service Group ? Young pretender Jamie Angus (Winchester College and Magdalen, Oxford) or Earl of Salisbury and survivor Adrian Van Klaveren (Bristol Grammar and St John's, Oxford) ? Might any of the thwarted candidates fancy being Fran's No 2 - Kamal Ahmed (Drayton Manor and Leeds) or Gavin Allen (Oundle and Christ's, Cambridge) ? Were there really no outsiders good enough to make the final stage ?
For further reading, try cheekyboy Amol Rajan, who says his new boss's job is 'hellish'.
A successful internal candidate always creates hope for others down the line. Who will now lead the World Service Group ? Young pretender Jamie Angus (Winchester College and Magdalen, Oxford) or Earl of Salisbury and survivor Adrian Van Klaveren (Bristol Grammar and St John's, Oxford) ? Might any of the thwarted candidates fancy being Fran's No 2 - Kamal Ahmed (Drayton Manor and Leeds) or Gavin Allen (Oundle and Christ's, Cambridge) ? Were there really no outsiders good enough to make the final stage ?
For further reading, try cheekyboy Amol Rajan, who says his new boss's job is 'hellish'.
Higher education
Most of the BBC1 audience blew a mild raspberry at Lord Sugar last night, with only 1.96m sticking with The Apprentice: Why I Fired Them at 8pm last night.
It was a highlights show of a poor series, offering no new insights. The reality of this reality show is that you cannot just pick young buffoons every time; and you should not be able to find candidates who apparently have never watched the series, and thus treat every task as if no-one had set such a challenge before. The standard HAS to get better, and there has to be something of a real competition, not the choreographed farrago we are currently offered. The final is between a lad who wants to start an IT recruitment agency and an older woman who buys sweets and re-packs them into plastic glasses for online sale. Have a word, Charlotte.
It was a highlights show of a poor series, offering no new insights. The reality of this reality show is that you cannot just pick young buffoons every time; and you should not be able to find candidates who apparently have never watched the series, and thus treat every task as if no-one had set such a challenge before. The standard HAS to get better, and there has to be something of a real competition, not the choreographed farrago we are currently offered. The final is between a lad who wants to start an IT recruitment agency and an older woman who buys sweets and re-packs them into plastic glasses for online sale. Have a word, Charlotte.
It's Fran
Congratulations to Fran Unsworth (St Dominic's High School for Girls, Stoke on Trent, and drama at Manchester University), selected by Lord Hall as the new Director of BBC News. She's had a go at the job before, acting up during the Pollard Inquiry at the end of 2012 - when Helen Boaden was asked to 'step aside'. (Roger Mosey says acting DG Tim Davie asked him first, and he said no). One of Fran's first actions was an internal memo to staff attempting to stem leaks. “It would be helpful if some of our problems were not played out publically across social media and in the pages of the national press.” The memo was immediately leaked.
Fran was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, one of three girls - her 60th birthday comes on 29 December, if staff are contemplating gifts. Contemporaries at Manchester included Rik Mayall. Post-university she joined Radio Bristol ("virtually my first job"), and moved to Radio Leicester. London then beckoned, and Fran passed through network radio with Newsbeat, The World at One/ PM, and a period as radio's Washington producer.
The next step was with bi-media Newsgathering, on home news coverage, and spells with the tv One O'Clock and Six O'Clock bulletins.
In 2000, BBC DG Greg Dyke ordered a review of political output from BBC; the job fell to Fran, and led to the cancellation of On the Record, Despatch Box and Westminster Live for new brands of rather similar programmes.
In 2005 Fran became the first female Head of Newsgathering, then with 800 staff. The step up to News' top job, as a 'clean pair of hands' in the aftermath of Savile/Newsnight, continued as Helen Boaden moved to radio, and until James Harding arrived in August 2013. Harding made Fran his deputy (involving quite a lot of daily grind, as Harding went looking for 'The Future of News'), and added the title of Director of World Service Group - another female first. There, she's been trying to spend surprise Foreign Office money, whilst domestic news stutters on the delivery of savings. She'll have to balance the books now.
Other tasks left in Harding's in-tray; implementing new terms and conditions; sorting out talent pay - not just for women, but between some grumpy males; seeing if someone can make the new weather system work; moving the whole division to a new newsroom computer; choosing a Newsnight editor, a head of English regions and a new Number 2.
Fran was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, one of three girls - her 60th birthday comes on 29 December, if staff are contemplating gifts. Contemporaries at Manchester included Rik Mayall. Post-university she joined Radio Bristol ("virtually my first job"), and moved to Radio Leicester. London then beckoned, and Fran passed through network radio with Newsbeat, The World at One/ PM, and a period as radio's Washington producer.
The next step was with bi-media Newsgathering, on home news coverage, and spells with the tv One O'Clock and Six O'Clock bulletins.
In 2000, BBC DG Greg Dyke ordered a review of political output from BBC; the job fell to Fran, and led to the cancellation of On the Record, Despatch Box and Westminster Live for new brands of rather similar programmes.
In 2005 Fran became the first female Head of Newsgathering, then with 800 staff. The step up to News' top job, as a 'clean pair of hands' in the aftermath of Savile/Newsnight, continued as Helen Boaden moved to radio, and until James Harding arrived in August 2013. Harding made Fran his deputy (involving quite a lot of daily grind, as Harding went looking for 'The Future of News'), and added the title of Director of World Service Group - another female first. There, she's been trying to spend surprise Foreign Office money, whilst domestic news stutters on the delivery of savings. She'll have to balance the books now.
Other tasks left in Harding's in-tray; implementing new terms and conditions; sorting out talent pay - not just for women, but between some grumpy males; seeing if someone can make the new weather system work; moving the whole division to a new newsroom computer; choosing a Newsnight editor, a head of English regions and a new Number 2.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Money worries
Sir Cliff v The BBC surfaced again today - the first the public have heard of proceedings since May.
