Artist's impression...
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Like an oven
It's probably not the weather to be drooling over meat and two veg, but W1-based Beeboids will have yet another dining option in the Autumn. Roast Kitchen, a spin-off from Roast in Borough Market, is set to open at 94 Great Portland Street, at the junction with Langham Street (regular readers will remember a fire at the development back in February)
Artist's impression...
Artist's impression...
Arms length
The latest lists of meetings, hospitality etc from the DDCMS cover three months to March 31st. Matt Hancock's pair of special advisers, Lottie Dominiczak and Jamie Njoku-Goodwin record NO meetings. Any suggestion that they're too busy taking photographs of Mr Hancock looking dynamic and dashing for his various twitter feeds are resented.
Lottie had no hospitality; Jamie had lunch with The Sun, Edelman, UK Music and PR firm Teneo Blue Rubicon, rugby tickets from the RFU, football tickets from the rather unlikely Alliance for Intellectual Property and went to awards ceremonies hosted by the BPI and The Spectator.
The only BBC contact I can find in the returns is a lunch paid for by James Purnell with Matthew Gould, Director General for Digital and Media Policy at the DDCMS.
Lottie had no hospitality; Jamie had lunch with The Sun, Edelman, UK Music and PR firm Teneo Blue Rubicon, rugby tickets from the RFU, football tickets from the rather unlikely Alliance for Intellectual Property and went to awards ceremonies hosted by the BPI and The Spectator.
The only BBC contact I can find in the returns is a lunch paid for by James Purnell with Matthew Gould, Director General for Digital and Media Policy at the DDCMS.
Top European
It'll probably irritate Brexiteers, but BBC DG Lord Hall has just been elected President of the European Broadcasting Union. He won an absolute majority at the 80th Assembly of the Union, in the Albanian capital, Tirana. He starts a two-year term in January next year.
Tone and his number 2, Ms Delphine Ernotte-Cunci of France Televisions, "will steer the activities of the EBU Executive Board and help promote the usefulness and importance of Public Service Media (PSM) in Europe."
Friday, June 29, 2018
Love game
Most football fans decided they had something better to do after last night's match between England and Belgium on ITV. The actual half-hearted kicking of balls finished with 18 million watching. The network said farewell to Mark Pougatch and the pundits dissecting events at around 21.15, and there were still some 5m viewers. Then Good Evening Britain burst onto our screens, with Piers Morgan, Susanna Reid, and guests Pamela Anderson, David Ginola, Ed Balls, James Cleverly, Jeremy Corbyn and Danny Dyer.
An hour later only 2.06m were still with the GEB experiment. GEB averaged 2.91m; Love Island, on ITV2, adored by Piers and Danny, attracted 3.20m.
An alternative analysis - some might say 'counterfactual'...
An hour later only 2.06m were still with the GEB experiment. GEB averaged 2.91m; Love Island, on ITV2, adored by Piers and Danny, attracted 3.20m.
An alternative analysis - some might say 'counterfactual'...
BOOM!— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 29, 2018
Good Evening Britain peaked at 5.2m viewers last night, smashing Love Island which peaked at just 3.6m.
Thanks for watching & restoring my faith in humanity! pic.twitter.com/MLWBar24DF
Settled
The Fawcett Society is going to be between £200k and £345k better off, thanks to Carrie Gracie. The BBC has apologised to her for underpaying her as China Editor, and acknowledged that Carrie delivered reports, analysis and work, that were as valuable as those of the other International Editors in the same period.
Carrie says the backpay goes to charity. She was on £135k - having secured an agreement that her pay should be at least as high as the North America Editor. That was ok when Mark Mardell was in Washington; but in 2014, Jon Sopel came in, and his salary is declared to be in the range £200k to £249,999. Carrie's now taking six months off, to write and speak, on both China and gender equality
Carrie's case was taken up by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and lawyers from Matrix Chambers and Mishcon de Reya have been supporting a number of 'BBC Women' with pay grievances. Will the annual report bring news of more settlements ?
Carrie says the backpay goes to charity. She was on £135k - having secured an agreement that her pay should be at least as high as the North America Editor. That was ok when Mark Mardell was in Washington; but in 2014, Jon Sopel came in, and his salary is declared to be in the range £200k to £249,999. Carrie's now taking six months off, to write and speak, on both China and gender equality
Carrie's case was taken up by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and lawyers from Matrix Chambers and Mishcon de Reya have been supporting a number of 'BBC Women' with pay grievances. Will the annual report bring news of more settlements ?
- Carrie's donation will be used by The Fawcett Society to set up a fund for women who need legal advice on equal pay claims and to support Fawcett's strategic legal work. The Society was originally The London Society for Women’s Suffrage, renamed in honour of Millicent Fawcett in 1953.
Desperate
From The Sun: BBC signs up Paddy McGuinness to host bonkers new Saturday night game show Catchpoint
Ten large screens will be positioned along the back wall of the Catch Zone and contestants must stand under the answer they think is right. The trap door with the correct answer releases a ball and they have to be quick to catch it.
Ten large screens will be positioned along the back wall of the Catch Zone and contestants must stand under the answer they think is right. The trap door with the correct answer releases a ball and they have to be quick to catch it.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Cottage industry
An entertaining report from the Creative Industries Council (new Chair: BBC Studios CEO Tim Davie) on where companies in the sector get finance.
60% are running with the help of loans, overdrafts, credit cards, grants, etc. 14% are currently using money from a public sector body. In the survey, 42% of creative SMEs said they had accessed public funds at some stage.
The survey also found significant reliance on funding from friends and family, with 27% of businesses using this source as opposed to 9% of businesses generally. Creative businesses were also more likely to have had an injection of personal funds from the owner/directors in the past year. 58% had received such an injection compared to 22% across all UK SMEs.
60% are running with the help of loans, overdrafts, credit cards, grants, etc. 14% are currently using money from a public sector body. In the survey, 42% of creative SMEs said they had accessed public funds at some stage.
The survey also found significant reliance on funding from friends and family, with 27% of businesses using this source as opposed to 9% of businesses generally. Creative businesses were also more likely to have had an injection of personal funds from the owner/directors in the past year. 58% had received such an injection compared to 22% across all UK SMEs.
Not enough
A rare sighting of a Newsnight audience figure from the overnights. I know it's June, hot and the World Cup, but an average of 350k is not good, nor good value for the BBC.
Not the BBC's fault ?
The Cairncross Review on sustaining high-quality journalism in the UK, has NOT yet finished, despite what Radio 4 bulletins reported this morning. It's issued a call for evidence, with a deadline of September, to help it form conclusions. Alongside that is a report commissioned by the DCMS from consultants, reviewing existing data, looking at trends over the last ten years, and summarising some new (anonymous) interviews with key players. Mediatique's report also considers the argument that the BBC online offering is the problem for newspaper groups. Here's the key bit.
5.11. Some of the people interviewed for this report referred to the BBC as a potential ‘brake’ to the establishment of an online pay model for news. They cited the availability of a publicly funded online news service as the reason why consumers would not engage with content behind paywalls, as there is a free alternative available to everyone. Indeed, 54% of those who do not pay for online news cited the possibility to get news for free among the main reasons why they do not do so. However, this seems to be contradicted by research which suggests that people who consume free news from public media such as the BBC are not less likely to be paying or willing to pay for online news than those who do not.
5.12. Furthermore, others pointed to the traditional newsbrands as partially responsible for conditioning readers into expecting to be able to access news online for free. When newsbrands launched their websites and started charging advertisers to place their banners around their content online, the substitutive effect of the internet over print was not yet as acute as it is today, and therefore the internet created opportunities for publishers to gain additional revenue at little incremental cost. By the time audiences started abandoning print in favour of online for their news and for classified advertising, it was too late for newspapers to reverse the strategy.
5.13. Finally, it should also be pointed out that there is also a strong belief among several members of the industry that UK citizens, and in particular those with lower means – e.g., young people – have a fundamental right to free public-service journalism. In that sense, the BBC plays a crucial, though not unique role. Several newsbrands have committed publicly not to erect paywalls; for them, the answer to the question of sustainability lies elsewhere.
5.11. Some of the people interviewed for this report referred to the BBC as a potential ‘brake’ to the establishment of an online pay model for news. They cited the availability of a publicly funded online news service as the reason why consumers would not engage with content behind paywalls, as there is a free alternative available to everyone. Indeed, 54% of those who do not pay for online news cited the possibility to get news for free among the main reasons why they do not do so. However, this seems to be contradicted by research which suggests that people who consume free news from public media such as the BBC are not less likely to be paying or willing to pay for online news than those who do not.
5.12. Furthermore, others pointed to the traditional newsbrands as partially responsible for conditioning readers into expecting to be able to access news online for free. When newsbrands launched their websites and started charging advertisers to place their banners around their content online, the substitutive effect of the internet over print was not yet as acute as it is today, and therefore the internet created opportunities for publishers to gain additional revenue at little incremental cost. By the time audiences started abandoning print in favour of online for their news and for classified advertising, it was too late for newspapers to reverse the strategy.
5.13. Finally, it should also be pointed out that there is also a strong belief among several members of the industry that UK citizens, and in particular those with lower means – e.g., young people – have a fundamental right to free public-service journalism. In that sense, the BBC plays a crucial, though not unique role. Several newsbrands have committed publicly not to erect paywalls; for them, the answer to the question of sustainability lies elsewhere.
Disambiguation
Congratulations to Helen Thomas, appointed BBC Director of England.
This is not the Helen Thomas who is Business Correspondent for Newsnight, nor the Helen Thomas who is called 'Network Editor' for Radio 2, nor the Helen Thomas who is a producer in BBC Studios Science Unit.
Helen (Dinnington Comprehensive and BA Management, Bradford College) has recently been working on the 're-invention of BBC Local Radio' (though we've yet to see the results), and takes the role filled by David Holdsworth, (who used to be called Controller English Regions, and found time to review Carrie Gracie's pay).
Helen started in journalism as a trainee reporter with Radio Aire in the early 80s, coming to BBC York in 1985. After a spell in commercial radio, she returned the BBC in 1999, and has held management roles across Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire. She's had to deal with the departure of Look North presenter Christa Ackroyd - her boss back at Radio Aire.
This is not the Helen Thomas who is Business Correspondent for Newsnight, nor the Helen Thomas who is called 'Network Editor' for Radio 2, nor the Helen Thomas who is a producer in BBC Studios Science Unit.
Helen (Dinnington Comprehensive and BA Management, Bradford College) has recently been working on the 're-invention of BBC Local Radio' (though we've yet to see the results), and takes the role filled by David Holdsworth, (who used to be called Controller English Regions, and found time to review Carrie Gracie's pay).
