So we head to the fourth "BBC Music Day", coming up on 28th September. It is, we are told "an annual celebration of the power of music to change lives."
The top two lines from the press release reveal that Kylie Minogue has recorded short messages that will be relayed over the PA systems at various railway stations on the big day; and that Gareth Malone will be hosting a music quiz on BBC2. The third line is given over to the big event on BBC1 - "music meets antiques head on when Jarvis Cocker & Candida Doyle and Bez & Rowetta take part in a Pulp versus Happy Mondays Bargain Hunt special on BBC One."
A group of us previously interested in parody are holding a short communal prayer meeting this evening, before a session from a counsellor talking about New Directions in Writing.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Two
Now it stands at two former BBC Chairmen exhorting current DG Lord Hall to drop the idea of appealing against the verdict of Mr Justice Mann.
Today's Times carries an op-ed column from Lord Grade of Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) warning the BBC off, whilst explaining his family business connection to Sir Cliff, as the singer's agent way before the knighthood. Lord Grade's contribution follows a line taken more promptly by Lord Patten.
Omission
Unless I'm mistaken, Sir Cliff Richard winning his case against the BBC was quite a big news story in July.
Spookily it is missing in BBC Newsgathering's month-end email of congratulations-to-all from thought-leader Jonathan Munro...unless you count his rail against the un-English construction 'appeal the verdict'. Too little, too late, mate.
One to watch
Lamia Dabboussy is Editor for BBC Arts, reporting to Jonty Claypole and sitting within James Purnell's Radio & Education department. An Australian who speaks Spanish and Arabic, she graduated from the University of South Wales in 1999, with a degree in Media & Communication.
After a spell with an advertising agency, and freelance corporate video production, she joined the NSW Chamber of Commerce as an advisor, then spent three years on a book about the cultural impact of the SBS network. This is probably where she became enamoured of Peter Drucker's catch-phrase, "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast".
The leap to London came in 2007, when she secured a job as Senior Audience Planner with the BBC's Marketing and Audience team. Projects on BBC2, BBC4 and BBC News followed, and in 2014 she became Head of Planning and Brand Insight.
In 2017 she joined the Purnell Posse, and has been appearing at the Hay Festival, Hull City of Culture and various panels.
Here's a link to a presentation she made about 'audience planning' in the BBC.
After a spell with an advertising agency, and freelance corporate video production, she joined the NSW Chamber of Commerce as an advisor, then spent three years on a book about the cultural impact of the SBS network. This is probably where she became enamoured of Peter Drucker's catch-phrase, "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast".
The leap to London came in 2007, when she secured a job as Senior Audience Planner with the BBC's Marketing and Audience team. Projects on BBC2, BBC4 and BBC News followed, and in 2014 she became Head of Planning and Brand Insight.
In 2017 she joined the Purnell Posse, and has been appearing at the Hay Festival, Hull City of Culture and various panels.
Here's a link to a presentation she made about 'audience planning' in the BBC.
Staying with it
Ian Burrell in The Independent tells us that Eddie Mair is staying with the BBC part-time until at least November. The radio presenter's last edition of PM on Radio 4 before he heads to LBC will be on 17th August, but Eddie will continue to front the BBC's daily podcast on the Grenfell Inquiry.
According to Joanna Carr, Head of Current Affairs, on some days the only media presence at the hearings is The Press Association and BBC reporter Sangita Myska.
According to Joanna Carr, Head of Current Affairs, on some days the only media presence at the hearings is The Press Association and BBC reporter Sangita Myska.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Begging bowls
Residents of Bangor, Barnstaple, Bromsgrove, Derry/Londonderry, Forth Valley, Gloucester, Inverness, Kidderminster, Limavady, Luton, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and Stratford-upon-Avon, will have to cry themselves to sleep tonight, after the news that Ofcom isn't going to issue local tv licences for their towns.
The decision was taken after a 'public consultation', to which there were six responses. Two were from existing stations, arguing that money 'saved' from these previously-proposed licences should be re-distributed to them. Professor Tim Luckhurst, from KMTV, a collaboration between the Kent Media Group and the University of Kent, argued "that the BBC can afford to provide longer-term additional financial support to the existing stations". Craig Chettle, of Notts TV wrote "We believe that there remain latent economies in the BBC which could be introduced with relative ease to create an ongoing budget of the scale previously enjoyed." Selfless, huh ?
The decision was taken after a 'public consultation', to which there were six responses. Two were from existing stations, arguing that money 'saved' from these previously-proposed licences should be re-distributed to them. Professor Tim Luckhurst, from KMTV, a collaboration between the Kent Media Group and the University of Kent, argued "that the BBC can afford to provide longer-term additional financial support to the existing stations". Craig Chettle, of Notts TV wrote "We believe that there remain latent economies in the BBC which could be introduced with relative ease to create an ongoing budget of the scale previously enjoyed." Selfless, huh ?
Conscientious
Kamal Ahmed, already comfortable in suits, is to be the new editorial conscience of BBC News, as Editorial Director. This could be entertaining; as economics editor, he's believed to have been frustrated during the Brexit referendum campaign from reporting on the sheer weight of economic evidence saying exit was a bad idea.
Kamal, 50, decided to describe himself as 'mixed race', rather than 'black British', after the election of President Obama and Lewis Hamilton's first F1 championship; his father was a scientist from Sudan, his mother from Rotherham. He went to Drayton Manor School, a comprehensive in Hanwell, where he adopted the name 'Neil' ('It was better than being called 'camel'') then studied politics at Leeds, where he worked on the Leed Student, before taking a post-graduate course in journalism at City University.
He's been twice married and divorced. For a while, he squired BBC News correspondent Sophie Long, but is now stepping out with human rights lawyer, Polly Glynn, whose firm Deighton Pierce Glynn wrote letters to Brexit Secretary David Davis back in March, threatening to take him to court.
Kamal's autobiography, The Life and Times of a Very British Man, is due out in October, from Bloomsbury.
Kamal, 50, decided to describe himself as 'mixed race', rather than 'black British', after the election of President Obama and Lewis Hamilton's first F1 championship; his father was a scientist from Sudan, his mother from Rotherham. He went to Drayton Manor School, a comprehensive in Hanwell, where he adopted the name 'Neil' ('It was better than being called 'camel'') then studied politics at Leeds, where he worked on the Leed Student, before taking a post-graduate course in journalism at City University.
He's been twice married and divorced. For a while, he squired BBC News correspondent Sophie Long, but is now stepping out with human rights lawyer, Polly Glynn, whose firm Deighton Pierce Glynn wrote letters to Brexit Secretary David Davis back in March, threatening to take him to court.
Kamal's autobiography, The Life and Times of a Very British Man, is due out in October, from Bloomsbury.
Swords
The new chairman of ITN, Christy Swords, is also currently ITV's Finance Director. Properly Christopher Joseph Swords, he is a Balliol, Oxford, PPE chum of BBC Director of Radio & Education, James Purnell.
Christy followed on from Balliol with an MA in Social and Political Thought from Sussex, and, with the help of a Daiwa Scholarship, spent a year in Japan, where he worked for broadcaster NHK in radio and tv current affairs.
Christy followed on from Balliol with an MA in Social and Political Thought from Sussex, and, with the help of a Daiwa Scholarship, spent a year in Japan, where he worked for broadcaster NHK in radio and tv current affairs.
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky
Ricky Wilson, frontman of the Kaiser Chiefs, has become something of a swing-jock for Radio 2, covering for Sara Cox, Dermot O'Leary and others since the start of the year. Now he gets the big one. Or the sticky end of the stick, depending on your view. He's covering for Simon Mayo for the next two weeks, on the Jo and Simon Show (“In six months’ time it will be a very different show.” Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, June 2018).
Simon Mayo is 59; Ricky Wilson is 40. The average age of a Radio 2 listener is 52, but the station says it "has an increased focus on reaching younger 35-44s and specifically less well-off women aged 35-44."