In a preliminary to what is expected to be a full trial in April next year, Mr Justice Mann was opining about Sir Cliff's finances - his lawyers claim he has suffered "profound and long-lasting damage", mental, financial and reputational, and has submitted a confidential schedule of losses, including a cancelled advance on an autobiography. The BBC and the judge want clarity that these losses hit Sir Cliff 'pound for pound' and not just his service company, Balladeer.
In a preliminary to what is expected to be a full trial in April next year, Mr Justice Mann was opining about Sir Cliff's finances - his lawyers claim he has suffered "profound and long-lasting damage", mental, financial and reputational, and has submitted a confidential schedule of losses, including a cancelled advance on an autobiography. The BBC and the judge want clarity that these losses hit Sir Cliff 'pound for pound' and not just his service company, Balladeer.
Psycho babble
More money descends on beleaguered Johnston Press - this time a big cash hand-out from the 4th round of Google's Digital News Initiative. It's for two projects - Mooding and Local Active.
"Mooding aims to harness a reader’s state of mind, profiling their affinity to different types and tones of content in order to personalise their experience and improve engagement.
"Readers of news sites tend to be targeted by geography, demographics and behaviour. The project will focus on creating a deeper understanding of consumers, using psychographic profiling to harness users’ attitudes, moods, values and aspirations with a view to gaining greater insights into content preferences, purchasing decisions and brand relevance. This deeper understanding will subsequently allow optimisation of content plans, product development and commercial solutions."
Johnston Press also received funding for ‘Local Active‘, a hyperlocal, mobile-focused service to deliver location-based information (sounds like something first proposed by the BBC in 2008.)
"Mooding aims to harness a reader’s state of mind, profiling their affinity to different types and tones of content in order to personalise their experience and improve engagement.
"Readers of news sites tend to be targeted by geography, demographics and behaviour. The project will focus on creating a deeper understanding of consumers, using psychographic profiling to harness users’ attitudes, moods, values and aspirations with a view to gaining greater insights into content preferences, purchasing decisions and brand relevance. This deeper understanding will subsequently allow optimisation of content plans, product development and commercial solutions."
Johnston Press also received funding for ‘Local Active‘, a hyperlocal, mobile-focused service to deliver location-based information (sounds like something first proposed by the BBC in 2008.)
180
Crikey, are you now reading a blog of global influence ?
BBC America is showing darts. Coverage of the battle for the Sid Waddell Trophy, awarded to the winner of the World Darts Championship, starts today, with a mix of highlights and live shows. There'll also be some Premier League darts matches, running over 16 weeks. All 87 hours of the World Darts Championship and all 16 matches of Premier League will be live streamed on bbcamerica.com/darts.
It doesn't sound like there'll be special commentary for the Yanks.
BBC America President Sarah Barnett said, “Darts is a fringe sport like no other— it appeals to the obsessive soccer fan, requires the skill of poker and has some of the high entertainment quota of wrestling. As home to some of the world’s largest global franchises, adding a unique, world class sport to BBCA’s fresh and entertaining line up feels like exactly the right move, giving viewers a live fix of a spectacular world class sport.”
BBC America is showing darts. Coverage of the battle for the Sid Waddell Trophy, awarded to the winner of the World Darts Championship, starts today, with a mix of highlights and live shows. There'll also be some Premier League darts matches, running over 16 weeks. All 87 hours of the World Darts Championship and all 16 matches of Premier League will be live streamed on bbcamerica.com/darts.
It doesn't sound like there'll be special commentary for the Yanks.
BBC America President Sarah Barnett said, “Darts is a fringe sport like no other— it appeals to the obsessive soccer fan, requires the skill of poker and has some of the high entertainment quota of wrestling. As home to some of the world’s largest global franchises, adding a unique, world class sport to BBCA’s fresh and entertaining line up feels like exactly the right move, giving viewers a live fix of a spectacular world class sport.”
Baker
Old BBC hacks will be entertained to note the appointment of Jonathan Baker to the Witchfinders of the Ofcom Content Board.
Jonathan, for many years a stalwart of the BBC Radio Newsroom, will serve under Chair (and former denizen of the BBC Radio Newsroom) Nick Pollard. Jonathan (English literature and History, University of East Anglia) is now founding Professor of Journalism at the University of Essex, and serves as chair of the Science Media Centre. He began his career as a reporter at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo, and left the BBC in 2014.
Jonathan, for many years a stalwart of the BBC Radio Newsroom, will serve under Chair (and former denizen of the BBC Radio Newsroom) Nick Pollard. Jonathan (English literature and History, University of East Anglia) is now founding Professor of Journalism at the University of Essex, and serves as chair of the Science Media Centre. He began his career as a reporter at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo, and left the BBC in 2014.
Playground
Trends are often more interesting than snapshots.
Just to clarify the audience figures for @BBCBreakfast and @GMB. Here's an overview of 2017 so far... pic.twitter.com/1hmHbvZTn4— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) December 13, 2017
Got the year-on-year chart there, comrades? #MindTheClosingGap#TaxiForWalker https://t.co/YTooB8ysi1— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 13, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Follow the money
Here's an interesting piece from BBC Media Editor Amol Rajan, on his first year in post, in which he confesses that the creation of tv news is more complicated than he thought.
He makes no mention of his many and varied presenter roles - R4's Media Show, Start The Week, The One Show, depping for Simon Mayo on R2, guest judging on Masterchef, and culminating in a Celebrity Antiques Road Trip pitted against Grace Dent. It's a miracle he fits any Media Editing in.
So what does 2018 hold for Amol, 34 ? Is this piece part of his pitch to succeed James Harding, by which he might expect to earn over £300k ? Or will he take the presenter route to increased dosh ?
He makes no mention of his many and varied presenter roles - R4's Media Show, Start The Week, The One Show, depping for Simon Mayo on R2, guest judging on Masterchef, and culminating in a Celebrity Antiques Road Trip pitted against Grace Dent. It's a miracle he fits any Media Editing in.