Helen started in journalism as a trainee reporter with Radio Aire in the early 80s, coming to BBC York in 1985. After a spell in commercial radio, she returned the BBC in 1999, and has held management roles across Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire. She's had to deal with the departure of Look North presenter Christa Ackroyd - her boss back at Radio Aire.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
No deal
Ah, re-inventing the BBC. The biggest of the new daytime BBC1 commissions for Autumn 2018 features - drum roll - antiques. A wild, brave, distinctive call from controller Dan McGolpin.
Make Me A Dealer BBC One, (20x45'), afternoons
Make Me A Dealer is an exciting new daytime series for BBC One presented by Paul Martin where wannabe antique and collectible dealers are given the chance to learn the tricks of the trade. In each show two amateur enthusiasts compete against each other to buy anything that takes their fancy at auction. Then under the guidance of pro Paul Martin, the aim is to sell the items onto make a profit. There’s a lot at risk. Each contributor invests their own money so the stakes are high. Throughout each show you will see and feel the competition between the contributors with video diaries - is their opponent doing better than them; how will they know how much to bid; will they make the profit or will their dreams be dashed? Paul tells all at the very end of the show when he reveals the winner and crowns them Dealer Of The Day.
Make Me A Dealer is a BBC Studios Production. The Executive Producer is Paul Tucker and BBC's Commissioning Editor is Lindsay Bradbury.
Make Me A Dealer BBC One, (20x45'), afternoons
Make Me A Dealer is an exciting new daytime series for BBC One presented by Paul Martin where wannabe antique and collectible dealers are given the chance to learn the tricks of the trade. In each show two amateur enthusiasts compete against each other to buy anything that takes their fancy at auction. Then under the guidance of pro Paul Martin, the aim is to sell the items onto make a profit. There’s a lot at risk. Each contributor invests their own money so the stakes are high. Throughout each show you will see and feel the competition between the contributors with video diaries - is their opponent doing better than them; how will they know how much to bid; will they make the profit or will their dreams be dashed? Paul tells all at the very end of the show when he reveals the winner and crowns them Dealer Of The Day.
Make Me A Dealer is a BBC Studios Production. The Executive Producer is Paul Tucker and BBC's Commissioning Editor is Lindsay Bradbury.
Wodges
It's highly likely that Lord Hall's new, expanded, executive board is going to be more expensive than the last version - if only adding the salaries of 5 additional members. But it may be even more than that, with the new faces getting an extra wodge.
January's meeting of the BBC Board Remuneration Committee gave approval to move John Shield up to board level, as Director of Communications, but his salary is stuck, publicly, on £159k. That's probably the lowest of the 15 (given we don't yet have disclosure on Chief Customer Officer Kerris Bright and Director of Finance and Operations Glyn Isherwood). The minutes suggest a review of this new executive board's pay levels has been underway; let's see if it's made the Annual Report, coming in July.
The committee also considered a second go at an incentive scheme for staff in BBC Studios. That, I'm sure, won't be shared. .
January's meeting of the BBC Board Remuneration Committee gave approval to move John Shield up to board level, as Director of Communications, but his salary is stuck, publicly, on £159k. That's probably the lowest of the 15 (given we don't yet have disclosure on Chief Customer Officer Kerris Bright and Director of Finance and Operations Glyn Isherwood). The minutes suggest a review of this new executive board's pay levels has been underway; let's see if it's made the Annual Report, coming in July.
The committee also considered a second go at an incentive scheme for staff in BBC Studios. That, I'm sure, won't be shared. .
There's Scottish and Scottish
In its final approval for the launch of a new BBC channel for Scotland, OFCOM has revealed a difference of opinion with MG/BBC Alba, the Gaelic channel.
Ofcom's slide rules predict an audience share of 2.42% in Scotland for the new channel. The Alba management complained they would lose viewers - and "a loss to BBC Alba will be an absolute loss of public value in many respects, due to the unique role that the Gaelic television channel fulfils. MG ALBA also argued that, although it was not reliant on commercial funding, the loss of audience to BBC Scotland could put at risk the amount of funding made available from the Scottish Government, which in turn would impact on the amount of content investment."
Ofcom noted BARB does not report viewing for BBC Alba, "therefore we have only estimated BBC Alba’s share in Scotland based on available data (c.0.9%).... we estimate that BBC Alba could lose about 2.3% of its viewing hours."
So, says Ofcom, Alba's potential loss of public value is moderate, and "an increased choice in content representing and portraying different aspects of Scotland, its communities and its people is likely to be beneficial for audiences."
Ofcom's slide rules predict an audience share of 2.42% in Scotland for the new channel. The Alba management complained they would lose viewers - and "a loss to BBC Alba will be an absolute loss of public value in many respects, due to the unique role that the Gaelic television channel fulfils. MG ALBA also argued that, although it was not reliant on commercial funding, the loss of audience to BBC Scotland could put at risk the amount of funding made available from the Scottish Government, which in turn would impact on the amount of content investment."
Ofcom noted BARB does not report viewing for BBC Alba, "therefore we have only estimated BBC Alba’s share in Scotland based on available data (c.0.9%).... we estimate that BBC Alba could lose about 2.3% of its viewing hours."
So, says Ofcom, Alba's potential loss of public value is moderate, and "an increased choice in content representing and portraying different aspects of Scotland, its communities and its people is likely to be beneficial for audiences."
Filling space
So, BBC Pacific Quay gets a bigger slice of the corporation's digital pie, with sixty new jobs working on voice applications, BBC Bitesize stuff and platforms. Seems a rather sudden move; earlier this year the raft of new jobs working on voice stuff were to be based in Salford and London.
So once again, Scotland's bespoke HQ has flexed to accommodate not just a complete tv channel and associated hacks, and a film school operation. Any suggestion that the wide open spaces in the behemoth on the banks of the Clyde have been spotted by the BBC's new auditors, the NAO, is resented.
So once again, Scotland's bespoke HQ has flexed to accommodate not just a complete tv channel and associated hacks, and a film school operation. Any suggestion that the wide open spaces in the behemoth on the banks of the Clyde have been spotted by the BBC's new auditors, the NAO, is resented.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Nasty
How's your mood ? Sunny, upbeat ? Enjoying the World Cup ? Not long to Wimbledon and proper summer holidays ?
Meanwhile, the flagship drama output of BBC1 continues its mean, miserable take on life, and the trails department decides that unpleasantness is the way to sell it. Have a word, Tone.
Meanwhile, the flagship drama output of BBC1 continues its mean, miserable take on life, and the trails department decides that unpleasantness is the way to sell it. Have a word, Tone.
The shock of the new
Keep an eye on the background to today's news bulletins on BBC1 for more people than usual. It's the first day the channel's news will be produced on a new newsroom computer program called OpenMedia. So expert-hand-holders will patrol the floor, checking for signs of fluster and higher-levels of swearing. Have you tried switching it off and on again ?
First in air with new operating system in NBH this morning after 20 years on @AP_ENPS *Everything clenched* pic.twitter.com/x1J2RTqBHZ— Rachel Kennedy (@rachelkennedy84) June 26, 2018
Monday, June 25, 2018
Down
Johnston Press shares are now trading at below 5p (4.80p at 1030am) valuing the whole caboodle at less than £5m. Something's gotta give soon.
Requirements
Radio 4 needs a publicist. The ideal candidate will have "an appreciation of good story telling about the world we live in and are likely to listen to plenty of documentaries and podcasts."
And perhaps English speak, too.
And perhaps English speak, too.
Bouncy bouncy
The endlessly-inventive graphics team behind the perennially-popular BBC Breakfast has re-invented the globe as a beachball. The DG will be pleased.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Contented
Two new members of the Content Board at Ofcom; Maggie Cunningham, 20 years a Beeboid, is stepping down as Chair of MG Alba to join in September, to represent the interests of Scotland. Angelina Fusco, 30 years with the BBC in Northern Ireland, also joins to represent the interests of Ulster.
Poor reception
An average of 2.48m tuned in to watch Pointless Celebrities on BBC1 last night, giving winners Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid nearly four times their regular viewership on ITV breakfast show GMB. They saw off rivals Alastair Stewart and Charlene White, Emily Maitlis and Nick Robinson, and Rageh Omaar and Cathy Newman.
Apparently one viewer, watching a big screen in the reception of Broadcasting House, got the hump with the show. The screen needs repair, after an unexpected collision with a flying lap-top.
Apparently one viewer, watching a big screen in the reception of Broadcasting House, got the hump with the show. The screen needs repair, after an unexpected collision with a flying lap-top.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Mayo on the side
Most Radio 2 presenters are taking the company line, bigging up and trailing the all-new Jo and Simon Show.
On the side, Simon Mayo has just launched a new book podcast, co-hosting with former Radio 2 Drive sports reporter and all-round-good-egg Matt Williams. It's called Simon Mayo's Books of The Year, available via iTunes. And what's this ? It's made by production company Ore et Labora, whose directors include agent John Noel and, whooa, Radio 2 presenter Dermot O'Leary. I suspect Radio 2 enforcer Lewis Carnie will be round for a word....
On the side, Simon Mayo has just launched a new book podcast, co-hosting with former Radio 2 Drive sports reporter and all-round-good-egg Matt Williams. It's called Simon Mayo's Books of The Year, available via iTunes. And what's this ? It's made by production company Ore et Labora, whose directors include agent John Noel and, whooa, Radio 2 presenter Dermot O'Leary. I suspect Radio 2 enforcer Lewis Carnie will be round for a word....
For local people
Presumably OFCOM can produce a pile of letters from genuine members of the public along the lines "Dear OFCOM, I can no longer listen to my favourite radio station. It has become TOO local, and I wish for less locally-produced content, with more stuff from across my region (why not mirror the old ITV Regions ?). This has gone on long enough - please act now !".
It would be shameful if OFCOM has simply listened to pressure from the big commercial groups to look for more consolidation opportunities and further reductions in commitments to local content, wouldn't it ?
OFCOM's consultation on commercial local radio is apparently aimed at giving stations more 'freedom' and 'flexibility'. Under current rules, most stations need to provide a minimum of seven hours a day of locally- made programmes, including breakfast. Under OFCOM'S new proposals, stations will need to provide either three hours of locally-made programmes between 6am and 7pm weekdays if they have an hourly news bulletin, or six hours of locally made programming between 6am and 7pm weekdays if they only provide hourly bulletins during peak times.
Thus there'd be no need for a locally-made breakfast show on a local radio station, or locally-made weekend programmes. Currently, there are 31 Ofcom “Approved Areas” mapped out across the UK, in which stations are allowed some co-location or federation. Under the new rules, there would be just 12, matching the old ITV Regions.