Simon Mayo is 59; Ricky Wilson is 40. The average age of a Radio 2 listener is 52, but the station says it "has an increased focus on reaching younger 35-44s and specifically less well-off women aged 35-44."
Swings
BBC hacks, who just this June settled for a backdated pay deal of 2% in 2017/18, 2% in 2018/19 and at least 2.5% in 2019/20, have been informed of a 4.5% rise in catering prices from 1st August.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Tassels
Lyse Doucet, OBE, BBC Chief International Correspondent, about to receive an honorary degree from Sussex University Chancellor, Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Specific
The online ad for Director of Content at BBC Studios is pretty clear that candidates need to be creative.
"BBC Studios is a global creative powerhouse for the development, production and distribution of bold, British, content..... As Director of Content, you’ll lead on our creative strategy for all in-house production, across the Scripted, Factual, Factual Entertainment & Events and Music & Entertainment Genres..... You’ll create an environment which attracts the best talent, fosters an inclusive culture focussed on creative excellence, where everyone can deliver their best work. You’ll work with the creative units on their editorial strategy to harness the most innovative, creative and commercial ideas, and bring them together to super-charge BBC Studios’ cross-genre and cross-platform development. You’ll bring a strong creative track record in global production and experience of running your own successful commercial business.... You’ll be passionate about creative excellence and have experience in attracting, developing and nurturing top talent."
The full job description uses "creative" a further fifteen times.
"BBC Studios is a global creative powerhouse for the development, production and distribution of bold, British, content..... As Director of Content, you’ll lead on our creative strategy for all in-house production, across the Scripted, Factual, Factual Entertainment & Events and Music & Entertainment Genres..... You’ll create an environment which attracts the best talent, fosters an inclusive culture focussed on creative excellence, where everyone can deliver their best work. You’ll work with the creative units on their editorial strategy to harness the most innovative, creative and commercial ideas, and bring them together to super-charge BBC Studios’ cross-genre and cross-platform development. You’ll bring a strong creative track record in global production and experience of running your own successful commercial business.... You’ll be passionate about creative excellence and have experience in attracting, developing and nurturing top talent."
The full job description uses "creative" a further fifteen times.
Don't do it, Tone
David Elstein, the former BBC producer never short of an opinion on broadcasting matters, takes a dim view of any suggestion that the BBC should continue to fight the judgement of Mr Justice Mann in the case of Sir Cliff Richard.
On OpenDemocracy.net (which he chairs) Mr Elstein provides a useful long narrative of the judgement, and warns the DG to back off.
"The BBC is still mulling over whether Mr Justice Mann was “obviously right” in finding for Sir Cliff, and making the award he did. When Gavin Millar QC, for the BBC, tried to argue to the judge on July 26, in seeking leave to appeal, that he had been wrong on the law and wrong in his analysis of the facts, Mr Justice Mann was dismissive to the point of rudeness: it was the BBC, not he, that had failed to understand the law and the significance of its actions.
" An appeal would be costly, and is unlikely to succeed. Even asking the Court of Appeal directly for leave to appeal (the only step remaining other than settling its bill) could result in an embarrassing rebuff for the BBC, or, perhaps worse still, another opportunity to expose the dubious behaviour of the BBC news division, and the unimpressive performance of its witnesses at trial, to yet more scrutiny, and at a higher judicial level. A failed appeal might well be the mistake that costs Lord Hall his job, just as the McAlpine affair cost George Entwistle his."
On OpenDemocracy.net (which he chairs) Mr Elstein provides a useful long narrative of the judgement, and warns the DG to back off.
"The BBC is still mulling over whether Mr Justice Mann was “obviously right” in finding for Sir Cliff, and making the award he did. When Gavin Millar QC, for the BBC, tried to argue to the judge on July 26, in seeking leave to appeal, that he had been wrong on the law and wrong in his analysis of the facts, Mr Justice Mann was dismissive to the point of rudeness: it was the BBC, not he, that had failed to understand the law and the significance of its actions.
" An appeal would be costly, and is unlikely to succeed. Even asking the Court of Appeal directly for leave to appeal (the only step remaining other than settling its bill) could result in an embarrassing rebuff for the BBC, or, perhaps worse still, another opportunity to expose the dubious behaviour of the BBC news division, and the unimpressive performance of its witnesses at trial, to yet more scrutiny, and at a higher judicial level. A failed appeal might well be the mistake that costs Lord Hall his job, just as the McAlpine affair cost George Entwistle his."
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Alastair Yates RIP
Newscaster Alastair Yates has died, aged 65. For many years, UK viewers would have seen him as the overnight face of BBC News 24/BBCWorld, but he started out as a dj, under the name Al Capone, after leaving Burton Grammar School. He played Ska and Northern Soul at venues including the Royal Oak and now-defunct Queen's Arms in Burton-on-Trent, and managed local bands and folk groups. That brought him into contact with BBC Radio Derby, who offered him a weekend kids show in 1973, and the name was softened to Al Kay. He moved to tv news, after some practice at home, with BBC Midlands Today, Anglia's "About Anglia" and Grampian TV's "North Tonight.
In 1989, he was paired with Penny Smith as the first presenters on air for Sky News (note Penny's shoulders a touch wider than Al's). From 1992 to 2011, he was with BBC News, in various incarnations of BBC World Service Television, BBC World News and BBC News 24. And whilst his exposure to UK audiences might not have been in peak-time, he was much more familiar to US viewers.
In 1989, he was paired with Penny Smith as the first presenters on air for Sky News (note Penny's shoulders a touch wider than Al's). From 1992 to 2011, he was with BBC News, in various incarnations of BBC World Service Television, BBC World News and BBC News 24. And whilst his exposure to UK audiences might not have been in peak-time, he was much more familiar to US viewers.
Game for it
Sarah Sands' outreach programme at Today, to under-served audiences, placed presenter Martha Kearney in the Carter Jonas Theatre at The Game Fair this morning. The current Radio 4 audience is 75% ABC1, with an average age of 56.
There were plastic chairs for 100 in the audience - not all of them filled.
There were plastic chairs for 100 in the audience - not all of them filled.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Marr-ed
The Press Gazette tells us that John Neal has been confirmed as Editor of The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1. John, a Derby County fan, studied English Lit at Birmingham University and then took a course at the London College of Communication. That landed him a job as a producer at BBC Radio Nottingham. After two years he headed north to Salford and Five Live, before London and The Today Programme beckoned.
As Assistant Editor there, he ran the Christmas guest editors, including Prince Harry. He was left with a stickier end of the stick when writing letters to listeners defending the booking of Lord Lawson on climate change. Later, both the BBC and Ofcom thought the interview was not a good thing.
As Assistant Editor there, he ran the Christmas guest editors, including Prince Harry. He was left with a stickier end of the stick when writing letters to listeners defending the booking of Lord Lawson on climate change. Later, both the BBC and Ofcom thought the interview was not a good thing.
Dr Davies
Dr Derbyshire
Victoria Derbyshire has been awarded an honorary doctorate in Science (Medicine) by the Institute of Cancer Research.Alexander technique
The University of Solent at Southampton has conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Sport on Shelley Alexander, BBC Sport Lead for Diversity and Women's Sport.
Broxit
Dear readers,
I'm sorry I didn't spot it earlier, but the BBC has surrendered its lease on Brock House, nestling handily between the BH complex and Wogan House. It's had a range of uses and mis-uses over time in BBC hands since 1932. Previous occupants include the Women's League of Health and Beauty.
The BBC is believed to have got around £2m in return for an early surrender of its lease, back to landlords Gascoyne Holdings. Directors include The Marquess of Salisbury, Lord (Charles Edward Vere Gascoyne-) Cecil and Lord Valentine William Cecil.