So what does 2018 hold for Amol, 34 ? Is this piece part of his pitch to succeed James Harding, by which he might expect to earn over £300k ? Or will he take the presenter route to increased dosh ?
Going postal
Another old Post Office building in London is going 'meedja'. Turner Broadcasting, which includes CNN, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TCM plans to move offices from Great Marlborough Street to 160 Old Street, a development by Great Portland Estates near the happening 'Silicon Roundabout' and the hipsters of Shoreditch.
The move is set to include Time Warner staff based at Great Marlborough Street, and is planned for 2019. Of course, with the AT&T takeover still up in the air, the CNN staff may not, perhaps, join the others on the journey east.....
The move is set to include Time Warner staff based at Great Marlborough Street, and is planned for 2019. Of course, with the AT&T takeover still up in the air, the CNN staff may not, perhaps, join the others on the journey east.....
Compliant
A new Freedom of Information response from the BBC shows the number of licence fee cancellations (by either party) is slowly falling, while the number of licence fees in force is slowly growing.
Licences cancelled Licences in force
2016/17 788,605 25,826,118
2015/16 817,509 25,558,189
2014/15 875,169 25,507,726
2013/14 945,751 25,419,296
Licences cancelled Licences in force
2016/17 788,605 25,826,118
2015/16 817,509 25,558,189
2014/15 875,169 25,507,726
2013/14 945,751 25,419,296
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Quiero una fría bien muerta
And so, as we speak, selected BBC hacks are saying farewell to their leader, James Harding, with a Mexican wave down Great Portland Street, W1.
The conversations will be entertaining; many, nervous about a future under someone a little more bothered by budgets, will be saying "Take me with you" - even though there are few with any real clue as to Mr Harding's next venture. More may become clear next week.
Meanwhile candidates to succeed him are rehearsing their vision guff, and calculating their chances of success against a series of aligned rotating wheels balancing insider/outsider/safe pair of hands/wild card/diversity/no knowledge of broadcasting/ I edited a student newspaper. Anything is possible in the next few days....
The conversations will be entertaining; many, nervous about a future under someone a little more bothered by budgets, will be saying "Take me with you" - even though there are few with any real clue as to Mr Harding's next venture. More may become clear next week.
Meanwhile candidates to succeed him are rehearsing their vision guff, and calculating their chances of success against a series of aligned rotating wheels balancing insider/outsider/safe pair of hands/wild card/diversity/no knowledge of broadcasting/ I edited a student newspaper. Anything is possible in the next few days....
Fight
Deepjoy. The founder of Kids Company, Camila Batmanghelidjh, is trying to call the Insolvency Service's bluff over disqualification as a de facto director of the collapsed charity.
She's being advised by James Nicholl, a partner at Gunnercooke LLP (a self-described 'challenger' law firm). He's issued a statement saying that "If ever there were a modern-day witch trial then this is it. Ms Batmanghelidjh is a powerful and charismatic woman who challenged the establishment.
"She repeatedly pointed out to government departments that destitute children were being failed. For 20 years she tirelessly raised money for these children. Now government is trying to silence her by trashing her reputation with trumped up allegations."
Mr Nicholls' claims the Insolvency Service "has decided to make maximum publicity out of seeking to disqualify the well-meaning and generally competent trustees of an amazing charity".
The eight 'official' directors of the charity, including BBC presenter and editor Alan Yentob, have been given until next Wednesday to accept a slightly reduced ban, or face court proceedings brought by the Insolvency Service. They are being advised by Bates Wells Braithwaite.
She's being advised by James Nicholl, a partner at Gunnercooke LLP (a self-described 'challenger' law firm). He's issued a statement saying that "If ever there were a modern-day witch trial then this is it. Ms Batmanghelidjh is a powerful and charismatic woman who challenged the establishment.
"She repeatedly pointed out to government departments that destitute children were being failed. For 20 years she tirelessly raised money for these children. Now government is trying to silence her by trashing her reputation with trumped up allegations."
Mr Nicholls' claims the Insolvency Service "has decided to make maximum publicity out of seeking to disqualify the well-meaning and generally competent trustees of an amazing charity".
The eight 'official' directors of the charity, including BBC presenter and editor Alan Yentob, have been given until next Wednesday to accept a slightly reduced ban, or face court proceedings brought by the Insolvency Service. They are being advised by Bates Wells Braithwaite.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Vacuous Piffle
Tim Davie's groovy BBC Worldwide/Studios is looking for a 'VP Insights'. The advertisement gives no insight as to the full title - VP is either Vice President, Visiting Professor, Veterinary Pathologist or Vine Pruner. Maybe the clue is in the job description (not attached). The blurb says:
"This fantastic role within the global Insights team ensures that all of the digital ways that BBC Worldwide connects with consumers use insight as they are conceived of, designed and then optimised day-to-day. From content consumption channels through to email, social media, short form video and other digital channels by which consumers discover, engage with or consume our content. Including the use of insight in strategy, product development, programming, marketing and building / optimising relationships with individual consumers throughout."
I'm hoping there's a reader who can parse this for us.
"This fantastic role within the global Insights team ensures that all of the digital ways that BBC Worldwide connects with consumers use insight as they are conceived of, designed and then optimised day-to-day. From content consumption channels through to email, social media, short form video and other digital channels by which consumers discover, engage with or consume our content. Including the use of insight in strategy, product development, programming, marketing and building / optimising relationships with individual consumers throughout."
I'm hoping there's a reader who can parse this for us.
It's a jungle out there
There'll be discreet whoops of joy in the BBC1 scheduling office this morning. An average of 11.12m watched the Strictly semi-final; 10.36m watched the finale of Blue Planet II; and tagging an elephant and Attenborough on to the sequence scored 4.88m. And so, the ITV's take on the natural world, I'm a Celebrity, finished its 2017 season with an average of 9.22m, down from 10.5m last year.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Big field
Peter Preston in the Observer/Guardian floats some more names as contenders to succeed James Harding as BBC Director of News.