Attached to the proposal is a survey by Populus over just one week, from 29th March. Advertisers who use some stations outside the big chains should look away - there's a terrifying list of stations with shares way, way below 1%. And Ofcom has used data which says people turn to stations principally for music and presenters, to suggest that local content doesn't matter as much. Perhaps, dear regulators, it's not good enough.
Take some reverse data from the Populus Survey: 24% of listeners to Smooth stations said 'it doesn't feel local'; it was 14% for Heart, and 13% for Capital stations. While it was just 2% of listeners to 'Other stations' who said their stations 'didn't feel local'.
It would be shameful if OFCOM has simply listened to pressure from the big commercial groups to look for more consolidation opportunities and further reductions in commitments to local content, wouldn't it ?
OFCOM's consultation on commercial local radio is apparently aimed at giving stations more 'freedom' and 'flexibility'. Under current rules, most stations need to provide a minimum of seven hours a day of locally- made programmes, including breakfast. Under OFCOM'S new proposals, stations will need to provide either three hours of locally-made programmes between 6am and 7pm weekdays if they have an hourly news bulletin, or six hours of locally made programming between 6am and 7pm weekdays if they only provide hourly bulletins during peak times.
Thus there'd be no need for a locally-made breakfast show on a local radio station, or locally-made weekend programmes. Currently, there are 31 Ofcom “Approved Areas” mapped out across the UK, in which stations are allowed some co-location or federation. Under the new rules, there would be just 12, matching the old ITV Regions.
Attached to the proposal is a survey by Populus over just one week, from 29th March. Advertisers who use some stations outside the big chains should look away - there's a terrifying list of stations with shares way, way below 1%. And Ofcom has used data which says people turn to stations principally for music and presenters, to suggest that local content doesn't matter as much. Perhaps, dear regulators, it's not good enough.
Take some reverse data from the Populus Survey: 24% of listeners to Smooth stations said 'it doesn't feel local'; it was 14% for Heart, and 13% for Capital stations. While it was just 2% of listeners to 'Other stations' who said their stations 'didn't feel local'.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Up, but not much
There must be an underlying trend I can't spot. The BBC has released its latest Global Audience Measure, combining the output of news and entertainment outside the UK and adding it all in with social media hits etc - and the 2017/18 figure is 376m weekly reach. The target is 500m by 2022.
Iconic view, etc
It's a joint venture between production house Green Rock and The Office Group (TOG), who offer spaces small and large for rental within the building. “We’ve already had interest from ITV and the BBC about doing sports and music programming from the studio", says Green Rock.
Thinking time
Less than two weeks to Wimbledon, when, traditionally, a BBC1 Controller can stop worrying about ratings for a bit, and concentrate on the Autumn launch, Christmas schedule etc.
But uber-controller Charlotte Moore has some issues further ahead. Since the splicing of Harry and Meghan, BBC1's share of audience has fallen below 20% (this time last year figures were around 21%) - and it's the evening peak-time that has suffered most, buoyed up by the daytime schedule holding well. There've been too many repeats, too many underwhelming factual one-offs - and the current Mary Berry vehicle has spluttered, not purred. The network has run out of steam since Easter - is it money, or is it now a place to burn off stuff that hasn't quite worked, even before we get to August ?
 |
| Charlotte taking audience questions via Jed Mercurio at TV Writers Festival 2018 |
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Mood
It's a serious business, you know, transforming the BBC, re-inventing management, sorting out the talent, hacking out new Career Path Frameworks, typing out new conditions of service, etc. Two Vals - left, from two years ago, and, right, this week.
Form
Yesterday's BBC report on improving the Corporation's percentages of BAME staff at senior levels was the first of five. The DG has promised reports on women, disabled staff, LGBT staff and those from different social backgrounds 'by the autumn'.
Hmm. The last three appointments deemed worthy of a press release by the BBC are Alison Hindell (Mary Datchelor School and Somerville, Oxford) to Head of Radio 4 Commissioning Drama and Fiction; Adam Smyth (Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Oxford University) to Head of News BBC NI, and Liz Gibbons (Simon Balle School and St Edmund Hall, Oxford) to Editor, Victoria Derbyshire.
Hmm. The last three appointments deemed worthy of a press release by the BBC are Alison Hindell (Mary Datchelor School and Somerville, Oxford) to Head of Radio 4 Commissioning Drama and Fiction; Adam Smyth (Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Oxford University) to Head of News BBC NI, and Liz Gibbons (Simon Balle School and St Edmund Hall, Oxford) to Editor, Victoria Derbyshire.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Immediate Action
The BBC's internal report on BAME Career Progression and Culture has already driven one big change at the BBC. Published today, it states that "There are no BAME employees on the Executive Committee".
But lo, on 18th June, the website of the BBC Executive Committee was 'updated'. Where there used to be 10, there are now 15. New members are Kerris Bright, Chief Customer Officer; Glyn Isherwood, Director of Finance and Operations; David Jordan, Director of Editorial Standards & Standards; John Shield, Director of Communications and now with added Corporate Affairs; Clare Sumner, Director of Policy; and behold, Gautam Rangarajan, Director of Strategy.
The report requires there to be 2 BAME members of the Executive Committee by the end of 2020; will that extra position be achieved by addition or replacement ?
Other recommendations accepted by the DG include a Rooney rule that there must be at least one BAME candidate shortlisted for all jobs at Career-Path-Framework-Not-Really-A-Grade 'E' and above (HR Directors will need to sign off cases where there is no
credible internal candidate); that there must be significantly more BAME staff on interview panels (The report suggests that there are only 15 regular BAME interviewers at present); that the Divisional Senior Leaderships Teams should have at least two BAME members by the end of 2020; and that all team managers go through a sheep-dip Cultural Awareness course, on top of the compulsory Unconscious Bias course.
In the body of the report are some emerging problems.
- Diversity within diversity is an issue; only 43 of 307 Grade 10 and above BAME employees are black
- Of the top 96 leaders at the BBC, six (6.3%) are non-white men, there are no non-white women and there are no black men or women.
- BAME employees reporting into the Executive Committee make up 7.5% of their combined direct reports. Over half of the Executive Committee members have no BAME direct reports.
Gorn again
Business news
As the Sky/Fox/Comcast/Disney clash of tectonic plates continues, sign of another splinter. Endemol Shine, producer of a vast portfolio of British TV, is putting 'For Sale' signs up.
Endemol is 50/50 owned by 21st Century Fox and US private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The asking price could by up to $4m, half of which would pass to Comcast or Disney, if either took over Fox programme-making.
Endemol companies make Masterchef, Broadchurch, Mr Bean, Peaky Blinders, Big Brother, Grantchester, The Bridge, Good Karma Hospital, Humans, All Together Now and a pile more. CEO is Sophie Turner-Laing, formerly of both Sky and the BBC, and Peter Salmon is Chief Creative Officer.
Endemol is 50/50 owned by 21st Century Fox and US private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The asking price could by up to $4m, half of which would pass to Comcast or Disney, if either took over Fox programme-making.
Endemol companies make Masterchef, Broadchurch, Mr Bean, Peaky Blinders, Big Brother, Grantchester, The Bridge, Good Karma Hospital, Humans, All Together Now and a pile more. CEO is Sophie Turner-Laing, formerly of both Sky and the BBC, and Peter Salmon is Chief Creative Officer.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
That's what I meant
Now we have the full version of James Purnell's speech about radio audiences, though not yet checked against delivery (to an invited audience at Broadcasting House for an EBU conference on Truth and Power). Here's the context for '
I don't care about share'.
"I care about audience figures. We want audiences to love our programmes. We want to attract audiences who don’t use us. We want young people to spend more time with us.
"But I don’t care about share. I don’t care about beating Global, Bauer or Wireless in the RAJARs. I don’t care because it’s the wrong measure - if the number of people listening to radio fell, then one of us could win the share battle while we all lost the war. Rather than focus on how big our slice of the pie is, we should grow its overall size, we should get more people listening to radio and podcasts.
"Because the real challenge is from streamers and the best response is for us to collaborate on the future of British audio. So we want to work with our competitors and regulator to change fast enough to help guarantee that future."
In changes from the version supplied to the Telegraph, 'we care about the future of British audio' has been replaced by the more collaborative line above. Elsewhere in the speech, 'young black audiences' has become 'young diverse audiences'.
"But I don’t care about share. I don’t care about beating Global, Bauer or Wireless in the RAJARs. I don’t care because it’s the wrong measure - if the number of people listening to radio fell, then one of us could win the share battle while we all lost the war. Rather than focus on how big our slice of the pie is, we should grow its overall size, we should get more people listening to radio and podcasts.
"Because the real challenge is from streamers and the best response is for us to collaborate on the future of British audio. So we want to work with our competitors and regulator to change fast enough to help guarantee that future."
In changes from the version supplied to the Telegraph, 'we care about the future of British audio' has been replaced by the more collaborative line above. Elsewhere in the speech, 'young black audiences' has become 'young diverse audiences'.
Yale Mail
After Dacre, Martin Clarke, editor of Mail Online, is being kicked upstairs to the title 'publisher'. And the new editor of the website that still specialises in celebrities with K in their monickers is a Classics graduate from Yale.
Noah Benjamin Kotch, 43, went to Chapel Hill School in North Carolina, where he edited the school newspaper, and got into a row with the principal about including a regular column on Beverley Hills 90210, a teen tv drama series. At Yale, he studied Latin and Greek (cum laude) and edited the Yale Daily News.
His first proper job was with CNN in Atlanta; two years later he joined ABC in New York, writing and producing on a number of shows. In 2008, he moved to NBC's Today as a senior producer, and caught some flak for dropping an item on children's books with an interview with Snooki, from the US reality show, Jersey Shore.
From 2013, he went all new media, joining data-mining news site Vocativ as Chief Content Officer; a six month spell as Director of Video at the Washington Post was followed by a move to Louise Mensch's wacky Heat Street site, now defunct. It got Kotch into the Murdoch Empire, and since June last year, he's been Editor of digital content for Fox News.
Earlier this year, FOXNews.com beat CNN.com in page views for the first time. Comscore gave it 1.43 billion multi-platform total views in January, outperforming CNN.com by 21 million views.
Noah Benjamin Kotch, 43, went to Chapel Hill School in North Carolina, where he edited the school newspaper, and got into a row with the principal about including a regular column on Beverley Hills 90210, a teen tv drama series. At Yale, he studied Latin and Greek (cum laude) and edited the Yale Daily News.