Gascoyne have sold a 20-year lease on the 28,000 square foot building to The Office Group, who provide accommodation for start-ups. They've already refurbished another former BBC W1 property, Henry Wood House. The Office Group is funded by US private equity firm Blackstone (CEO Stephen Schwarzman, occasional advisor to Donald Trump).
Please accept my apologies for being late on this.
Yrs, etc
I'm sorry I didn't spot it earlier, but the BBC has surrendered its lease on Brock House, nestling handily between the BH complex and Wogan House. It's had a range of uses and mis-uses over time in BBC hands since 1932. Previous occupants include the Women's League of Health and Beauty.
The BBC is believed to have got around £2m in return for an early surrender of its lease, back to landlords Gascoyne Holdings. Directors include The Marquess of Salisbury, Lord (Charles Edward Vere Gascoyne-) Cecil and Lord Valentine William Cecil.
Gascoyne have sold a 20-year lease on the 28,000 square foot building to The Office Group, who provide accommodation for start-ups. They've already refurbished another former BBC W1 property, Henry Wood House. The Office Group is funded by US private equity firm Blackstone (CEO Stephen Schwarzman, occasional advisor to Donald Trump).
Please accept my apologies for being late on this.
Yrs, etc
Bah !
Very pleased to see this Tweet from within BBC News endorsed by their Head of Newsgathering, Jonathan Munro.
Perhaps Mr Munro could have a word with Special Correspondent Lucy Manning, who followed Mr Munro from ITN to the BBC. She seems unfamiliar with the correct English.
It’s “appeal against”. Appeal AGAINST.— Callum May (@callummay) July 19, 2018
Perhaps Mr Munro could have a word with Special Correspondent Lucy Manning, who followed Mr Munro from ITN to the BBC. She seems unfamiliar with the correct English.
Unappealing
The BBC's legal strategy in the Sir Cliff Richard case was pretty bold - yesterday. Gavin Millar, QC, went to ask Mr Justice Mann to allow an appeal against his judgement on a wide range of counts. He said it would have a "chilling" effect on journalists; "editors would have to decide whether to report a name in the context of an investigation and may be deterred from that by the spectre of high damages". This, he argued, would deter "cash-strapped regional newspapers" (No mention of a cash-strapped Auntie).
He said the judge had erred in his judgement of Sir Cliff's rights to privacy, had "not given weight" to the media's right to freedom of expression, and had failed to take account of the "presumption of innocence" as carried in the BBC's reporting.
After a break for lunch, Mr Justice Mann came back and gave Mr Millar another kicking, refusing an appeal because it had no real prospect of success: it was “wrong” and an “erroneous reading” of his ruling to suggest he had imposed “some blanket restriction” on reporting police investigations. The judge referred back to his ruling, including some discussion of concessions by Mr Millar in the trial proper that Sir Cliff had a reasonable expection of privacy from South Yorkshire Police in relation to their investigation. Other good words used by the judge about Mr Millar's analysis of where he went wrong: "meaningless" and "irrelevant". And Mr Justice Mann revealed he'd been listing to Today on Radio 4 that morning, saying that the BBC's Legal Correspondent, Clive Coleman, had been mistaken when he suggested a judge would have to admit he had got it wrong in order to grant permission to appeal against his own judgment.
After yesterday's session a BBC spokesperson said "This is a complex case and while we hadn't decided on whether to pursue an appeal, we sought permission today in order to keep all options open. We reiterate that we are very sorry to Sir Cliff for the distress caused and have no desire to prolong this case unnecessarily, but the ruling has raised significant questions for press freedom and we are considering the best way to address these."
He said the judge had erred in his judgement of Sir Cliff's rights to privacy, had "not given weight" to the media's right to freedom of expression, and had failed to take account of the "presumption of innocence" as carried in the BBC's reporting.
After a break for lunch, Mr Justice Mann came back and gave Mr Millar another kicking, refusing an appeal because it had no real prospect of success: it was “wrong” and an “erroneous reading” of his ruling to suggest he had imposed “some blanket restriction” on reporting police investigations. The judge referred back to his ruling, including some discussion of concessions by Mr Millar in the trial proper that Sir Cliff had a reasonable expection of privacy from South Yorkshire Police in relation to their investigation. Other good words used by the judge about Mr Millar's analysis of where he went wrong: "meaningless" and "irrelevant". And Mr Justice Mann revealed he'd been listing to Today on Radio 4 that morning, saying that the BBC's Legal Correspondent, Clive Coleman, had been mistaken when he suggested a judge would have to admit he had got it wrong in order to grant permission to appeal against his own judgment.
After yesterday's session a BBC spokesperson said "This is a complex case and while we hadn't decided on whether to pursue an appeal, we sought permission today in order to keep all options open. We reiterate that we are very sorry to Sir Cliff for the distress caused and have no desire to prolong this case unnecessarily, but the ruling has raised significant questions for press freedom and we are considering the best way to address these."
Court drama
Ah, the elegant gavottes of the English civil courts.
Scene II: A badly-lit and steaming court in the modern-but-still-crusty Rolls Building
Mr Justice Mann: "Hello again. What do you want ?"
Gavin Millar, QC: "Yo, yo, Mann-dem, bro. Your remember that kicking you gave me about Sir Cliff, a couple of weeks ago ?"
Mr Justice Mann: "You mean the one I spent 90 days and 122 pages on ?"
Millar: "Correctimundo, old bean. Well, it's all wrong."
Mann: "You're having a larf, Gav. Next !"
Scene II: A badly-lit and steaming court in the modern-but-still-crusty Rolls Building
Mr Justice Mann: "Hello again. What do you want ?"
Gavin Millar, QC: "Yo, yo, Mann-dem, bro. Your remember that kicking you gave me about Sir Cliff, a couple of weeks ago ?"
Mr Justice Mann: "You mean the one I spent 90 days and 122 pages on ?"
Millar: "Correctimundo, old bean. Well, it's all wrong."
Mann: "You're having a larf, Gav. Next !"
Thursday, July 26, 2018
The price of principle
The BBC, still represented by Gavin Millar QC, has offered to pay £850k 'on account' to Sir Cliff Richard, as part of his legal costs - costs which were described by Mr Millar as 'grossly unreasonable' before the trial proper. Auntie is also offering £350k to South Yorkshire Police.
The legal argument is continuing before Mr Justice Mann, but the BBC strategy must be to separate the sensational treatment of the Sir Cliff Richard 'story' from a principle which may close down journalists' ability to report police investigations when it may be more in the public interest to disclose names and details. But the bill of these initial legal costs sucks up 7,973.4 licence fees.....
More to come, as they say....
The legal argument is continuing before Mr Justice Mann, but the BBC strategy must be to separate the sensational treatment of the Sir Cliff Richard 'story' from a principle which may close down journalists' ability to report police investigations when it may be more in the public interest to disclose names and details. But the bill of these initial legal costs sucks up 7,973.4 licence fees.....
More to come, as they say....
Narrow
The BBC has to lodge £1,199 with the High Court today to ask permission, from Mr Justice Mann to appeal against a decision by Mr Justice Mann - and that's just the start of it. The judge, in an unusually long decision, has boxed the BBC into a tricky position over its scoop about the search of Sir Cliff Richard's apartment.
He says that the way they acquired the information was 'unlawful'; the way they used it was 'unlawful'; the time they allowed Sir Cliff to make a statement was insufficient; the BBC's case that both reporting the event, and naming Sir Cliff was in the public interest wasn't enough to outweigh his right to privacy. Throughout all this, he deemed that the BBC damaged Sir Cliff to the value of at least £210,000. And, even if the story had beeen a straight, down-bulletin read by Huw Edwards, the BBC would have been in the wrong.
Just to anticipate an appeal, Mr Justice Mann said his decision should not be taken to have a 'chilling' effect on journalists work in the future. The BBC should probably, on behalf of hacks in general, take some of this decision to further consideration by a higher court - but it won't be popular with many of the general public, and the costs all lie with the licence-fee payer. Let's see how wide the grounds of appeal claimed by the BBC are - narrow would be better.