He offers Fran Unsworth, Mr Harding's long-serving/suffering No 2; languid Kamal Ahmed, currently BBC Economics Editor; Nick Robinson, self-effacing Today presenter; and Jessica Cecil, fixer for successive Director-Generals, and most recently deliverer of the BBC Microbit.
Earlier this week, Buzzfeed backed Fran Unsworth, with added spin from former BBC comms chief Ed Williams, now with Edelman; Jonathan "Chopper" Munro, the newsgathering chief who authorised the Cliff Richard helicopter; Paul Royall, editor of the Six and Ten O'Clock News on BBC1; and James Purnell (really ?)
Interviews, subject to white hell, are set for this week.
He offers Fran Unsworth, Mr Harding's long-serving/suffering No 2; languid Kamal Ahmed, currently BBC Economics Editor; Nick Robinson, self-effacing Today presenter; and Jessica Cecil, fixer for successive Director-Generals, and most recently deliverer of the BBC Microbit.
Earlier this week, Buzzfeed backed Fran Unsworth, with added spin from former BBC comms chief Ed Williams, now with Edelman; Jonathan "Chopper" Munro, the newsgathering chief who authorised the Cliff Richard helicopter; Paul Royall, editor of the Six and Ten O'Clock News on BBC1; and James Purnell (really ?)
Interviews, subject to white hell, are set for this week.
Process
There's been a dump of three sets of minutes from the panjandrums of Ofcom Content Board. I've filleted the bits relevant to imposing targets on the BBC, which ended up in marvellous micro-decisions such as requiring an extra hour a week of news and current affairs from Radio 2.
April
Members gave their initial views in response to Ofcom’s proposed BBC performance measures and the draft BBC Operating licence, published on 29 March 2017 in the consultation document "Holding the BBC to account for the delivery of its mission and public purposes".
Members then formed three groups to discuss the BBC’s public purposes as set out in the Charter and Agreement and mirrored in the draft Operating Licence, as follows:
provide impartial news and support learning;
provide creative, high quality and distinctive output and reflect and serve all UK communities in the Nations and regions;
support the creative economy and reflect the UK to the world.
In a plenary session members then provided feedback on and discussed the issues raised in the group discussions.
June
Ofcom colleagues joined the meeting and members had received a paper to update them on Ofcom’s BBC competition programme workplan. It was NOTED that under the new Charter, the BBC was required to consider the competitive impact (it may be positive, it may be harmful) of its activities in the wider media market. [Witheld from published minutes.]
Issues discussed included the need for transparency by the BBC; the impact of the BBC’s online news on other online news sites; BBC Studios and how it would operate; local TV and BBC funding (a matter for the NAO); and Ofcom’s approach to competition, which would be based on guidance rather than a policy of halting services.
July
Members were updated on and discussed issues including:
• Stakeholder engagement since the recent publication of Ocom’s consultation on the BBC’s new operating licence;
• The strategy set out by the BBC in its own Annual Plan, published in early July;
• The key messages from stakeholder responses received so far; and
• Spend and production in the Nations and regions and how Ofcom should achieve the right balance of operating licence requirements in these areas
More as we get it.....
April
Members gave their initial views in response to Ofcom’s proposed BBC performance measures and the draft BBC Operating licence, published on 29 March 2017 in the consultation document "Holding the BBC to account for the delivery of its mission and public purposes".
Members then formed three groups to discuss the BBC’s public purposes as set out in the Charter and Agreement and mirrored in the draft Operating Licence, as follows:
provide impartial news and support learning;
provide creative, high quality and distinctive output and reflect and serve all UK communities in the Nations and regions;
support the creative economy and reflect the UK to the world.
In a plenary session members then provided feedback on and discussed the issues raised in the group discussions.
June
Ofcom colleagues joined the meeting and members had received a paper to update them on Ofcom’s BBC competition programme workplan. It was NOTED that under the new Charter, the BBC was required to consider the competitive impact (it may be positive, it may be harmful) of its activities in the wider media market. [Witheld from published minutes.]
Issues discussed included the need for transparency by the BBC; the impact of the BBC’s online news on other online news sites; BBC Studios and how it would operate; local TV and BBC funding (a matter for the NAO); and Ofcom’s approach to competition, which would be based on guidance rather than a policy of halting services.
July
Members were updated on and discussed issues including:
• Stakeholder engagement since the recent publication of Ocom’s consultation on the BBC’s new operating licence;
• The strategy set out by the BBC in its own Annual Plan, published in early July;
• The key messages from stakeholder responses received so far; and
• Spend and production in the Nations and regions and how Ofcom should achieve the right balance of operating licence requirements in these areas
More as we get it.....
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Seriously
Grand to see that the Lebedev millions funding the Evening Standard (editor - trained licence-fee snatcher George Osborne) are no obstacle to them winning free reporting under the BBC Local Democracy scheme. They get to hire one reporter, BBC-funded, for their vital and no-doubt regular forthcoming coverage of the council meetings of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking & Dagenham.
More pop
BBC1 and BBC Music are bringing back Sounds Like Friday Night in spring next year - for five half-hour episodes, rather than the opening six.
Last night's first season closer was watched by an average of 1.84m, according to the overnights - that's a 10.1% share of the available audience. The series average was 1.95m.
Last night's first season closer was watched by an average of 1.84m, according to the overnights - that's a 10.1% share of the available audience. The series average was 1.95m.
Backstage at Sounds Like Friday Night. Last one in this run - back in the Spring. Congrats to the team for a job brilliantly done. #slfn pic.twitter.com/ied8Aw3ZXv— James Purnell (@jimpurnell) December 8, 2017
The Lady brooks no opposition
We have an explanation for the new female voices appearing on the Today programme - most recently Geeta Guru-Murthy and Sarah Smith. The breakfast show's current-longest-serving hostess, Sarah Montague, was last heard on air on November 30, and the Mail has extracted the information that she won't be back until December 27.