His first proper job was with CNN in Atlanta; two years later he joined ABC in New York, writing and producing on a number of shows. In 2008, he moved to NBC's Today as a senior producer, and caught some flak for dropping an item on children's books with an interview with Snooki, from the US reality show, Jersey Shore.
From 2013, he went all new media, joining data-mining news site Vocativ as Chief Content Officer; a six month spell as Director of Video at the Washington Post was followed by a move to Louise Mensch's wacky Heat Street site, now defunct. It got Kotch into the Murdoch Empire, and since June last year, he's been Editor of digital content for Fox News.
Earlier this year, FOXNews.com beat CNN.com in page views for the first time. Comscore gave it 1.43 billion multi-platform total views in January, outperforming CNN.com by 21 million views.
- Expect moves soon for your favourite blogger, who overnight ticked up to 2,000,409 all-time page views. Over a mere eight years.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Adding up
Quite a few BBC people undertake long journeys to work. Chris Condron, Director of Products and Services, North and Nations & Regions, is probably based at Salford, but often travels to London; he seems to need a taxi to and from the station then, to a home somewhere between Macclesfield and Poynton. 34 journeys in three months.
Mike Ford, is a BBC Programme Director working on Identity and Access Management. Not sure of his working BBC base, but home is a nice bungalow in Collingham, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire - so there's regular trains from Leeds and Doncaster to London, plus a bit of station car parking. New Head of Platform, Matt Grest, is another Yorkshire-homed techie with regular trips to London to claim, plus London hotels and meals.
But if you want to feel really tired, take a peek at Ken McQuarrie's exes. As peripatetic Director of Nations and Regions, there's plenty of trips and hotels from his home in Glasgow, to London, Cardiff and more. 57 mini-cabs. And trips to Hamburg, Geneva and Brussels for EBU stuff. Knackering.
Mike Ford, is a BBC Programme Director working on Identity and Access Management. Not sure of his working BBC base, but home is a nice bungalow in Collingham, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire - so there's regular trains from Leeds and Doncaster to London, plus a bit of station car parking. New Head of Platform, Matt Grest, is another Yorkshire-homed techie with regular trips to London to claim, plus London hotels and meals.
But if you want to feel really tired, take a peek at Ken McQuarrie's exes. As peripatetic Director of Nations and Regions, there's plenty of trips and hotels from his home in Glasgow, to London, Cardiff and more. 57 mini-cabs. And trips to Hamburg, Geneva and Brussels for EBU stuff. Knackering.
- Expenses hero this quarter: Alan 'Wavy' Davy, Controller Radio 3, for entertaining ten guests in a Proms box for just £32.40.
Comedic
The BBC updated its senior managers' expense returns at the end of last week; apologies for a late pick-up.
Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning BBC TV, who, according to The Guardian, works 16 hours a day six days a week, claimed £1,938.77 against 33 items of business entertainment over the three months. He earns £208,000.
Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning BBC TV, who, according to The Guardian, works 16 hours a day six days a week, claimed £1,938.77 against 33 items of business entertainment over the three months. He earns £208,000.
Patrician
As befits the scion of a family of modern media nobility, Dimbleby of Folkington Place, Eaft Sussexe, made the announcement of his departure from the Siege Queftion Time on his terms. It was his call to turn to the ancient pleasures of reporting, from December, when he will be 80. The tattooed warrior, who eats breakfaft standing up, has seen off all-comers over 25 years, and, indeede, retires from the field without Huw the Pugnacious laying a finger on his General Election record.
It will be a Fair Lady who will replace him on The Showe of Many Queftions but Few Credible Answeres. Deffo.
It will be a Fair Lady who will replace him on The Showe of Many Queftions but Few Credible Answeres. Deffo.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Leadership
Competitive James Purnell, former ruthless centre-half of Labour park team, Demon Eyes, is re-inventing himself as the Terry Butcher of British radio - bloodied, bandaged but battling on, whether he can see where he's going or not. In a speech excitedly picked up by the business section of The Telegraph ahead of delivery, the Director of BBC Radio & Education is apparently giving up the contest for an even share of traditional radio listening.
“I don’t care about share. I don’t care about beating Global, Bauer or Wireless in the RAJARs. We care about the future of British audio.” he will say, unless he changes his mind. “We need to change faster than we have in the last few years. We’ll need to change where we allocate our money. We’ll need to change the kind of content we offer."
“We need to match our spending to our audience. That’s been hard in the tramlines of our radio stations. Had we wanted to make an audio drama for young black audiences, where would we have played it? Fortunately the technology is solving that problem. In future, we can play it on our radio app. Our money can follow the audience.”
Mr Purnell's employees in Radio and customers in News will presumably now look forward to new, reduced budgets as Jim sequesters funds for this brave new world. Or will he close a network ?
“I don’t care about share. I don’t care about beating Global, Bauer or Wireless in the RAJARs. We care about the future of British audio.” he will say, unless he changes his mind. “We need to change faster than we have in the last few years. We’ll need to change where we allocate our money. We’ll need to change the kind of content we offer."
“We need to match our spending to our audience. That’s been hard in the tramlines of our radio stations. Had we wanted to make an audio drama for young black audiences, where would we have played it? Fortunately the technology is solving that problem. In future, we can play it on our radio app. Our money can follow the audience.”
Mr Purnell's employees in Radio and customers in News will presumably now look forward to new, reduced budgets as Jim sequesters funds for this brave new world. Or will he close a network ?
- Mr Purnell, after a month off Twitter, is back on more than one front. In a post on his favoured medium.com, he offers a mea culpa on diversity. "In my division, BBC Radio & Education, we don’t yet have enough women leaders, or BAME staff and leaders." At Radio 2, an attempt to improve the gender balance of weekday presentation, to get in long-distance sight of the DGs 2020 target, is still rankling with what's left of the drive-time audience. Good job no-one cares about share.
Equals
Saturday's Times managed to squeeze another day out of the tax status of some BBC talent, with the revelation that as recently as last weekend, Deputy Director General Anne Bulford and Director of Radio and Music Bob Shennan had emailed 'stars on staff' in an apologetic manner.
Few BBC employees get personal emails from two Directors when their pay is mucked about. I hope Chris Evans, Claudia Winkleman and John Inverdale, if they are now staff, have had heated discussions with HR about where they've been placed on the new Career Path Framework, the merits of the Career Average Benefits (2011) pension scheme, and the rules on buying additional leave and claiming meals allowances.
Who'd like to see Chris Evans' monthly payslip ?
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Swings
I'm not sure exactly how the student monitors at City University do their gender counting of major broadcast news outlets, but one stat this year has moved dramatically in favour of women.
Under the category 'reporters/correspondents', the 2018 survey of the Today programme on Radio 4 shows the ratio of appearances has moved in favour of women, by 1.3 to 1. The 2017 survey put the figure at 1.7 men to every 1 woman.
Under the category 'reporters/correspondents', the 2018 survey of the Today programme on Radio 4 shows the ratio of appearances has moved in favour of women, by 1.3 to 1. The 2017 survey put the figure at 1.7 men to every 1 woman.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Added value
You may not have caught Chris Evans mentioning Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park (other concert promoters are available) yesterday and today, to some of his weekly audience of 9.3m. Tickets are on sale now, at £50 each, plus £3.20 booking fee. Kids under 3 go free. Gourment picnics are available, on top of your general admission, at £79.50, plus £3.98 booking fee. Ever-accessible Radio 2 is also offering VIP tickets, at £479 each, plus £10 booking fee....
"Experience the magic of Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park in style from the exclusive hospitality area – perfect for treating valued clients and colleagues or for an unforgettable day out with friends. You’ll enjoy an experience like no other in the stylish setting, which includes access to an exclusive terrace with views of the stage. With an on-hand host and waiter service you can relax and savour delightfully refreshing drinks from the complimentary bar and a delicious three-course meal, featuring tasty fresh produce, which is served with fine wines. All this and much more will ensure you have an experience to remember at Radio 2 Live in Park."
50,000 basic tickets at £50 is £2.5m. I'm sure the full balance sheet will be published in next year's BBC Annual Report. Not.
"Experience the magic of Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park in style from the exclusive hospitality area – perfect for treating valued clients and colleagues or for an unforgettable day out with friends. You’ll enjoy an experience like no other in the stylish setting, which includes access to an exclusive terrace with views of the stage. With an on-hand host and waiter service you can relax and savour delightfully refreshing drinks from the complimentary bar and a delicious three-course meal, featuring tasty fresh produce, which is served with fine wines. All this and much more will ensure you have an experience to remember at Radio 2 Live in Park."
50,000 basic tickets at £50 is £2.5m. I'm sure the full balance sheet will be published in next year's BBC Annual Report. Not.
- R2 Hyde Park tickets were £39 in 2015, £42 in 2016, and went up to £50 last year.
Had enough ?
Even the tension of a final couldn't get Britain's Best Home Cook back over 3m in the overnight ratings. Episode 8 was watched by an average of 2.83m, a 16.5% share of the available audience. So far, the series end has not yet been accompanied by cheery tweets of a re-commission.
It was followed by the perennially-popular Anne Robinson, 73, with a documentary entitled The Trouble With Women, which dropped to 1.7m (9.5%). "Borderline farcical" wrote Lucy Mangan in The Guardian.
It was followed by the perennially-popular Anne Robinson, 73, with a documentary entitled The Trouble With Women, which dropped to 1.7m (9.5%). "Borderline farcical" wrote Lucy Mangan in The Guardian.
Units
Whilst Londoners gush over the re-invented Television Centre and its residential grooviness, there's a different style of accommodation on offer around Glasgow's media hub at Pacific Quay. Take this new development of 203 units, just granted planning permission at Festival Park, across the way from the BBC's Scottish ark HQ. Tough stuff, eh ?
Mess
The Times makes a front page lead out of the unhappy love triangle that is the BBC, HMRC and Talent.
Since April 2017, the BBC has had to re-assess all presenters' pay arrangements using CEST - HMRC's flaky tool, more fully known as for Check Employment Status for Tax - to see if they complied with IR35, HMRC's conviction that most people paid through Personal Service Companies are 'disguised employees'.
The Times' sources say that Chris Evans, Claudia Winkleman and John Inverdale are among those who were moved from freelance/self-employed status to employees for tax purposes - but that, in wonderful BBC fashion, the change was delayed for the first few months of the financial year. So nervous-nelly Auntie dobbed up HMRC around £5m in advance to cover potential income tax and National Insurance contributions, in case it faced further penalties or interest charges.
Then, in the autumn of 2017, it started asking the talent to repay the income tax and NI for those months - and this, says The Times, has made them extra grumpy.