He says that the way they acquired the information was 'unlawful'; the way they used it was 'unlawful'; the time they allowed Sir Cliff to make a statement was insufficient; the BBC's case that both reporting the event, and naming Sir Cliff was in the public interest wasn't enough to outweigh his right to privacy. Throughout all this, he deemed that the BBC damaged Sir Cliff to the value of at least £210,000. And, even if the story had beeen a straight, down-bulletin read by Huw Edwards, the BBC would have been in the wrong.
Just to anticipate an appeal, Mr Justice Mann said his decision should not be taken to have a 'chilling' effect on journalists work in the future. The BBC should probably, on behalf of hacks in general, take some of this decision to further consideration by a higher court - but it won't be popular with many of the general public, and the costs all lie with the licence-fee payer. Let's see how wide the grounds of appeal claimed by the BBC are - narrow would be better.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Angle
I feel, dear reader, as if I have undercooked the 'Honorary Degrees for the BBC' strand this academic year.
Let's make it up a little with this shot of BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan, ready for a walk-on extra part in Tales From Rubovia. His is the first Honorary Degree from the University of Northampton, place of Dan's birth, for Standing Slightly Sideways Whenever You See a Camera.
Let's make it up a little with this shot of BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan, ready for a walk-on extra part in Tales From Rubovia. His is the first Honorary Degree from the University of Northampton, place of Dan's birth, for Standing Slightly Sideways Whenever You See a Camera.
Strategic
The BBC's Mark Linsey has had a bonus for the last two years, as he launched BBC Studios, and then helped the merger with BBC Worldwide. He might get one next year (we won't know) as his remit moves to Content Partnerships - essentially the BBC Worldwide space occupied by Helen Jackson, until her departure earlier this year. This now leaves a vacancy for Director of Content, to lead 'editorial strategy in the UK'.
Mark may have been doing some horizon-scanning. More UK product currently in the hands of BBC Studios will be put out to open tender by Richard Dawkins, Charlotte Moore's money man at BBC Content, over the next year, as part of the James Purnell-inspired Compete and Compare doctrine. The most recent tender - tv coverage of the BBC Proms from 2019 - is currently paused, in deference to the current season - but a result will come after The Last Night.
"The BBC will be announcing further opportunities to the market across 2018: some of these will be further tenders for existing series, some will be specific invitations to pitch for new shows with a clear purpose, and others will be open calls for the best ideas as part of the normal commissioning process." Hard to see how a Director of Content will avoid some decline in business.....
Mark may have been doing some horizon-scanning. More UK product currently in the hands of BBC Studios will be put out to open tender by Richard Dawkins, Charlotte Moore's money man at BBC Content, over the next year, as part of the James Purnell-inspired Compete and Compare doctrine. The most recent tender - tv coverage of the BBC Proms from 2019 - is currently paused, in deference to the current season - but a result will come after The Last Night.
"The BBC will be announcing further opportunities to the market across 2018: some of these will be further tenders for existing series, some will be specific invitations to pitch for new shows with a clear purpose, and others will be open calls for the best ideas as part of the normal commissioning process." Hard to see how a Director of Content will avoid some decline in business.....
Watch again
The latest figures from Ofcom on tv consumption reflect the widening gap between rich and poor seen in other UK statistics.
The monster that is SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) is an extra for most users. 70% of the UK's 15.4m SVOD subscribers (usually Netflix or Amazon Prime) already have a traditional pay tv service - Sky, Virgin, BT etc. Half of the UK's SVOD subscribers have two subscriptions.
Consultants Ovum think Netflix may have peaked in the UK. It may be a bad time for the BBC, ITV and C4 bring a new dongle to the market. But remember, it's the content, stupid. The BBC cannot be entirely a bystander in the dispute between UKTV and Virgin, over access to box sets and deep archive. The BBC must, internally, be considering how far it takes the Winter and Summer experiments of 'free' access to selected box sets and series on the iPlayer, when a new pay-product is just around the corner. It remains more likely than not that licence-fee payers will in future have to cough up again to see the programmes they've funded a second time, rather than watch them regularly on UK TV funded by adverts. Unless, of course, it's August, when they'll be on BBC1, 2 and 4.....
The monster that is SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) is an extra for most users. 70% of the UK's 15.4m SVOD subscribers (usually Netflix or Amazon Prime) already have a traditional pay tv service - Sky, Virgin, BT etc. Half of the UK's SVOD subscribers have two subscriptions.
Consultants Ovum think Netflix may have peaked in the UK. It may be a bad time for the BBC, ITV and C4 bring a new dongle to the market. But remember, it's the content, stupid. The BBC cannot be entirely a bystander in the dispute between UKTV and Virgin, over access to box sets and deep archive. The BBC must, internally, be considering how far it takes the Winter and Summer experiments of 'free' access to selected box sets and series on the iPlayer, when a new pay-product is just around the corner. It remains more likely than not that licence-fee payers will in future have to cough up again to see the programmes they've funded a second time, rather than watch them regularly on UK TV funded by adverts. Unless, of course, it's August, when they'll be on BBC1, 2 and 4.....
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Taffia News
New deployments at BBC Wales: Felicity Evans, currently hosting Good Morning Wales, becomes Political Editor, succeeding Nick Servini. Felicity, born in Ebbw Vale, was brought up in Manchester and studied law at Oxford University. She stands at No 21 in the latest Pinc List from Wales Online.
Betsan Powys (another former BBC Wales Political Editor) is standing down from Radio Cymru, after five years in the job; weekly reach peaked at 147k under Betsan, but is now down to 121k. Rhuannedd Richards has emerged as her successor, after open ads; she's formally left Plaid Cymru, where she used to work as a policy advisor.
Betsan Powys (another former BBC Wales Political Editor) is standing down from Radio Cymru, after five years in the job; weekly reach peaked at 147k under Betsan, but is now down to 121k. Rhuannedd Richards has emerged as her successor, after open ads; she's formally left Plaid Cymru, where she used to work as a policy advisor.
Morph
After just three months with his new toy, CEO of BBC Studios Tim Davie, is re-shaping his top team. Mark Linsey, midwife to the first version of BBC Studios, adds new responsibilities to his role as Chief Creative Officer. I'll quote the press release, 'cos I'm not quite sure I understand it.
"Signalling an accelerated ambition to develop its IP pipeline, BBC Studios has announced that from September, Chief Creative Officer Mark Linsey will take charge of its portfolio of production relationships across the whole sector, managing partnerships with indies and BBC Studios Production. In addition to overseeing the company’s IP strategy and pipeline, Linsey will also take charge of BBC Studios’ Content Partnerships team, which will itself see its remit raised to better meet the challenge of growing the value of BBC Studios’ content across wholly owned production and indie partners."
Whatever he's going to be doing, ON A SALARY WE'LL NEVER KNOW, there's now apparently room for a Director of Content, yet to be hired, "to steer the editorial strategy for BBC Studios Production in the UK."
"Signalling an accelerated ambition to develop its IP pipeline, BBC Studios has announced that from September, Chief Creative Officer Mark Linsey will take charge of its portfolio of production relationships across the whole sector, managing partnerships with indies and BBC Studios Production. In addition to overseeing the company’s IP strategy and pipeline, Linsey will also take charge of BBC Studios’ Content Partnerships team, which will itself see its remit raised to better meet the challenge of growing the value of BBC Studios’ content across wholly owned production and indie partners."
Whatever he's going to be doing, ON A SALARY WE'LL NEVER KNOW, there's now apparently room for a Director of Content, yet to be hired, "to steer the editorial strategy for BBC Studios Production in the UK."
Monday, July 23, 2018
Brief-less
The Express claims that Radio 2 is playing hardball with Jeremy Vine, as he prepares to start his new Channel 5 tv show, replacing The Wright Stuff with Matthew Wright, set to launch in September.