The Mail's interpretation is that this long absence is all about pay. Sarah, publicly, is on less than £150k - John Humphrys is on above £600k, but if you split that evenly between Today money and fees for Mastermind, it's still more than twice what Sarah's been earning for the past 15 years. The Mail believes she's been given a 25% lift - but it's entirely possible that back pay is an issue still to be sorted, as well as the mooted transfer to the World At One. On November 10 - Equal Pay day - Sarah tweeted or retweeted 11 supportive messages.
The Mail's interpretation is that this long absence is all about pay. Sarah, publicly, is on less than £150k - John Humphrys is on above £600k, but if you split that evenly between Today money and fees for Mastermind, it's still more than twice what Sarah's been earning for the past 15 years. The Mail believes she's been given a 25% lift - but it's entirely possible that back pay is an issue still to be sorted, as well as the mooted transfer to the World At One. On November 10 - Equal Pay day - Sarah tweeted or retweeted 11 supportive messages.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Dab done
The BBC says its DAB radio services now reach nearly 98% of UK homes. 163 extra mini-transmitters now cover an additional 2,400km of motorways and A-roads.
Kieran Clifton, Director, Distribution & Business Development, BBC, says: “This expansion has brought the BBC’s digital radio services to areas of the British Isles previously without access to digital radio via DAB - places like Machynlleth in mid Wales, Guernsey, Ramsey on the Isle of Man, the Isle of Skye, and the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. We’ve also reinforced coverage in major towns and cities: Aberdeen, Coventry, Eastbourne, Glasgow, and Leicester, to name just a small selection."
(Not a bad par, but it lacks the bite of his partner, Marina Hyde. Ed)
Kieran Clifton, Director, Distribution & Business Development, BBC, says: “This expansion has brought the BBC’s digital radio services to areas of the British Isles previously without access to digital radio via DAB - places like Machynlleth in mid Wales, Guernsey, Ramsey on the Isle of Man, the Isle of Skye, and the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. We’ve also reinforced coverage in major towns and cities: Aberdeen, Coventry, Eastbourne, Glasgow, and Leicester, to name just a small selection."
(Not a bad par, but it lacks the bite of his partner, Marina Hyde. Ed)
Ears
Whatever's left of the BBC's Monitoring Service is heading out of Caversham and into the sixth floor of Broadcasting House in May next year.
The BBC has to pay for Monitoring, as part of a previous licence-fee stitch up, and the long-term budget will now be entertaining, moving from a freehold country mansion to premium leased-office space in the centre of London, presumably with a complete new set of technology tools. Some of this will be defrayed by the sale of Caversham, on the market for nearly a year, and now marked as "Under Offer" by the BBC's preferred estate agents, Lambert Smith Hampton.
Paying for Monitoring out of licence-fees must be very frustrating when Foreign Office money is coming back into other parts of the BBC faster than the BBC can spend it. BBC World Questions now has added Jonathan Dimbleby (occasionally billed as 'Dimbley'), travelling with entourage to Paris, Washington, Nairobi and Mexico.
The BBC has to pay for Monitoring, as part of a previous licence-fee stitch up, and the long-term budget will now be entertaining, moving from a freehold country mansion to premium leased-office space in the centre of London, presumably with a complete new set of technology tools. Some of this will be defrayed by the sale of Caversham, on the market for nearly a year, and now marked as "Under Offer" by the BBC's preferred estate agents, Lambert Smith Hampton.
Paying for Monitoring out of licence-fees must be very frustrating when Foreign Office money is coming back into other parts of the BBC faster than the BBC can spend it. BBC World Questions now has added Jonathan Dimbleby (occasionally billed as 'Dimbley'), travelling with entourage to Paris, Washington, Nairobi and Mexico.
Top sliced
What a week for Johnston Press' smarty pants CEO Ashley Highfield, balancing profit and poverty. How much will his organisation's income have to rise before it pays for extra reporters of its own again ?
Really great to see this landmark deal with the @BBC moving into ‘hiring of journalists’ phase (JP hire, BBC fund). JP will be recruiting over 30 of the initial 150 local democracy reporters. @newsmediaorg @Johnston_Press thanks esp to @EditorInChiefJP Jez Clifford https://t.co/Fjbuv2YXL5— ashley highfield (@ashleyhi) December 7, 2017
Johnston Press says it is now making £1m a month profit from i newspaper: https://t.co/OBiw181dND - via:@pressgazette— ashley highfield (@ashleyhi) December 6, 2017
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Somebody's watching me....
Some eyebrow raising figures from the National Audit Office on the BBC's Audience Services spend yesterday. Working out who's watching, listening, clicking through, downloading and live streaming cost Auntie £22.4m in the last financial year - up 11% in real terms on 2014/15. Implementing of the sign-in requirements for iPlayer was delayed 15 months, and there are delays of up to 10 months in a "cross-media insight" contract with IPSOS-Mori.
The full report also has a go at Auntie for not being clear about the benefits of this extra investment. Can it really be true that tracking micro-details of what audiences think of the output creates genuine change - and can it actually save money ? BBC staff visited the various databases provided by the Audience team 11,600 times in May. I reckon I look at the overnights more than current BBC employees....
This the first NAO report under the new relationship with the unitary BBC Board. In the old days, you would get a choreographed release, with comments from the BBC Trust and a response from the BBC Executive, openly published. Can't find owt official from the BBC today.
The full report also has a go at Auntie for not being clear about the benefits of this extra investment. Can it really be true that tracking micro-details of what audiences think of the output creates genuine change - and can it actually save money ? BBC staff visited the various databases provided by the Audience team 11,600 times in May. I reckon I look at the overnights more than current BBC employees....
This the first NAO report under the new relationship with the unitary BBC Board. In the old days, you would get a choreographed release, with comments from the BBC Trust and a response from the BBC Executive, openly published. Can't find owt official from the BBC today.