Chris Evans is an active director of seven companies, including Carfest, and recently-registered 500 Words. Ms Winkleman is a director of Little Owl Productions, which had assets of £352k in the bank according to most recent published accounts. John Inverdale, as well as his work for the BBC, has presented the French Open Tennis championships for ITV since 2012. He has seven directorships.
Since April 2017, the BBC has had to re-assess all presenters' pay arrangements using CEST - HMRC's flaky tool, more fully known as for Check Employment Status for Tax - to see if they complied with IR35, HMRC's conviction that most people paid through Personal Service Companies are 'disguised employees'.
The Times' sources say that Chris Evans, Claudia Winkleman and John Inverdale are among those who were moved from freelance/self-employed status to employees for tax purposes - but that, in wonderful BBC fashion, the change was delayed for the first few months of the financial year. So nervous-nelly Auntie dobbed up HMRC around £5m in advance to cover potential income tax and National Insurance contributions, in case it faced further penalties or interest charges.
Then, in the autumn of 2017, it started asking the talent to repay the income tax and NI for those months - and this, says The Times, has made them extra grumpy.
Chris Evans is an active director of seven companies, including Carfest, and recently-registered 500 Words. Ms Winkleman is a director of Little Owl Productions, which had assets of £352k in the bank according to most recent published accounts. John Inverdale, as well as his work for the BBC, has presented the French Open Tennis championships for ITV since 2012. He has seven directorships.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Numbers
A couple of slides from the latest Reuters Institute for Journalism report, with stats from an online survey by Yougov and its international partners conducted January/February this year. This shows the weekly online reach of global news brands. Notice a decline for BBC News in both the USA and UK.
And this, on podcasts, asking who'd accessed one in the past month. UK and Netherlands come joint bottom.
And this, on podcasts, asking who'd accessed one in the past month. UK and Netherlands come joint bottom.
Chat show
Four weeks from new diversity figures, and Lord Hall is probably comfortable-ish on the gender front. Yesterday he took time out to host a panel at a conference organised by Accelerate Her at the old-style-but-trendy Ned Hotel. His guests - Alex Mahon, C4, Carolyn McCall, ITV and Sarah Sands, Editor of the perennially-popular Today programme on Radio 4.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Pass the Brown Bag
The BBC is advertising for a Developer in Test (Automation), working on the Audience Platform team - re-inventing and personalising the iPlayer. You may have to be a bit hyper to fit in.
"In BBC Audience Platform we use the latest tech, with teams that inspire innovation and autonomy, and striving towards Continuous Delivery. Our products span the whole of the BBC and reach millions of users! Not only will you be working on great projects and with cutting edge technologies you will be surrounded by a team of like-minded Technology professionals from whom you can learn and grow. We regularly have Technical Brown bag sessions and try to have frequent Hackathons. This is an environment where we love to share ideas, challenge the traditional with our goal of taking the BBC on the journey to be a Digital First organization."
As long as the Brown Bag doesn't conceal hard liquor....
"In BBC Audience Platform we use the latest tech, with teams that inspire innovation and autonomy, and striving towards Continuous Delivery. Our products span the whole of the BBC and reach millions of users! Not only will you be working on great projects and with cutting edge technologies you will be surrounded by a team of like-minded Technology professionals from whom you can learn and grow. We regularly have Technical Brown bag sessions and try to have frequent Hackathons. This is an environment where we love to share ideas, challenge the traditional with our goal of taking the BBC on the journey to be a Digital First organization."
As long as the Brown Bag doesn't conceal hard liquor....
Age profile
A marginally entertaining sidebar from the Ofcom Report on diversity in the radio industry; oldies dominate at the BBC.
64% of employees in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 49% in the population at large, and 40% in the commercial sector. By gender, 61% of women in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 50% in the population and 36% in commercial radio; 66% of male employees in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 47% in the UK population, and 41% in commercial radio.
Here's a stat that doesn't quite compute for me: only 6% of BBC radio employees are lesbian/gay/bisexual.
64% of employees in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 49% in the population at large, and 40% in the commercial sector. By gender, 61% of women in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 50% in the population and 36% in commercial radio; 66% of male employees in BBC radio are over 40, compared with 47% in the UK population, and 41% in commercial radio.
Here's a stat that doesn't quite compute for me: only 6% of BBC radio employees are lesbian/gay/bisexual.
Off target
Some pretty poor diversity stats have been uncovered by Ofcom, slicing the UK radio industry - public service and commercial. It doesn't cover absolutely all operators, but is based on 9,000 employees working in 16 organisations with more than 20 employees, inlcuding the BBC, Bauer, and Global.
Overall, people from ethnic minority groups make up 6% of the industry, and also 6% of senior management positions – the UK population average is 14%. Disability data is missing for 38% of the radio industry’s workforce - those that did report figures show that 5% of employees say they are disabled, compared to 18% of the UK population.
Although representation of women across radio is in line with the UK population (51%), women are under-represented at senior levels, where 62% of senior managers are male, rising to 81% at Board level. 53% of commercial radio employees are female, dropping to 49% at the BBC.
Overall, people from ethnic minority groups make up 6% of the industry, and also 6% of senior management positions – the UK population average is 14%. Disability data is missing for 38% of the radio industry’s workforce - those that did report figures show that 5% of employees say they are disabled, compared to 18% of the UK population.
Although representation of women across radio is in line with the UK population (51%), women are under-represented at senior levels, where 62% of senior managers are male, rising to 81% at Board level. 53% of commercial radio employees are female, dropping to 49% at the BBC.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Global Transparency
The February Minutes of the BBC Board note that "the World Service Operating Licence had now been issued." I'm blessed if I can find it.
In May Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he and the BBC Chairman Sir David Clementi had "agreed the “Objectives, Priorities and Targets” (OPTs) for the BBC World Service Licence. The OPTs have been set for a five-year period 2017-2022."
"The BBC will report annually against the objectives, priorities and targets I have agreed with the BBC Board. This will include assessment of progress against quantitative targets. I will meet the BBC Chair (or their nominated representatives) annually to discuss the services, review the performance report, and consider any adjustments that need to be made, including targets."
Any chance of sharing ?
In May Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he and the BBC Chairman Sir David Clementi had "agreed the “Objectives, Priorities and Targets” (OPTs) for the BBC World Service Licence. The OPTs have been set for a five-year period 2017-2022."
"The BBC will report annually against the objectives, priorities and targets I have agreed with the BBC Board. This will include assessment of progress against quantitative targets. I will meet the BBC Chair (or their nominated representatives) annually to discuss the services, review the performance report, and consider any adjustments that need to be made, including targets."
Any chance of sharing ?
Yes
In BBC unions ballot on pay and conditions of service, 64% of BBC NUJ members took part, and 58.7% voted to accept the package, with 41.3% voting to reject the deal. BECTU members have also voted to accept the deal; 77-23% in favour on a 56% turn-out.
Public Service Broadcasting
Channel 4's Annual Report shows that CEO David Abraham left with a total package (included bonus and pension payments) of £785k for 11 months work. Incomer Alex Mahon picked up £126k for two months work, which ought to extrapolate to £756k for a full year.
Outgoing Creative Officer, Jay Hunt got £592k for just nine months in post. New Director of Programmes Ian Katz has massively improved on his Newsnight penance - his salary for 2018 has been set at £355k - but clearly has some way to go to catch Jay.
Outgoing Creative Officer, Jay Hunt got £592k for just nine months in post. New Director of Programmes Ian Katz has massively improved on his Newsnight penance - his salary for 2018 has been set at £355k - but clearly has some way to go to catch Jay.
True Colours
It would never have happened when Mark Byford was keeping the Candle of Journalism alight at the BBC. BBC News had a palette of approved colours, issued by designers Lambie-Nairn (part of WPP, and now lost as a brand itself) - and woe betide those who strayed too far from China Red.
Here's a couple of BBC News make-overs this week - BBC Wales Today looks purple to my eyes, and BBC Breakfast is heading ever more orange. How's a news consumer to tell what's fake anymore ?
Here's a couple of BBC News make-overs this week - BBC Wales Today looks purple to my eyes, and BBC Breakfast is heading ever more orange. How's a news consumer to tell what's fake anymore ?
As you were
I'm grateful to a number of readers who tell me that the most excellent BBC Written Archives will be staying in the bungalow on the Caversham Estate. Some of the operation has moved temporarily into the main building space vacated by BBC Monitoring, and research visits are being limited over the summer whilst some building work is done on their one-storey repository - but it seems they're going back once it's finished.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Bicycle broadcasting
"The show is a perfect fit with my ongoing role @BBCRadio2".
So tweeteth Jeremy Vine with the news that he's taking over as host of C5's The Wright Stuff from September. The name of the new show has yet to be decided. If they stick to the current schedule, it finishes at 11.15 at ITN's purpose-built studio in Grays Inn Road. With time to navigate lifts, and using a cycle only, he should reach Wogan House by around 11.35 - leaving a full 25 minutes of deep preparation for his Radio 2 show. A breeze for Jezzer, clearly, who will presumably
conduct his usual 1130 frosty two-way with Ken Bruce from his saddle somewhere in Fitzrovia.
So tweeteth Jeremy Vine with the news that he's taking over as host of C5's The Wright Stuff from September. The name of the new show has yet to be decided. If they stick to the current schedule, it finishes at 11.15 at ITN's purpose-built studio in Grays Inn Road. With time to navigate lifts, and using a cycle only, he should reach Wogan House by around 11.35 - leaving a full 25 minutes of deep preparation for his Radio 2 show. A breeze for Jezzer, clearly, who will presumably
conduct his usual 1130 frosty two-way with Ken Bruce from his saddle somewhere in Fitzrovia.
Priceless
The BBC has gone all coy about the sale of Caversham, former home of BBC Monitoring. It's declined to answer a range of questions about the deal in an FOI response, confiding only that "Annual savings, net of costs, arising from the relocation are anticipated to be in the region of
£1.2m per annum. We anticipate that sales proceeds from the Caversham site will more than
meet expected one-off costs, meaning any amortisation will not adversely affect the overall savings
from the move."
(NB: How much of that £1.2m is saved by major staff reductions in the all-new mini-Monitoring Area at Broadcasting House is not explained.)
I can't see why this sale is different to that of Television Centre, where the BBC was open about £200m.
By the way, Radio Berkshire is moving from Caversham to the high-tech Thames Valley Park in Wokingham, which is already home to Microsoft and Oracle. Not much foot-fall there.
I can find no details of future plans for the wonderful BBC Written Archives Centre, nestling in a bungalow in the Caversham grounds. It ought to be rebuilt brick by brick somewhere nice, but is probably heading to the crinkly tin shed at Perivale.