Last month Jeremy, 53, claimed it was "a perfect fit with my ongoing role at Radio 2". But the paper says the BBC have told Jezza he's still got to show up an hour before on-air time, to meet with the production team and discuss the show's content.
The Wright Stuff is live every weekday from 9.15am to 11.15am. Allowing for an 11 minute cycle ride from ITN Studios in Grays Inn Road to Wogan House, and perhaps some work on armpits etc before meeting his R2 producers, it leaves Jeremy less than half-an-hour to take on board the myriad details of his always-challenging radio content. (Interestingly, that's all Vanessa Feltz gets between leaving Radio 2 at 6.30am and starting on Radio London for three hours, at 7.00am).
Who's going to blink first ?
Last month Jeremy, 53, claimed it was "a perfect fit with my ongoing role at Radio 2". But the paper says the BBC have told Jezza he's still got to show up an hour before on-air time, to meet with the production team and discuss the show's content.
The Wright Stuff is live every weekday from 9.15am to 11.15am. Allowing for an 11 minute cycle ride from ITN Studios in Grays Inn Road to Wogan House, and perhaps some work on armpits etc before meeting his R2 producers, it leaves Jeremy less than half-an-hour to take on board the myriad details of his always-challenging radio content. (Interestingly, that's all Vanessa Feltz gets between leaving Radio 2 at 6.30am and starting on Radio London for three hours, at 7.00am).
Who's going to blink first ?
The price of soap
It's an expensive business, a tv soap opera. And it's disappointing when your prime offering, EastEnders, is so often in third place in the ratings behind Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
The saga of the new set for Eastenders, a project named "E20", has been going on since at least 2014. It's still bothering the BBC Board, as this minute from their April meeting shows. You have to make up your own mind as to whether the budget has been revised up or down.
3.8 The Board discussed the critical projects portfolio. The re-basing of the E20 project had been completed and formal approval for the revised budget would be sought in the coming weeks.
The soap is still piloted by John Yorke, acting way below his pay grade as a stand-in executive producer. The Sun believes the BBC is wooing Kate Oates, who was in charge of Coronation Street during the arrival of extra episodes, from 2016 til her resignation in April. Kate (Ockbrook School and Warwick University) cut her soap teeth on Crossroads, before nearly seven years on the Archers (no doubt a formative experience under Editor Vanessa Whitburn) and various spells with Emmerdale.
The saga of the new set for Eastenders, a project named "E20", has been going on since at least 2014. It's still bothering the BBC Board, as this minute from their April meeting shows. You have to make up your own mind as to whether the budget has been revised up or down.
3.8 The Board discussed the critical projects portfolio. The re-basing of the E20 project had been completed and formal approval for the revised budget would be sought in the coming weeks.
The soap is still piloted by John Yorke, acting way below his pay grade as a stand-in executive producer. The Sun believes the BBC is wooing Kate Oates, who was in charge of Coronation Street during the arrival of extra episodes, from 2016 til her resignation in April. Kate (Ockbrook School and Warwick University) cut her soap teeth on Crossroads, before nearly seven years on the Archers (no doubt a formative experience under Editor Vanessa Whitburn) and various spells with Emmerdale.
Yar
They're starting to hover over the just-about-breathing body of Johnston Press. The share price has been twitching around 3p for nearly a month, and yet there's no official word on re-structuring the company's £220m debt, costing £1.5m a month to service.
Norwegian raider Christen Ager-Hanssen, who controls around 20% of shareholder voting rights, is reported to have written to the JP Board, politely enquiring what's occurring. The bond which makes up the vast bulk of the company's debt is repayable in April 2019.
Meanwhile, former CEO (and BBC alumnus) Ashley Highfield is reborn as a non-executive of a yacht builder.
Norwegian raider Christen Ager-Hanssen, who controls around 20% of shareholder voting rights, is reported to have written to the JP Board, politely enquiring what's occurring. The bond which makes up the vast bulk of the company's debt is repayable in April 2019.
Meanwhile, former CEO (and BBC alumnus) Ashley Highfield is reborn as a non-executive of a yacht builder.
The first #OysterYacht to be released under our new management. Important landmark day. #OysterIsBack well done team @Oyster_Yachts !! @yachtworld @YachtingMag @boatint @theipaper @portsmouthnews @Chiobserver https://t.co/VW2znCDDPl— ashley highfield (@ashleyhi) July 12, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Integrate your world
It's not Syncopatico, quite, but the BBC is having another go at an-overarching computer system - to be called Sequence - 'an exciting pan-BBC business change and technology programme, expected to run for the next three years'.
Apparently the programme will 'design and deliver standardised ways of working and sustainable, scalable technologies'. Anyone who thought the new Terms and Conditions had already been 'designed' must be wrong-headed.
Here's just some of the things this rival to Deep Blue will do (with my parentheses):
Resource Scheduling: day-to-day operationally critical planning for content and support (rotas)
Time Management: application of new employee Terms and Conditions; management of Leave & Absence; calculation and automation of additional payments; management of TOIL; automation of cost recoveries (turning the rotas into days and hours worked, and posting it to salaries)
Capacity Planning: mid to long term strategic resource planning (working out when you've got gaps coming up in the rotas)
Management Information: richer, trusted, centralised data to inform strategic decisions (working out who's taking too much time off sick)
Three years simply not long enough, eh ?
A Syncopatico reminder, containg bad words.
Apparently the programme will 'design and deliver standardised ways of working and sustainable, scalable technologies'. Anyone who thought the new Terms and Conditions had already been 'designed' must be wrong-headed.
Here's just some of the things this rival to Deep Blue will do (with my parentheses):
Resource Scheduling: day-to-day operationally critical planning for content and support (rotas)
Time Management: application of new employee Terms and Conditions; management of Leave & Absence; calculation and automation of additional payments; management of TOIL; automation of cost recoveries (turning the rotas into days and hours worked, and posting it to salaries)
Capacity Planning: mid to long term strategic resource planning (working out when you've got gaps coming up in the rotas)
Management Information: richer, trusted, centralised data to inform strategic decisions (working out who's taking too much time off sick)
Three years simply not long enough, eh ?
A Syncopatico reminder, containg bad words.
Clay feet
In the modern, competitive BBC, it seems ratings are no longer a guide to re-commissioning. The first series of the Great Pottery Showdown on BBC2 averaged 2.4m viewers over six episodes. The second, ending in March last year, averaged 3.4m viewers over eight episodes, topping the BBC2 ratings, ahead of Top Gear, for its final two shows.
At the end of last week, the BBC let Love Productions know that there wouldn't be a third series. A BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mirror. "Whilst we are proud of The Great Pottery Throw Down and very grateful to everyone involved in the two series, we sometimes have to take difficult decisions in order to make room for new shows." Love Productions also made The Great British Bake-Off; the pottery show was first commissioned back in 2015 by Kim Shillinglaw and Maxine Watson, both now departed the BBC.
The Great British Sewing Bee, another Love Productions creation, will return to BBC2 in 2019, with comedian Joe Lycett replacing Claudia Winkleman as host.
At the end of last week, the BBC let Love Productions know that there wouldn't be a third series. A BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mirror. "Whilst we are proud of The Great Pottery Throw Down and very grateful to everyone involved in the two series, we sometimes have to take difficult decisions in order to make room for new shows." Love Productions also made The Great British Bake-Off; the pottery show was first commissioned back in 2015 by Kim Shillinglaw and Maxine Watson, both now departed the BBC.
The Great British Sewing Bee, another Love Productions creation, will return to BBC2 in 2019, with comedian Joe Lycett replacing Claudia Winkleman as host.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Consultant on board
The BBC Board went to Belfast in March, and discussed future strategy for News. Also present for that item was Jean-Paul Petranca (King's School, Chester and Balliol), Managing Director of the London branch of the Boston Consulting Group. Jean-Paul was last spotted by The Mail at the elbow of Director of Radio & Education, James Purnell.