Time
Some 3,000 BBC News staff are contemplating a future under two new bosses in the New Year. Big chief James Harding, out of the door this month, announced that his Controller English Regions, David Holdsworth, has also decided to call it a day in the service of the Corporation.
David, born in Bradford, came to the BBC via local papers and commercial radio, before joining Auntie in 1985 for the launch of Radio Shropshire, moving to Hereford & Worcester for their kick-off in 1989.
He rose to run tv and radio operations in the North West, East and West Midlands, before succeeding Andy Griffee in 2008 as Controller - running 45% of BBC News staff. Since then, BBC Local Radio reach has fallen from 20% to 15%. Telly is different - whilst absolute numbers may have fallen, the 6.30pm regional bulletins on BBC1 often top Auntie's overnight figures (as they did yesterday), and more tune in for the extended bulletin after the 10pm.
David's balance sheet on local radio is difficult to assess - it was slowly deprived of funding until Lord Hall said enough is enough this year. He doggedly implemented more women presenters at breakfast, but it made little difference to figures, and there was never a sign of a big idea to sort out a future for the service. Elsewhere, David tried his best with hyper-local services, but came up against a government more interested in the very average commercial offerings we have on Channel 8.
He's had a dull old couple of years being bullied by local paper moguls over funding reporters and giving them free video. After 33 years of solid service, time for a break.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Animated
London-based BBC hacks missing the guidance of Winding-Down-Editor James Harding should know he's been in Manchester, for a panel with Late-Added-Amol-Rajan at the Children's Global Media Summit, hosted by the BBC. James is in the middle.
This morning's session was opened by two old chums, James Purnell and Andy Burnham, centre half and centre forward for the Islington-based Demon Eyes football team. Burnham followed Purnell as Culture Secretary in 2008.
Narrowing ?
The relentless Piers Morgan self-publicity machine (he's even steam-rollered the BBC) is shifting the stone of Sisyphus that is ITV breakfast show ratings.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - with Piers and Susanna - are doing markedly better than Thursday and Friday. The shift between GMB and BBC Breakfast is marginal, but yesterday GMB recorded an average audience of 779k, and more importantly, a 21.7% share of the available audience. BBC Breakfast was 'off the top', at 1.47m - with 37.8% share (normally around 40%).
But the upwards tick is coming at some cost to what you might call 'news and current affairs'....
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - with Piers and Susanna - are doing markedly better than Thursday and Friday. The shift between GMB and BBC Breakfast is marginal, but yesterday GMB recorded an average audience of 779k, and more importantly, a 21.7% share of the available audience. BBC Breakfast was 'off the top', at 1.47m - with 37.8% share (normally around 40%).
But the upwards tick is coming at some cost to what you might call 'news and current affairs'....
.@piersmorgan compares 'empowered' (and spaghetti-spattered) @emrata with the more modest @taylorswift13 - what do you think?@susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/uBPbpjwyjf— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 6, 2017
We're not sure @piersmorgan and @susannareid100 would score very highly in a Mr and Mrs quiz after seeing this... pic.twitter.com/muy3k8ZPIi— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 5, 2017
Food luvvies
A glitzy preview session at BAFTA for new drama McMafia, from the book by former BBC correspondent Misha Glenny. Star James Norton was grilled by Kirsty Wark, and, according to the Mail, complained about an ‘eight-month shoot where catering was thin on the ground because it’s the BBC’.
Later he offered apologies to DG Tony Hall. ‘No need' said Hall, ‘That’s exactly the message I want out there.’
But it's not just the Beeb offering thin gruel. In October, Norton was filming a ITV Christmas special of Grantchester (from the books by BBC Radio arts commissioner James Runcie). A day's shooting at the back gates of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, saw the cast sharing lunch with the students in Hall.
Later he offered apologies to DG Tony Hall. ‘No need' said Hall, ‘That’s exactly the message I want out there.’
But it's not just the Beeb offering thin gruel. In October, Norton was filming a ITV Christmas special of Grantchester (from the books by BBC Radio arts commissioner James Runcie). A day's shooting at the back gates of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, saw the cast sharing lunch with the students in Hall.
To and fro
So it is revealed - the demotic, friendly tones of Rob Cowan are off Radio 3 and back to Classic FM, where he was part of the starting line-up in 1992. Cowan and Charlotte Hawkins (off Good Morning Britain and Strictly) replace Alex James and Charlotte Green (essentially).
Born in London in 1948, one of Rob's first jobs was promoting sales for Hungarian classics label, Qualiton (a catalogue owned by Robert Maxwell). He had a spell in the BBC Music department, which gave him skills with a Ferrograph reel-to-reel tape recorder, and then set up his own LP label, Melos, transferring old recordings. 19 years with Boosey & Hawkes followed, in education and archives, with a growing sideline in classical record reviews.
Born in London in 1948, one of Rob's first jobs was promoting sales for Hungarian classics label, Qualiton (a catalogue owned by Robert Maxwell). He had a spell in the BBC Music department, which gave him skills with a Ferrograph reel-to-reel tape recorder, and then set up his own LP label, Melos, transferring old recordings. 19 years with Boosey & Hawkes followed, in education and archives, with a growing sideline in classical record reviews.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
PM tension
PM is to have its airtime halved. (Not you, Eddie).
This the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's network radio show which currently runs from 6pm to 7pm, first launched in 1969. In future, it'll start at 6.30pm, and Business PM is dropped entirely. Also cut in half is The World Today, which will now end at 12.30pm instead of 1pm. I can imagine the staff's reaction when Managing Editor of Audio Current Affairs Tanya Nolan told them the move "would leave the audience wanting more".
This the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's network radio show which currently runs from 6pm to 7pm, first launched in 1969. In future, it'll start at 6.30pm, and Business PM is dropped entirely. Also cut in half is The World Today, which will now end at 12.30pm instead of 1pm. I can imagine the staff's reaction when Managing Editor of Audio Current Affairs Tanya Nolan told them the move "would leave the audience wanting more".