(NB: How much of that £1.2m is saved by major staff reductions in the all-new mini-Monitoring Area at Broadcasting House is not explained.)
I can't see why this sale is different to that of Television Centre, where the BBC was open about £200m.
By the way, Radio Berkshire is moving from Caversham to the high-tech Thames Valley Park in Wokingham, which is already home to Microsoft and Oracle. Not much foot-fall there.
I can find no details of future plans for the wonderful BBC Written Archives Centre, nestling in a bungalow in the Caversham grounds. It ought to be rebuilt brick by brick somewhere nice, but is probably heading to the crinkly tin shed at Perivale.
Keep your shirt on
Slebs playing football on ITV dented the return of Poldark, which opened to an average of 4.69m viewers (22.7% share) in the overnight ratings.
When this Debbie Horsfield-incarnation of the go-to oo-arr drama appeared in March 2015, it opened to 6.9m - 29% share - but the first episode soon consolidated to 9.51m. Charlotte Moore will be hoping for a similar improvement this time round.
When this Debbie Horsfield-incarnation of the go-to oo-arr drama appeared in March 2015, it opened to 6.9m - 29% share - but the first episode soon consolidated to 9.51m. Charlotte Moore will be hoping for a similar improvement this time round.
Appy Days
BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and network operator Arqiva, the four shareholders of Digital UK, are putting £125m into developing Freeview Play over the next five years. A mobile app (later this year) and better navigation to content are promised. Paddling through hanging pages between iPLayer, the ITV Hub and All4 shouldn't be necessary.
The investment should help Freeview retain some of the so-called 'cord cutters' heading to a world where Netflix is their principle point of entry to tv. Viewers should be able to combine free-to-view TV with low-cost streaming services in their own choice of 'skinny bundles'.
11.4m million homes (out of around 27m) use Freeview on their main tv.
The investment should help Freeview retain some of the so-called 'cord cutters' heading to a world where Netflix is their principle point of entry to tv. Viewers should be able to combine free-to-view TV with low-cost streaming services in their own choice of 'skinny bundles'.
11.4m million homes (out of around 27m) use Freeview on their main tv.
Percentages
Another quote from Lord Hall's Birmingham speech "And I’ve committed to an equal split of men and women across our airwaves by the same year [2020]".
Take that alongside Gillian Reynolds' Sunday Times thoughts on the new Jo and Simon Show on Radio 2, still uncomfortable as a pair and causing waves on social media.
Radio 2 listeners are angry about their new weekday drive-time show. Why, they want to know, has Simon Mayo been joined by Jo Whiley? They love him, can’t see the point of her. So they are signing petitions, posting comments on the website, sending cross letters. “As usual,” Jayne Wills wrote in these pages last week, “the BBC has moved without thinking.”
Now there, Jayne, you are wrong. A great deal of thought has gone into this move, some of it gender-political. For years, Radio 2 has held back from having women regularly present big daytime shows. Yes, Vanessa Feltz stands in as holiday replacement for Jeremy Vine, and sometimes Zoe Ball replaces Chris Evans, but afterwards they’re packed back into their off-peak boxes.
Pairing Whiley with Mayo thus seems logical and practical. Alas, to date, it isn’t magical. That may change. I doubt it, but it might. Meanwhile, we are stuck with them, and they with each other, for at least a year, when either the ratings dictate a change or one of them will get a better offer. Let’s hope it’s not Mayo.
Radio 2's main hosts are all men - Chris Evans, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, Steve Wright fill ten and a half hours of peak-time each weekday. Vanessa Feltz broadcasts for 90 minutes from 0500; Sarah Cox for two hours from 2200 - both only do four days. Another bloke - O J Borg - fills two hours from midnight, four days a week. At the evening edges of the weekday schedule, there's Bob Harris, Jamie Cullum, Mark Radcliffe, Jools Holland, and Gary Davies, balanced against shows from Cerys Matthews, and repeats of Elaine Paige's Sunday programme.
The road to 2020 is hard, and Radio 2 made a slow start. It would be terrible if rumours that Simon Mayo was offered a year's salary to pursue another career route were true. They should have got on with it sooner, and elsewhere in the schedule.
Radio 2 listeners are angry about their new weekday drive-time show. Why, they want to know, has Simon Mayo been joined by Jo Whiley? They love him, can’t see the point of her. So they are signing petitions, posting comments on the website, sending cross letters. “As usual,” Jayne Wills wrote in these pages last week, “the BBC has moved without thinking.”
Now there, Jayne, you are wrong. A great deal of thought has gone into this move, some of it gender-political. For years, Radio 2 has held back from having women regularly present big daytime shows. Yes, Vanessa Feltz stands in as holiday replacement for Jeremy Vine, and sometimes Zoe Ball replaces Chris Evans, but afterwards they’re packed back into their off-peak boxes.
Pairing Whiley with Mayo thus seems logical and practical. Alas, to date, it isn’t magical. That may change. I doubt it, but it might. Meanwhile, we are stuck with them, and they with each other, for at least a year, when either the ratings dictate a change or one of them will get a better offer. Let’s hope it’s not Mayo.
Radio 2's main hosts are all men - Chris Evans, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, Steve Wright fill ten and a half hours of peak-time each weekday. Vanessa Feltz broadcasts for 90 minutes from 0500; Sarah Cox for two hours from 2200 - both only do four days. Another bloke - O J Borg - fills two hours from midnight, four days a week. At the evening edges of the weekday schedule, there's Bob Harris, Jamie Cullum, Mark Radcliffe, Jools Holland, and Gary Davies, balanced against shows from Cerys Matthews, and repeats of Elaine Paige's Sunday programme.
The road to 2020 is hard, and Radio 2 made a slow start. It would be terrible if rumours that Simon Mayo was offered a year's salary to pursue another career route were true. They should have got on with it sooner, and elsewhere in the schedule.
Letter
There's a clear risk that the next generation will regard the BBC (and C4) as marginal tv providers, simply because of the routes they use to select what they watch - hence I've 'borrowed' this letter from behind The Times' paywall...
Sir, British public service broadcasting is one of this country’s crown jewels. It provides UK audiences with world-leading, British-produced content, supports our creative industries in achieving global success and generates billions for the UK economy. Current legislation, carefully nurtured by successive governments, ensures that high-quality British public service content can be quickly and easily found at the top of television electronic programme guides (EPGs).
But technology has changed the way people watch TV, especially among young viewers. Streaming sticks, smart TVs, tablets and smartphones can all bypass the EPGs, no longer providing prominence for public-service content.
In a world increasingly characterised by fake news and echo chambers, we believe it is important that future generations of British viewers should have continued fast and easy access to programmes and content they can trust and which reflect British voices and democratic values. This is why today we will be asking parliament and Ofcom to urgently update legislation to ensure that public-service content continues to be easily found by viewers, by whatever means they are watching.
Alex Mahon, chief executive, Channel 4; Tony Hall, director-general, BBC
Sir, British public service broadcasting is one of this country’s crown jewels. It provides UK audiences with world-leading, British-produced content, supports our creative industries in achieving global success and generates billions for the UK economy. Current legislation, carefully nurtured by successive governments, ensures that high-quality British public service content can be quickly and easily found at the top of television electronic programme guides (EPGs).
But technology has changed the way people watch TV, especially among young viewers. Streaming sticks, smart TVs, tablets and smartphones can all bypass the EPGs, no longer providing prominence for public-service content.
In a world increasingly characterised by fake news and echo chambers, we believe it is important that future generations of British viewers should have continued fast and easy access to programmes and content they can trust and which reflect British voices and democratic values. This is why today we will be asking parliament and Ofcom to urgently update legislation to ensure that public-service content continues to be easily found by viewers, by whatever means they are watching.
Alex Mahon, chief executive, Channel 4; Tony Hall, director-general, BBC
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Big data
This week's speech in Birmingham by BBC DG Lord Hall contained this nugget: "If you were to ask me about the one thing I want to crack, as soon as possible, it’s getting more female and BAME representation in our senior management - right at the top of the organisation."
In the last BBC 'Equality Information Report", with survey data from March 2017, women made up 42.1% of the so-called Leadership Team, against a 2020 target of 50%; the BAME figure was 10.3%, against a 2020 target of 15%. But, by division, the figures for BAME are really uneven. In the World Service Group, they represented more than a third of the total leadership team; in the Nations & Regions, it's a rather pathetic 2.1%.
The March 2017 saw a big surge towards the 2020 targets; it was the first time there had been an active survey, rather than trawling the data from HR records. I don't know what process has been used this year, but it sounds like another big surge is unlikely.
In the last BBC 'Equality Information Report", with survey data from March 2017, women made up 42.1% of the so-called Leadership Team, against a 2020 target of 50%; the BAME figure was 10.3%, against a 2020 target of 15%. But, by division, the figures for BAME are really uneven. In the World Service Group, they represented more than a third of the total leadership team; in the Nations & Regions, it's a rather pathetic 2.1%.
The March 2017 saw a big surge towards the 2020 targets; it was the first time there had been an active survey, rather than trawling the data from HR records. I don't know what process has been used this year, but it sounds like another big surge is unlikely.
Additionally
One I missed: Naomi Climer was made a CBE for services to engineering. Climer (Gainsborough High School and Imperial College London) joined the BBC in 1987 as an engineer. She worked in BBC Broadcasting House and BBC World Service at Bush House before becoming Controller of Technology at BBC News. From 1998 to 2000, she was also a Director of the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit.
She went on to become first female president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, amongst a raft of top jobs here and in the USA. Her degree was in chemistry and management science, and her entry to the BBC was part of 'affirmative action': “I wanted to make my own way. I didn’t want to be seen as a token woman, and all of those things, but the fact is that I wouldn’t have got into BBC engineering if I hadn’t been a woman. They went looking for graduates of technical subjects that weren’t necessarily engineering.”
She went on to become first female president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, amongst a raft of top jobs here and in the USA. Her degree was in chemistry and management science, and her entry to the BBC was part of 'affirmative action': “I wanted to make my own way. I didn’t want to be seen as a token woman, and all of those things, but the fact is that I wouldn’t have got into BBC engineering if I hadn’t been a woman. They went looking for graduates of technical subjects that weren’t necessarily engineering.”
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Gong-ho
A small clutch of honours for Beeboids in the Birthday Honours List. BBC Studios CEO Tim Davie is made a CBE for travelling the world talking up British 'creative industries'; BBC non-executive Tom Ilube gets the same for services to technology and philanthropy.
Professor Mary Beard, one of the Civilisations Triumvirate (at least in the UK) becomes a Dame; Simon Schama gets a knighthood, but there's nowt for David Olusoga, which is a missed opportunity to boost the diversity stats.