Here's the statement of the problem Jean-Paul is working on: The Board noted that although BBC News was the largest news organisation in the UK, ahead of competition on TV & Radio and online, consumption was dropping among some segments of the audience, particularly the young and lower income households. Notably, within 16-24s, time spent with BBC Radio and TV news had dropped by approximately 20% compared to 2013, whereas online consumption was flat. This was in line with market trends across the industry. However, given the BBC’s mission and public purposes, and its strategic priority to reinvent BBC services for a new generation, there was a need to re-consider how BBC News could do more to reach those audiences currently underserved by the BBC, including those on lower incomes, the young, and audiences outside of London and the South East.
Here's the statement of the problem Jean-Paul is working on: The Board noted that although BBC News was the largest news organisation in the UK, ahead of competition on TV & Radio and online, consumption was dropping among some segments of the audience, particularly the young and lower income households. Notably, within 16-24s, time spent with BBC Radio and TV news had dropped by approximately 20% compared to 2013, whereas online consumption was flat. This was in line with market trends across the industry. However, given the BBC’s mission and public purposes, and its strategic priority to reinvent BBC services for a new generation, there was a need to re-consider how BBC News could do more to reach those audiences currently underserved by the BBC, including those on lower incomes, the young, and audiences outside of London and the South East.
Then and now
From the minutes of the BBC Board meeting held on 26th April...
3.3 The BBC had concluded giving evidence in the Cliff Richard trial. Directors were clear that an important issue was at stake and one that it was right to defend robustly.
Mmmm. Let's see if that position holds. Here's the advice on appeals from the Government's website.
Check you have a good case
You usually only get one chance to appeal, and in almost all cases you must ask for the judge’s permission to appeal against their decision. The judge will only let you appeal if you have a real chance of success or there’s another very strong reason why the appeal should be heard. You must explain why the decision was wrong or unfair – for instance there was a serious mistake or the court didn’t follow the right steps.
3.3 The BBC had concluded giving evidence in the Cliff Richard trial. Directors were clear that an important issue was at stake and one that it was right to defend robustly.
Mmmm. Let's see if that position holds. Here's the advice on appeals from the Government's website.
Check you have a good case
You usually only get one chance to appeal, and in almost all cases you must ask for the judge’s permission to appeal against their decision. The judge will only let you appeal if you have a real chance of success or there’s another very strong reason why the appeal should be heard. You must explain why the decision was wrong or unfair – for instance there was a serious mistake or the court didn’t follow the right steps.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Two doors of separation
BBC News sleb-spotting, Great Titchfield St: Nick Robinson taking posh coffee in Gitane, Orla Guerin similar in Kaffeine....
Carriage wars
If you were to say there's more going on than meets the eye in the flare-up between UKTV and Virgin Media, then I wouldn't demur.
From Sunday, customers of Virgin Media could see ten broadcast channels from UKTV - W, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Drama, Yesterday, Eden, Really, Good Food, Home - disappear from their electronic programme guide. UKTV says Virgin is trying to pay less for the channels. Virgin Media says the UKTV side (50% owned by BBC Studios, nee Worldwide) is cutting on-demand access to programmes in the BBC archive.
Both could be true. But in the background, the BBC is trying to establish an alternative to Netflix with ITV and C4, and probably needs to hang on to more good stuff than it used to 'give away' through UKTV.
From Sunday, customers of Virgin Media could see ten broadcast channels from UKTV - W, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Drama, Yesterday, Eden, Really, Good Food, Home - disappear from their electronic programme guide. UKTV says Virgin is trying to pay less for the channels. Virgin Media says the UKTV side (50% owned by BBC Studios, nee Worldwide) is cutting on-demand access to programmes in the BBC archive.
Both could be true. But in the background, the BBC is trying to establish an alternative to Netflix with ITV and C4, and probably needs to hang on to more good stuff than it used to 'give away' through UKTV.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Moving forward
The BBC needs an extra pair of hands for eight months, to work on internal communications for the "Terms and Conditions Review".
The successful candidate will be "Experienced in refreshing and updating existing intranet or web sites, including knowledge of Content Management Systems (preferably Immediacy and Wordpress), Photoshop or similar picture manipulating software".
The owners of the software that drives the Immediacy Content Management System stopped supporting it in 2010. Eight years ago.
The successful candidate will be "Experienced in refreshing and updating existing intranet or web sites, including knowledge of Content Management Systems (preferably Immediacy and Wordpress), Photoshop or similar picture manipulating software".
The owners of the software that drives the Immediacy Content Management System stopped supporting it in 2010. Eight years ago.
What next ?
Sarah Jones (Sutton High School and Lincoln College, Oxford) will be leading the BBC conclave in Broadcasting House, working out the pros and cons of appealing against Mr Justice Mann's judgement in the case brought by Sir Cliff Richard. The BBC, with a team led by Gavin Millar, QC of Matrix Chambers, took a bullish line throughout the proceedings, even when South Yorkshire Police decided to cave in and settle.
Sarah (seen here at the elbow of Director of News Fran Unsworth) is styled Group General Counsel. She earns £255k p.a. from Auntie, and £503 a day when sitting as a Deputy District Judge on the South-Eastern Circuit.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Appealing ?
Sir George Anthony Mann - better known in court as Mr Justice Mann - has made it very difficult for the BBC to appeal against the decision he's handed down against them (and South Yorkshire Police) in the case brought by Sir Cliff Richard.
The BBC's Director of News, Fran Unsworth, says the judgement, in what was a civil case, 'effectively makes it unlawful that anyone under investigation can be named, unless the police do so'.
I think the judge is being more ring-savvy than that. He explicitly says he is not making new case law, but applying a balance between Section 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (incorporated into UK law) which talks about privacy rights, and Section 10, which protects freedom of expression, whether or not founded on public interest. In the case of Sir Cliff, he found there was no public interest in knowing it was Sir Cliff's flat that was being searched, except to 'gossip-mongers'. He's not making publication of the names of those under investigation 'unlawful'; his decision means that hacks wishing to name individuals will have to produce a public interest defence, if they get sued.
In his full judgement, he found that the BBC asserted it was in the public interest to name him, but didn't really make a strong case to support it, or tie the decision to name Sir Cliff back to their own editorial guidelines.
His judgement makes several references to precedents in Gulati v MGN, when a certain Mr Justice Mann awarded punitive damages to a number of celebrities whose phones had been hacked at the behest of Mirror Group papers. Among the celebs - Alan Yentob.
The BBC's Director of News, Fran Unsworth, says the judgement, in what was a civil case, 'effectively makes it unlawful that anyone under investigation can be named, unless the police do so'.
I think the judge is being more ring-savvy than that. He explicitly says he is not making new case law, but applying a balance between Section 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (incorporated into UK law) which talks about privacy rights, and Section 10, which protects freedom of expression, whether or not founded on public interest. In the case of Sir Cliff, he found there was no public interest in knowing it was Sir Cliff's flat that was being searched, except to 'gossip-mongers'. He's not making publication of the names of those under investigation 'unlawful'; his decision means that hacks wishing to name individuals will have to produce a public interest defence, if they get sued.
In his full judgement, he found that the BBC asserted it was in the public interest to name him, but didn't really make a strong case to support it, or tie the decision to name Sir Cliff back to their own editorial guidelines.
His judgement makes several references to precedents in Gulati v MGN, when a certain Mr Justice Mann awarded punitive damages to a number of celebrities whose phones had been hacked at the behest of Mirror Group papers. Among the celebs - Alan Yentob.