Monday, December 4, 2017
Selling the news
Presumably protected from cuts, the BBC is looking for a Marketing Manager for News.
"You will support the Portfolio Head of Marketing for BBC News & Current Affairs to develop and implement the BBC News brand, creative and marketing strategy in context of the overarching BBC Brand Strategy. You will ensure there is a coherent, yet innovative approach to BBC News marketing, especially across all digital platforms, working collaboratively with Media Engagement, Audiences, Central Brand Strategy and other teams as required to deliver the annual marketing plan. You will also help manage critical relationships with key internal stakeholders as well as external agencies."
If that all looks too taxing, there's also a vacancy for a Marketing Co-ordinator, at a lower grade - which usually means they do all the work.
Effortless
Isn't it marvellous that Sarah Sands hasn't found editing Today too taxing ?
She's just been announced as chair of judges for the 2018 Women's Prize for Fiction (previously sponsored by Baileys). There's been an average entry of 150 books in recent years, to be pared down to a long-list of under 20; and shortlist of five or six.
For more on how the editor of the UK's flagship news and current affairs radio show (six days a week) spends her time, catch up with her regular FT Diary (by subscription).
She's just been announced as chair of judges for the 2018 Women's Prize for Fiction (previously sponsored by Baileys). There's been an average entry of 150 books in recent years, to be pared down to a long-list of under 20; and shortlist of five or six.
For more on how the editor of the UK's flagship news and current affairs radio show (six days a week) spends her time, catch up with her regular FT Diary (by subscription).
We helped
Before we fret about London's new Facebook offices being designed by US/Canadian architect Frank Gehry, let us remember that their leased space is just over half of the overall Rathbone Square development, with base build designed by Make (of Cleveland St W1), and put together by Great Portland Estates.
The 2.3 acre site, formerly Post Office buildings, will also include retail and 142 flats.
The 2.3 acre site, formerly Post Office buildings, will also include retail and 142 flats.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Making music
We told you last month that the BBC's Bob Shennan was heading to Hollywood in May next year for Musexpo. He won't be alone. Ben Cooper, Controller, BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & BBC Asian Network, and Chris Price, Head of Music, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra are also in the speaker line-up.
The event culminates with a VIP luncheon at which Radio 1 and Radio 2 will be awarded with the International Music Icon of the Year Award (VIP Awards Luncheon Cost additional to other Musexpo Events, and subject to availability). Ben and Chris then stay on in Los Angeles to participate in the Worldwide Radio Summit at the same venue.
In other BBC Music news, the penultimate edition of Sounds Like Friday Night averaged 1.97m in the overnight ratings - a 10.8% share of the available audience.
The event culminates with a VIP luncheon at which Radio 1 and Radio 2 will be awarded with the International Music Icon of the Year Award (VIP Awards Luncheon Cost additional to other Musexpo Events, and subject to availability). Ben and Chris then stay on in Los Angeles to participate in the Worldwide Radio Summit at the same venue.
In other BBC Music news, the penultimate edition of Sounds Like Friday Night averaged 1.97m in the overnight ratings - a 10.8% share of the available audience.
Calling the shots
The presenter and editor of last night's Imagine had himself filmed appreciating two works of art by Rachel Whiteread in New York. Rachel wasn't there.
Those "Yentob in New York" shots in full.— David Llewellyn (@TheDaiLlew) December 3, 2017
I'd like to think he was filming something else in New York when they got these. I'd *like* to think that.#BBCImagine pic.twitter.com/CXaLbiLIep
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Phil Longman
It's not the sort of thing you'd put a stopwatch on, but I reckon I spent more time chewing the fat on news, radio, politics and BBC management b*ll*cks over the years with Phil Longman than anyone else. So I'm there with hundreds (at a very conservative estimate) who'll be saddened to learn of his death at the age of 67.
Philip Rowland Longman (who knew about the Rowland ?) was a practical, commonsense newsman - practitioner, organiser, editor and mentor. He had a taste for new ideas in journalism, that saw him eschew university for local paper indentures, then move swiftly from subbing at the BBC World Service to reporting at LBC. He patrolled the industrial beat in the late 70s, and was sent to Buenos Aires during the Falklands War.
He joined BBC Radio News as a pool reporter - I first met him when he was sent, on rotation, to Newsbeat, and spent all his time trying to get out of the office and 'do some serious reporting'. 1985 to 1987 saw occasional presentation shifts on The World At One, PM and Today. He fronted Radio 4's News Review of the Year in 1985 and 1987. A semi-pro war historian, he enjoyed a spell covering the Defence Brief.
In a perhaps-surprising career lurch, he then moved to output, becoming an Assistant Editor on Today. He drove their remarkable coverage of the Lockerbie air crash in 1988 - a triumph of editorial drive and news sense over seemingly insurmountable logistical problems. Then followed spells as Home Editor and Assistant Editor in the Radio Newsroom.
In 1993 his credentials made him an obvious choice for spade work on the launch of Radio 5Live. I joined him late in that year - we shared a temporary office at the front of BH with the best, lushest pale green carpet ever seen by either of us. We listened to tapes, drafted dummy schedules, drank beer and ate big, dribbly sandwiches from Brunel's (now closed). With the help of Amanda Ashton, we mapped out a biblical recruitment programme, looking for close to 110 staff to run the news programmes.
In the carve of up of continuing roles, Phil got to set up the dedicated news team and the drivetime programme. It was right that he was there at the very start in 1994, with Jane Garvey opening the network at 5.00am for the first Morning Reports.
I got Breakfast, and there was some (mock ?) rivalry with Inverdale Nationwide, where producers enjoyed starting a three hour show with nothing in the running order for the last ninety-minutes. And where the studio team would regularly "slip the pre-fade" if Inverdale was rabbiting on. There was no guarantee that the assertion "It's five o'clock" was accurate.