At different ends of reporting careers, Kate Adie, 72, adds CBE to her existing OBE, awarded to her aged 47; Stacey Dooley bags an OBE at just 31. Dr Lucy Worsley, 44, the history presenter who loves to dress up, also gets the OBE.
Tim Bentinck – David Archer in Radio 4’s The Archers – receives the MBE for services to drama. The Honours List discloses his full monicker - Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland.
More tangentially, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, though no longer warbling publicly, becomes a Companion of Honour; she is Patron of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
Sue Owen, Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, also becomes a Dame; the notes say "At DCMS, she has reshaped a growing Department, working with some 45 Arms Length Bodies, and successfully reforming the Department’s approach and vision in taking on responsibility for the Digital sectors and the Office for Civil Society"
Professor Mary Beard, one of the Civilisations Triumvirate (at least in the UK) becomes a Dame; Simon Schama gets a knighthood, but there's nowt for David Olusoga, which is a missed opportunity to boost the diversity stats.
At different ends of reporting careers, Kate Adie, 72, adds CBE to her existing OBE, awarded to her aged 47; Stacey Dooley bags an OBE at just 31. Dr Lucy Worsley, 44, the history presenter who loves to dress up, also gets the OBE.
Tim Bentinck – David Archer in Radio 4’s The Archers – receives the MBE for services to drama. The Honours List discloses his full monicker - Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland.
More tangentially, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, though no longer warbling publicly, becomes a Companion of Honour; she is Patron of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
Sue Owen, Permanent Secretary, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, also becomes a Dame; the notes say "At DCMS, she has reshaped a growing Department, working with some 45 Arms Length Bodies, and successfully reforming the Department’s approach and vision in taking on responsibility for the Digital sectors and the Office for Civil Society"
Friday, June 8, 2018
66
The Times (paywalled) says that last year, the BBC paid 66 of its 96 highest-earning presenters £20.8 million via personal service companies.
The Times has been locked in a FOI battle with the paper, and the revelation comes after a ruling from the Office of the Information Commissioner. In 2012, the BBC said it would move long-term presenters away from PSC payment. It told the Times the practice had never been an attempt to avoid tax or national insurance; it reported the deals to HMRC and said that its contracts with freelancers reflected their obligation to ensure that they paid the correct amount of tax.
The Times has been locked in a FOI battle with the paper, and the revelation comes after a ruling from the Office of the Information Commissioner. In 2012, the BBC said it would move long-term presenters away from PSC payment. It told the Times the practice had never been an attempt to avoid tax or national insurance; it reported the deals to HMRC and said that its contracts with freelancers reflected their obligation to ensure that they paid the correct amount of tax.
Night workers
As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Dagenham worker's strike for equal pay, the BBC is facing old-fashioned and strictly unofficial campaigning against its pay and conditions of service proposals.
Weary bosses are getting in early every morning to remove overnight drops of "Vote No" posters and leaflets, helpfully placed on desks and in most toilet cubicles. The various management leaflets have been mimicked and mocked in a samizdat publishing operation, which may even be using the BBC's own photocopiers against itself. What fun !
Weary bosses are getting in early every morning to remove overnight drops of "Vote No" posters and leaflets, helpfully placed on desks and in most toilet cubicles. The various management leaflets have been mimicked and mocked in a samizdat publishing operation, which may even be using the BBC's own photocopiers against itself. What fun !
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Cohort
The news that Daily Mail Editor Paul Dacre is moving upstairs as he approaches his 70th birthday in November will send a shiver down the list of his favoured and well-paid regular and occasional columnists.
They include Anne Leslie, 77, John Humphrys 74, Max Hastings 72, Bel Mooney 71, Alex Brummer 69, Stephen Glover 66, Richard Littlejohn 64, Tom Utley 64, Jeff Powell - ageless, and Peter McKay/Ephraim Hardcastle - probably close to 140 between them.
They include Anne Leslie, 77, John Humphrys 74, Max Hastings 72, Bel Mooney 71, Alex Brummer 69, Stephen Glover 66, Richard Littlejohn 64, Tom Utley 64, Jeff Powell - ageless, and Peter McKay/Ephraim Hardcastle - probably close to 140 between them.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Other newspapers are available
BBC2 is bringing us a four-part documentary, "Inside the New York Times: The Fourth Estate".
Controller BBC2 Patrick Holland purrs "This is a stunning series giving remarkable access to the New York Times editorial team during the turbulent early months of Trump’s presidency. At a time when so many of the mainstream media misread the mood in the USA and beyond, this series offers a candid, shocking and illuminating exploration of the shifting relationship between journalism and political power.”
The fearless New York Times has already reviewed the series, which is going out on the States on Showtime, a CBS satellite and cable subsidiary.....
“The Fourth Estate,” which chronicles 16 months in the life of The New York Times, is reasonably competent, but it’s also superficial and oblivious a little more often than one might like. That said, as is the case with the Gray Lady, it’s a good thing that “The Fourth Estate” exists at all. When both the film and the publication are on their A-game, they’re quite good — and occasionally gripping.
"The documentary .... also has a lot in common with bloated Netflix dramas, padded and too easily distracted, especially in the first two of its four installments. (The premiere runs 87 minutes, and other segments are about an hour.) It has an irritating habit of darting toward an interesting story and then pivoting away again too quickly. Much of the documentary, which opens on the day Donald J. Trump was inaugurated into office, plods along like a dutiful recap of a show we watched not too long ago."
Controller BBC2 Patrick Holland purrs "This is a stunning series giving remarkable access to the New York Times editorial team during the turbulent early months of Trump’s presidency. At a time when so many of the mainstream media misread the mood in the USA and beyond, this series offers a candid, shocking and illuminating exploration of the shifting relationship between journalism and political power.”
The fearless New York Times has already reviewed the series, which is going out on the States on Showtime, a CBS satellite and cable subsidiary.....
“The Fourth Estate,” which chronicles 16 months in the life of The New York Times, is reasonably competent, but it’s also superficial and oblivious a little more often than one might like. That said, as is the case with the Gray Lady, it’s a good thing that “The Fourth Estate” exists at all. When both the film and the publication are on their A-game, they’re quite good — and occasionally gripping.
"The documentary .... also has a lot in common with bloated Netflix dramas, padded and too easily distracted, especially in the first two of its four installments. (The premiere runs 87 minutes, and other segments are about an hour.) It has an irritating habit of darting toward an interesting story and then pivoting away again too quickly. Much of the documentary, which opens on the day Donald J. Trump was inaugurated into office, plods along like a dutiful recap of a show we watched not too long ago."
Opinion former
So, as Ashley Highfield formally says goodbye to Johnston Press, the shares have fallen to close to 6p. Investors have noticed pension problems (JP short of £47m on liabilities of £609m) as well as the un-paid-back loan of £220m.
But apparently our Ashley is still qualified to give his views as a specialist member of the Cairncross Review, meeting today, into the future sustainability of high-quality journalism, pulled together by Culture Secretary Matt Hancock.
But apparently our Ashley is still qualified to give his views as a specialist member of the Cairncross Review, meeting today, into the future sustainability of high-quality journalism, pulled together by Culture Secretary Matt Hancock.
Charivaria
Car Share - The Finale added 2.32m additional viewers in the seven days since transmission on 28th May, to total 8.45m.
Peston on Sunday is moving to Wednesdays, after ITV noted that the Sunday late night repeat was getting a bigger audience than the morning orgination. Producer Vicky Flind cut her teeth on late night political broadcasting with This Week, with Andrew Neil.
Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid get to play out in peak-time during the World Cup, with an hour-long live special after the England/Belgium match on 28th June. This pitches Piers against the quality broadcasting of Love Island.
The BBC Ballot on pay and new conditions of service closes on Friday, with the management side somewhat nervous about the outcome. A 2% rise for the current year is not looking so inviting with CPI at 2.4%, RPI at 3.4%, petrol and food prices on the march. Staff will have not forgotten that the licence fee is linked to inflation for five years from April 2017.
Peston on Sunday is moving to Wednesdays, after ITV noted that the Sunday late night repeat was getting a bigger audience than the morning orgination. Producer Vicky Flind cut her teeth on late night political broadcasting with This Week, with Andrew Neil.
Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid get to play out in peak-time during the World Cup, with an hour-long live special after the England/Belgium match on 28th June. This pitches Piers against the quality broadcasting of Love Island.
The BBC Ballot on pay and new conditions of service closes on Friday, with the management side somewhat nervous about the outcome. A 2% rise for the current year is not looking so inviting with CPI at 2.4%, RPI at 3.4%, petrol and food prices on the march. Staff will have not forgotten that the licence fee is linked to inflation for five years from April 2017.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Vale
It's the whole BBC Maida Vale operation that's moving to Stratford 'Waterfront'. Suspect that the Symphony Orchestra will feature more Essex Boys and Girls than traditional Home Counties Commuters by the time the move comes.
Only a churl would suggest that the BBC block looks a bit squeezed in.....
Go East !
The BBC Symphony Orchestra may be about to embark on a massive culture change. Their Maida Vale HQ needs major work, and the BBC doesn't have the capital to do it.
So there's rumours of a move east, to make them a sort of artistic anchor tenant of The International Quarter, a development just south of the Olympic Park. Lendlease has already secured deals with the Financial Conduct Authority, Unicef and Cancer Research UK.
Will Stratford provide the social facilities that the Orchestra have enjoyed in W9, such as the bar of the Tennis Club ?
News ?
BBC live-in sage and Home Editor Mark Easton ended the 10 O'clock News on BBC1 last night with a self indulgent fol-de-rol about 'Englishness' and 'history', featuring the power of wassailing and Morris Men. Huw was not impressed.
I don't think I've ever seen silent contempt like that which was on Huw Edwards' face following the BBC's national identity piece 'The English Question': https://t.co/OIdm3HwEGq— Jennifer Orr (@ailsa_rose109) June 4, 2018
Huw Edwards barely managed to conceal his “that really grips my shit with both hands” contempt for the Morris Dancers-a-prancing during last article on the news tonight. His eyes were filled with the shadows of a suppressed rage only worn by a battle scarred escapee of Bridgend— Things I really need to say (@tirnts) June 4, 2018
I thought Huw Edwards's face at the end of the Morris Men's baton-beating hooley said it all.— Dr Chris Manning (@Chrissox) June 4, 2018
Monday, June 4, 2018
404
The BBC is obliged, by Ofcom, to publish a fortnightly bulletin of complaints, by numbers. In the two weeks from April 30, Auntie received 6,000 odd complaints - but no single programme attracted more than 100 - the threshold for publication.