Listings
Those who thought Mr Justice Mann called it wrong (so far)
Tony Gallagher (Editor of The Sun)
The Society of Editors
The BBC's 'legendary' World Affairs Editor John Simpson
The Guardian
The Guardian's Roy Greenslade
The Voice of The Mirror
The Telegraph
Those who think Mr Justice Mann might be right or wrong
Roger Mosey, Master of Selwyn College, and former BBC Editorial Director
Alan Rusbridger, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall and former Guardian editor
Those who think Mr Justice Mann is right
Richard Bacon, recovering TV presenter
Steve Richards, former BBC Political Correspondent
Former BBC Chairman Lord Patten
LBC's Iain Dale
Janet Street-Porter
Peter Hitchens
More updates as we get them....
Tony Gallagher (Editor of The Sun)
The Society of Editors
The BBC's 'legendary' World Affairs Editor John Simpson
The Guardian
The Guardian's Roy Greenslade
The Voice of The Mirror
The Telegraph
Those who think Mr Justice Mann might be right or wrong
Roger Mosey, Master of Selwyn College, and former BBC Editorial Director
Alan Rusbridger, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall and former Guardian editor
Those who think Mr Justice Mann is right
Richard Bacon, recovering TV presenter
Steve Richards, former BBC Political Correspondent
Former BBC Chairman Lord Patten
LBC's Iain Dale
Janet Street-Porter
Peter Hitchens
More updates as we get them....
See-saw
Mr Justice Mann's balancing act.
"I have come to the clear conclusion that Sir Cliff’s privacy rights were not outweighed by the BBC’s rights to freedom of expression. This is an overall evaluative exercise which is not a precise scientific measuring one.....
"Last under this head I deal with a very broad point raised by Mr [Gavin] Millar[BBC QC]. He submitted that the case against the BBC raised “issues of great, arguably of constitutional, importance for the freedom of the press in this country.” If Sir Cliff’s claim were successful it would undermine the long-standing press-freedom to report the truth about police investigations (respecting the presumption of innocence), and if that freedom is undermined then that should be a matter for Parliament and not the courts.
"I think that Mr Millar may have been overstating the constitutional importance of this case a bit. I agree that the case is capable of having a significant impact on press reporting, but not to a degree which requires legislative, and not merely judicial, authority. The fact is that there is legislative authority restraining the press in the form of the Human Rights Act, and that is what the courts apply in this area. That Act will have had an effect on press reporting before this case because of Article 8, and the balancing exercise between Articles 8 and 10 is done by the courts under and pursuant to the legislation. The exercise that I have carried out in this case is the same exercise as has to be carried out in other, albeit less dramatic, cases. If the position of the press is now different from that which it has been in the past, that is because of the Human Rights Act, and not because of some court-created principle."
On the £190k general damages: "I have borne in mind that awards of damages are not to be such as to have a chilling effect on the right of freedom of expression. I do not consider that an award of that amount should have a chilling effect of the kind which is to be avoided. A claimant is entitled to proper compensatory damages and the figure I have specified is a proper figure for that purpose. I do not consider that it requires any modification on the footing that such figures would have a chilling effect on the exercise of a newspaper’s right of freedom of expression. It is not an excessive figure; there is no punitive element; it is a genuine compensatory figure; the reason that the story existed as a story was because information was acquired in breach of a right of privacy in the first place, and then confirmed by less than straightforward means by the BBC’s reporter; and it was entirely the decision of the BBC to present the story at all, and then to present it as it did. One of the main motivations of the BBC was the excitement of its scoop. None of that requires any modification of damages otherwise properly payable to Sir Cliff on the basis that responsible journalism would be disincentivised (chilled). "
On the extra £20k: "The submission of the broadcast for an award (which it did not win) does properly fall for separate treatment. It is quite understandable that a broadcasting organisation which first infringes privacy in this way, and then promotes its own infringing activity in a way which demonstrates that it is extremely proud of it, should cause additional distress (which it did), both by demonstrating its pride and unrepentance and to a degree repeating the invasion of privacy with a metaphorical fanfare. Ms Unsworth expressed the view that it was not a good idea to have submitted the broadcast, and she was right about that (she was not asked for her views at the time), and I think it right that this very unfortunate event should be treated as aggravating the damage caused (which it did). It should attract a claim for aggravated damages which I treat separately and in respect of which I award an additional £20,000."
"I have come to the clear conclusion that Sir Cliff’s privacy rights were not outweighed by the BBC’s rights to freedom of expression. This is an overall evaluative exercise which is not a precise scientific measuring one.....
"Last under this head I deal with a very broad point raised by Mr [Gavin] Millar[BBC QC]. He submitted that the case against the BBC raised “issues of great, arguably of constitutional, importance for the freedom of the press in this country.” If Sir Cliff’s claim were successful it would undermine the long-standing press-freedom to report the truth about police investigations (respecting the presumption of innocence), and if that freedom is undermined then that should be a matter for Parliament and not the courts.
"I think that Mr Millar may have been overstating the constitutional importance of this case a bit. I agree that the case is capable of having a significant impact on press reporting, but not to a degree which requires legislative, and not merely judicial, authority. The fact is that there is legislative authority restraining the press in the form of the Human Rights Act, and that is what the courts apply in this area. That Act will have had an effect on press reporting before this case because of Article 8, and the balancing exercise between Articles 8 and 10 is done by the courts under and pursuant to the legislation. The exercise that I have carried out in this case is the same exercise as has to be carried out in other, albeit less dramatic, cases. If the position of the press is now different from that which it has been in the past, that is because of the Human Rights Act, and not because of some court-created principle."
On the £190k general damages: "I have borne in mind that awards of damages are not to be such as to have a chilling effect on the right of freedom of expression. I do not consider that an award of that amount should have a chilling effect of the kind which is to be avoided. A claimant is entitled to proper compensatory damages and the figure I have specified is a proper figure for that purpose. I do not consider that it requires any modification on the footing that such figures would have a chilling effect on the exercise of a newspaper’s right of freedom of expression. It is not an excessive figure; there is no punitive element; it is a genuine compensatory figure; the reason that the story existed as a story was because information was acquired in breach of a right of privacy in the first place, and then confirmed by less than straightforward means by the BBC’s reporter; and it was entirely the decision of the BBC to present the story at all, and then to present it as it did. One of the main motivations of the BBC was the excitement of its scoop. None of that requires any modification of damages otherwise properly payable to Sir Cliff on the basis that responsible journalism would be disincentivised (chilled). "
On the extra £20k: "The submission of the broadcast for an award (which it did not win) does properly fall for separate treatment. It is quite understandable that a broadcasting organisation which first infringes privacy in this way, and then promotes its own infringing activity in a way which demonstrates that it is extremely proud of it, should cause additional distress (which it did), both by demonstrating its pride and unrepentance and to a degree repeating the invasion of privacy with a metaphorical fanfare. Ms Unsworth expressed the view that it was not a good idea to have submitted the broadcast, and she was right about that (she was not asked for her views at the time), and I think it right that this very unfortunate event should be treated as aggravating the damage caused (which it did). It should attract a claim for aggravated damages which I treat separately and in respect of which I award an additional £20,000."
Invasion of privacy 'in a big way'
Mr Justice Mann really didn't like the coverage of the South Yorkshire Police raid on Sir Cliff's apartment in Sunningdale....