But Phil the newsman was never happier than when the schedules and timings made way for a big breaking story - Drive got more than its fair share, and did them all with style and professionalism. Phil also got great kicks from finding new talent and giving it a nudge forward.
Phil himself moved up the ladder to executive editor (which he was really anyway) but came back to reporting when he found himself in the 1999 Paddington rail crash. But in general, as more elevated management posts came his way, he was having less fun. He became Head of Production for Continuous News, a barking-mad management construct. And then Managing Editor of the tv teams producing bulletins on BBC1 and BBC2.
For a short time he was The Big Head of Continuous News, but the arrival of another management construct, marginally less barking, enabled him to take the early bath.
Things didn't stop there. He came back in 2002/3 to help with the launch of The Asian Network, working particularly to support the newsteam and the phone-in production operation. In 2003, he was back at LBC, running planning, and organising coverage of the Iraq War.
From 2004, you can still find a number of 'think pieces' he wrote for BBC News Online. He did some journalist training at Bucks New University, and enjoyed helping deliver prescriptions to the housebound and advice at the CAB in his home patch, just outside Reading.
We continued to chew the fat, enjoyably but largely unproductively, until September this year. I'll miss him.
He joined BBC Radio News as a pool reporter - I first met him when he was sent, on rotation, to Newsbeat, and spent all his time trying to get out of the office and 'do some serious reporting'. 1985 to 1987 saw occasional presentation shifts on The World At One, PM and Today. He fronted Radio 4's News Review of the Year in 1985 and 1987. A semi-pro war historian, he enjoyed a spell covering the Defence Brief.
In a perhaps-surprising career lurch, he then moved to output, becoming an Assistant Editor on Today. He drove their remarkable coverage of the Lockerbie air crash in 1988 - a triumph of editorial drive and news sense over seemingly insurmountable logistical problems. Then followed spells as Home Editor and Assistant Editor in the Radio Newsroom.
In 1993 his credentials made him an obvious choice for spade work on the launch of Radio 5Live. I joined him late in that year - we shared a temporary office at the front of BH with the best, lushest pale green carpet ever seen by either of us. We listened to tapes, drafted dummy schedules, drank beer and ate big, dribbly sandwiches from Brunel's (now closed). With the help of Amanda Ashton, we mapped out a biblical recruitment programme, looking for close to 110 staff to run the news programmes.
In the carve of up of continuing roles, Phil got to set up the dedicated news team and the drivetime programme. It was right that he was there at the very start in 1994, with Jane Garvey opening the network at 5.00am for the first Morning Reports.
I got Breakfast, and there was some (mock ?) rivalry with Inverdale Nationwide, where producers enjoyed starting a three hour show with nothing in the running order for the last ninety-minutes. And where the studio team would regularly "slip the pre-fade" if Inverdale was rabbiting on. There was no guarantee that the assertion "It's five o'clock" was accurate.
But Phil the newsman was never happier than when the schedules and timings made way for a big breaking story - Drive got more than its fair share, and did them all with style and professionalism. Phil also got great kicks from finding new talent and giving it a nudge forward.
Phil himself moved up the ladder to executive editor (which he was really anyway) but came back to reporting when he found himself in the 1999 Paddington rail crash. But in general, as more elevated management posts came his way, he was having less fun. He became Head of Production for Continuous News, a barking-mad management construct. And then Managing Editor of the tv teams producing bulletins on BBC1 and BBC2.
For a short time he was The Big Head of Continuous News, but the arrival of another management construct, marginally less barking, enabled him to take the early bath.
Things didn't stop there. He came back in 2002/3 to help with the launch of The Asian Network, working particularly to support the newsteam and the phone-in production operation. In 2003, he was back at LBC, running planning, and organising coverage of the Iraq War.
From 2004, you can still find a number of 'think pieces' he wrote for BBC News Online. He did some journalist training at Bucks New University, and enjoyed helping deliver prescriptions to the housebound and advice at the CAB in his home patch, just outside Reading.
We continued to chew the fat, enjoyably but largely unproductively, until September this year. I'll miss him.
Return of the mack
The Evening Standard's business pages tell us that loveable rogue/odious pillock (strike out as appropriate) Kelvin McKenzie has secured funding for a return to radio.
He's planning a sports station and a talk station for London....
Friday, December 1, 2017
Shut that door
May I suggest that someone in the About The BBC office has too much budget on his/her hands ? 24 more of these to come ????
Day 1 #AdventCalendar - read more > https://t.co/s1RopphNLc @BBC_Studioworks pic.twitter.com/oix28I1BM4— BBC (@AboutTheBBC) December 1, 2017
In-life marketing contact journeys
The re-invented BBC has opted for Salesforce Marketing Cloud software to prompt viewers and listeners. The burgeoning Customer Relationship Management department is looking for a Head for the team that seeks to nudge licence-payers into more consumption through emails, texts, and personalised ads on social media.
The Head will manage 7 CRM Executives and 2 CRM Co-ordinators; he/she will work with the Head of Portfolio: Direct Audience Engagement; there'll be shared tasks with "with the Insight & Analytics team and DAE Analyst to continually evolve audience segmentation modeling and campaign performance reporting." The successful candidate will "work closely with the Head of BBC Account Acquisition to design and implement welcome, nurture and onboarding funnel contact strategies for new BBC Account users." On your own, you'll "develop and take full ownership of in-life marketing contact journeys for multi-channel retention, growth and re-activation lifecycle campaigns."
The Head will manage 7 CRM Executives and 2 CRM Co-ordinators; he/she will work with the Head of Portfolio: Direct Audience Engagement; there'll be shared tasks with "with the Insight & Analytics team and DAE Analyst to continually evolve audience segmentation modeling and campaign performance reporting." The successful candidate will "work closely with the Head of BBC Account Acquisition to design and implement welcome, nurture and onboarding funnel contact strategies for new BBC Account users." On your own, you'll "develop and take full ownership of in-life marketing contact journeys for multi-channel retention, growth and re-activation lifecycle campaigns."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