The bulletin from the 14th May onwards was, in theory, published on 31st May - but the link to the pdf is broken, and remains so. I'm guessing Radio 2 heads the list, with the All New Jo and Simon Show - I'll let you know when the link is fixed.
9pm update: Not even 100 complaints about Jo and Simon, as commenters below have noted....
The bulletin from the 14th May onwards was, in theory, published on 31st May - but the link to the pdf is broken, and remains so. I'm guessing Radio 2 heads the list, with the All New Jo and Simon Show - I'll let you know when the link is fixed.
9pm update: Not even 100 complaints about Jo and Simon, as commenters below have noted....
Acceptable ?
The BBC's current obsession with the 80s continues with a night on BBC Four devoted to chubby Brummagems Duran Duran. Apparently, the network has fought off all-comers to obtain "exclusive access to the band".
Controller BBC4 Cassian Harrison, Director of Radio & Music Bob Shennan and Music Commissioner Jan Younghusband are in their 50s; Simon Le Bon will be 60 later this year.
Also on the way on BBC4 in June: Smashing Hits! The 80s Pop Map of Britain & Ireland with Midge Ure, and Kim Appleby revealing how the 80s was actually one of the most revolutionary musical decades in British pop history. Actually.
Controller BBC4 Cassian Harrison, Director of Radio & Music Bob Shennan and Music Commissioner Jan Younghusband are in their 50s; Simon Le Bon will be 60 later this year.
Also on the way on BBC4 in June: Smashing Hits! The 80s Pop Map of Britain & Ireland with Midge Ure, and Kim Appleby revealing how the 80s was actually one of the most revolutionary musical decades in British pop history. Actually.
Regeneration
Reinvention or giving viewers access to stuff they funded through the licence fee ?
Every episode of Dr Who since the 2005 re-birth is available on the iPlayer from today, as part of what looks like a "summer season".
Daytime and iPlayer Controller Dan McGolpin says “We’re reinventing the BBC for a new generation, and BBC iPlayer is key to that. Bringing back these series of Doctor Who is just part of our offer this summer, giving viewers the chance to uncover or rediscover the Doctor’s previous adventures."
Every episode of Dr Who since the 2005 re-birth is available on the iPlayer from today, as part of what looks like a "summer season".
Daytime and iPlayer Controller Dan McGolpin says “We’re reinventing the BBC for a new generation, and BBC iPlayer is key to that. Bringing back these series of Doctor Who is just part of our offer this summer, giving viewers the chance to uncover or rediscover the Doctor’s previous adventures."
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Busy
More contracts for BBC Studioworks, after the closure of ITV's South Bank studios. The Last Leg, for C4, is moving to TC1 at Television Centre this summer, and Love Island: Aftersun will be based at Elstree. Both shows will use on-site post-production facilities.
From 2016 to 2017, BBC Studioworks turned a £2.1m loss into a £2.7m profit. It should be even better this year.
From 2016 to 2017, BBC Studioworks turned a £2.1m loss into a £2.7m profit. It should be even better this year.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Peaked
BBC1's share of viewing in April stood at just 20.48% - the lowest monthly figure I can find. It re-inforced a sensation that Auntie has run out of stock of decent factual stuff early. May is likely to recover - the Royal Wedding week records a share of 24.42%. And The World Cup will help in June.
But how long before it drops below 20% - and will some the promised new catch-up/download metric be agreed in time to distract us ? BARB promises it will arrive in September.
But how long before it drops below 20% - and will some the promised new catch-up/download metric be agreed in time to distract us ? BARB promises it will arrive in September.
- Last night EastEnders fell below 4m - at 3.59m. It's often in third place, behind Coronation Street and Emmerdale, but does better on catch-up. Game show The Button attracted an average of just 1.14m. Next week's episode is the last. The two versions of News at Ten were closer again - BBC1 3.16m, ITV 2.49m
Whodunnit ? No-one !
Around six weeks to go to the publication of the BBC Annual Report, with its associated update on top pay - so no wonder there's a little scurrying around going on. The list of those on over £150k will have shrunk, as actors on long-term deals move to the relative privacy currently afforded by BBC Studios (unless Damian Collins gets his way). And some deals will not have been done in time - so there'll be two narratives, one printed, and one professed by Lord Hall and Sir David Clementi.
Meanwhile, the BBC has been answering more questions from Damian Collin's Select Committee about the use of Personal Services Companies. Entertainingly, it can't find any direct reference to the decision to shift presenters to these vehicles at Board level, despite having "retained most of the minutes of its Executive Board and Committee meetings from the period under review (1998 — 2012)". Thorough archive and registry work, there. And "we can find no evidence of an identified individual 'decision maker' who was responsible for the PSC policy". Quelle surprise !
Meanwhile, the BBC has been answering more questions from Damian Collin's Select Committee about the use of Personal Services Companies. Entertainingly, it can't find any direct reference to the decision to shift presenters to these vehicles at Board level, despite having "retained most of the minutes of its Executive Board and Committee meetings from the period under review (1998 — 2012)". Thorough archive and registry work, there. And "we can find no evidence of an identified individual 'decision maker' who was responsible for the PSC policy". Quelle surprise !
Friday, June 1, 2018
Gripped
There are few concessions being offered to Radio 2's Jo and Simon Show by the radio critics. Catherine Nixey, of The Times, has some bon mots that are worth a wider audience than the paywall allows...
You can see what the bosses at Radio 2 were thinking. Drivetime looks like such an easy gig. All you have to do is play a few records, sound genial when Glenda rings in with a request and produce a bit of banter between the traffic and travel. It’s everyman radio. Surely every man — even every woman — can do it?
They cannot. And Whiley certainly can’t. “Hi to Glenda,” she says, squeezing out the words with all the ease and enjoyment with which one might squeeze out a kidney stone. Glenda, Whiley explains, is “heading to Loch Lomond for paddleboarding”. Poor old Whiley. She wasn’t made to talk about paddleboarding. She was made to brown-nose indistinguishable indie bands in a scholarly manner.
If Whiley sounds tense and brittle, then even Mayo, usually so at ease, sounds uncomfortable. Neither seems to be able to time their speech with the other. Like people on an awkward first date, either neither of them speaks or both do. Then, not wanting to interrupt, they stop. It’s toe-curling and listeners have been complaining in droves. Not since Helen and Rob in The Archers have a couple sounded so ill at ease. It is, naturally, riveting.
Phil McGarvey, who has produced Vanessa Feltz and Steve Wright and lived to tell the tale, is in the control booth. "I am a strong leader and recognised talent manager" he avers on Linkedin.
You can see what the bosses at Radio 2 were thinking. Drivetime looks like such an easy gig. All you have to do is play a few records, sound genial when Glenda rings in with a request and produce a bit of banter between the traffic and travel. It’s everyman radio. Surely every man — even every woman — can do it?
They cannot. And Whiley certainly can’t. “Hi to Glenda,” she says, squeezing out the words with all the ease and enjoyment with which one might squeeze out a kidney stone. Glenda, Whiley explains, is “heading to Loch Lomond for paddleboarding”. Poor old Whiley. She wasn’t made to talk about paddleboarding. She was made to brown-nose indistinguishable indie bands in a scholarly manner.
If Whiley sounds tense and brittle, then even Mayo, usually so at ease, sounds uncomfortable. Neither seems to be able to time their speech with the other. Like people on an awkward first date, either neither of them speaks or both do. Then, not wanting to interrupt, they stop. It’s toe-curling and listeners have been complaining in droves. Not since Helen and Rob in The Archers have a couple sounded so ill at ease. It is, naturally, riveting.
Phil McGarvey, who has produced Vanessa Feltz and Steve Wright and lived to tell the tale, is in the control booth. "I am a strong leader and recognised talent manager" he avers on Linkedin.
S'truth
An entertaining platform is guaranteed by the BBC for its one-day "Truth and Power Conference", to be held later this month at Broadcasting House. The event will be chaired and opened by Sir John Tusa, former Managing Director of the BBC World Service, in which role his spats with John Birt were long and now legendary, if under-reported. Second up is James Purnell, surveying "The Digital Horizon". Purnell was first brought into the BBC as a junior strategist by John Birt.
The conference comes in the centenary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, and 50 years since the Prague Spring. Tusa was born in Zlin, Moravia, (where Bata shoes are made) back in 1936. The conference (attendance by invitation only) will be followed by a reception at the Czech Ambassador's residence on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
The conference comes in the centenary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, and 50 years since the Prague Spring. Tusa was born in Zlin, Moravia, (where Bata shoes are made) back in 1936. The conference (attendance by invitation only) will be followed by a reception at the Czech Ambassador's residence on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
Price per pound
The Mail says BBC News' prime beefcake Huw Edwards has agreed a salary cut of "at least £120k".
His current deal is between £550k and £599k. A settlement somewhere around £450k might represent the magic £300k for his news presentation shifts, and the rest for specials such as Trooping The Colour, Remembrance Services etc.
His current deal is between £550k and £599k. A settlement somewhere around £450k might represent the magic £300k for his news presentation shifts, and the rest for specials such as Trooping The Colour, Remembrance Services etc.
On the move
Radio 3 swing jock and tv presenter Clemency Burton-Hill is off to the States to become Creative Director of Music and Arts for New York Public Radio station, WQXR.
Former BBC correspondent Tim Fenton is to be Director of Journalism at Essex University. Jonathan Baker, another former Beeboid, started the course as Professor back in 2014, with an entertaining commute between Maidenhead and Colchester. He travels less far for his role as a member of Ofcom's Content Board.
Matt LeBlanc is leaving Top Gear after the next series. One suspects the economics of his contract no longer add up for him or the BBC.
Former BBC correspondent Tim Fenton is to be Director of Journalism at Essex University. Jonathan Baker, another former Beeboid, started the course as Professor back in 2014, with an entertaining commute between Maidenhead and Colchester. He travels less far for his role as a member of Ofcom's Content Board.
Matt LeBlanc is leaving Top Gear after the next series. One suspects the economics of his contract no longer add up for him or the BBC.
On the waterfront
The BBC says it will be inviting indies to tender for TV coverage of the Proms from 2019; radio coverage stays with Auntie. The tender documents will be published later this month, but will include both the First and Last Nights, and performances on BBC2 and BBC4. Those looking for tensions within Auntie (whether they exist or not) will note that the announcement comes from BBC Content, not from BBC Radio & Education, who are supposed to be in charge of Musick, from where'er it springeth.
We're still awaiting the results of the tender for that other BBC behemoth, Bargain Hunt; bids were invited back in February.
We're still awaiting the results of the tender for that other BBC behemoth, Bargain Hunt; bids were invited back in February.
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