"The coldly stated facts of the content and form of the broadcasts appear in the narrative set out in this judgment. That narrative does not really do justice to the quality of the broadcasts. They were, as I have said, presented with a significant degree of breathless sensationalism. The story was the main point in the news - there was nothing wrong with that in itself, but it did lend a certain urgency to the report. In some broadcasts it was accompanied by a ticker running across the bottom of the screen emphasising the story and maintaining its presence throughout the bulletin. Mr [Dan] Johnson, and in some broadcasts another journalist, were broadcasting from outside the property. There was an attempt to lend drama to the broadcast by showing cars entering the property, and the helicopter shots added more, somewhat false, drama. In evidence there was an attempt by Mr [Gary] Smith to justify the use of the helicopter as providing evidence as to what was going on inside, as if some form of verification was necessary or appropriate. I find that that was a spurious justification. The helicopter shots did not verify or evidence anything particularly useful or controversial that needed evidencing. They were moving pictures of the property, of seven or eight people in plain clothes walking to a building, the same people walking back to their cars and fuzzy shots of two or three people in Sir Cliff’s flat. It may have made for more entertaining and attention-grabbing journalism. It may be justifiable or explicable on the footing that TV is a visual medium and pictures are part of what it does. It did not, however, add any particularly useful information. Mr [Jonathan] Munro also referred to the helicopter shots as being justifiable on the basis that it enabled the public to see a police operation going on, in relation to which there was a genuine public interest. That is more of a justification, but I still consider that the main purpose of utilising the helicopter was to add sensationalism and emphasis to the scoop of which the BBC was so proud. The BBC viewed this as a big story, and presented it in a big way. This was also manifested in other aspects of the coverage - the coverage from Portugal, pointless though it turned out to be, lent an urgency to the presentation of the story.
"In short, and insofar as it is relevant under this head, the BBC went in for an invasion of Sir Cliff’s privacy rights in a big way."
"The coldly stated facts of the content and form of the broadcasts appear in the narrative set out in this judgment. That narrative does not really do justice to the quality of the broadcasts. They were, as I have said, presented with a significant degree of breathless sensationalism. The story was the main point in the news - there was nothing wrong with that in itself, but it did lend a certain urgency to the report. In some broadcasts it was accompanied by a ticker running across the bottom of the screen emphasising the story and maintaining its presence throughout the bulletin. Mr [Dan] Johnson, and in some broadcasts another journalist, were broadcasting from outside the property. There was an attempt to lend drama to the broadcast by showing cars entering the property, and the helicopter shots added more, somewhat false, drama. In evidence there was an attempt by Mr [Gary] Smith to justify the use of the helicopter as providing evidence as to what was going on inside, as if some form of verification was necessary or appropriate. I find that that was a spurious justification. The helicopter shots did not verify or evidence anything particularly useful or controversial that needed evidencing. They were moving pictures of the property, of seven or eight people in plain clothes walking to a building, the same people walking back to their cars and fuzzy shots of two or three people in Sir Cliff’s flat. It may have made for more entertaining and attention-grabbing journalism. It may be justifiable or explicable on the footing that TV is a visual medium and pictures are part of what it does. It did not, however, add any particularly useful information. Mr [Jonathan] Munro also referred to the helicopter shots as being justifiable on the basis that it enabled the public to see a police operation going on, in relation to which there was a genuine public interest. That is more of a justification, but I still consider that the main purpose of utilising the helicopter was to add sensationalism and emphasis to the scoop of which the BBC was so proud. The BBC viewed this as a big story, and presented it in a big way. This was also manifested in other aspects of the coverage - the coverage from Portugal, pointless though it turned out to be, lent an urgency to the presentation of the story.
"In short, and insofar as it is relevant under this head, the BBC went in for an invasion of Sir Cliff’s privacy rights in a big way."
Naming
Mr Justice Mann's judgement in Sir Cliff v The BBC quickly ditches the BBC claim that the public had a right to know whose flat was being searched.
"It does not follow that, because an investigation at a general level was a matter of public interest, the identity of the subject of the investigation also attracted that characterisation. I do not think that it did. Knowing that Sir Cliff was under investigation might be of interest to the gossip-mongers, but it does not contribute materially to the genuine public interest in the existence of police investigations in this area. It was known that investigations were made and prosecutions brought. I do not think that knowledge of the identity of the subject of the investigation was a material legitimate addition to the stock of public knowledge for these purposes."
"It does not follow that, because an investigation at a general level was a matter of public interest, the identity of the subject of the investigation also attracted that characterisation. I do not think that it did. Knowing that Sir Cliff was under investigation might be of interest to the gossip-mongers, but it does not contribute materially to the genuine public interest in the existence of police investigations in this area. It was known that investigations were made and prosecutions brought. I do not think that knowledge of the identity of the subject of the investigation was a material legitimate addition to the stock of public knowledge for these purposes."
Chopper issues
Mr Justice Mann's judgement in finding for Sir Cliff Richard v The BBC, on the helicopter shots of police searching his Sunningdale apartment:
"I consider that the filming into Sir Cliff’s flat was an infringement of his English law privacy rights but I do not propose to dwell on it because in the context of the reporting itself and the disclosure of his investigation and the search it is rather overwhelmed in its significance in this action. It adds to what I find to be the somewhat sensationalist nature of the coverage, and that is its main significance. It is unnecessary to accord it any further separate treatment.
"Mr Rushbrooke (Sir Cliff's QC) made much (at least in cross-examination) of an assertion that the helicopter trespassed in relation to the property when it flew and did its filming. I find that there was no trespass by the helicopter vis-à-vis Sir Cliff. Sir Cliff did not (as far as I know) own the freehold of any part of the property, and without the freehold I do not see that he had any possessory rights that could be infringed by overflying. I assume that he held his apartment via a lease and not with the benefit of the freehold, so it is unlikely that he had any rights to the airspace above it which could found a claim in trespass. If there was a claim in trespass it would add nothing material to the privacy claims in any event; and it is not pleaded. The alleged claim was used to challenge BBC witnesses as to their cavalier approach to the question of the correctness of the overflying, but not surprisingly they were not in a position to say anything about the law of trespass in that context. Even if Sir Cliff owned a potentially relevant land interest, and even if the helicopter over-flew that land, it is not clear to me that the current state of the law of trespass by over-flying would entitle him to make a claim. I do not think that trespass adds anything to this claim."
"I consider that the filming into Sir Cliff’s flat was an infringement of his English law privacy rights but I do not propose to dwell on it because in the context of the reporting itself and the disclosure of his investigation and the search it is rather overwhelmed in its significance in this action. It adds to what I find to be the somewhat sensationalist nature of the coverage, and that is its main significance. It is unnecessary to accord it any further separate treatment.
"Mr Rushbrooke (Sir Cliff's QC) made much (at least in cross-examination) of an assertion that the helicopter trespassed in relation to the property when it flew and did its filming. I find that there was no trespass by the helicopter vis-à-vis Sir Cliff. Sir Cliff did not (as far as I know) own the freehold of any part of the property, and without the freehold I do not see that he had any possessory rights that could be infringed by overflying. I assume that he held his apartment via a lease and not with the benefit of the freehold, so it is unlikely that he had any rights to the airspace above it which could found a claim in trespass. If there was a claim in trespass it would add nothing material to the privacy claims in any event; and it is not pleaded. The alleged claim was used to challenge BBC witnesses as to their cavalier approach to the question of the correctness of the overflying, but not surprisingly they were not in a position to say anything about the law of trespass in that context. Even if Sir Cliff owned a potentially relevant land interest, and even if the helicopter over-flew that land, it is not clear to me that the current state of the law of trespass by over-flying would entitle him to make a claim. I do not think that trespass adds anything to this claim."
The email
Mr Justice Mann's full judgement in the Sir Cliff v The BBC attaches "significance" to a private email written by BBC UK News Editor Gary Smith to BBC North of England bureau boss Declan Wilson and Entertainment News Editor Matthew Shaw the weekend after the police raid.
"Thursday and Friday were very full on with Cliff. Fantastic world exclusive from Dan. But… there are some issues about exactly how his relationship with SYP developed. Things got VERY heated on Thursday evening when they took exception to a Danny Shaw 1800 piece (that arse [individual named] mixing it as ever) which accused them of seeking maximum publicity, and said they'd have to answer for their actions. (a piece partly motivated by Danny's continuing bitterness about not being allowed by his bosses to be first to name Rolf Harris, but that's another story). In a series of angry conversations with Matthew [Shaw] on Thursday evening SYP ended up accusing Dan of blackmail. (Yes they used the word blackmail). They said he came to them with loads of detail on their investigation and they felt their only course of action to protect their enquiry was to cooperate totally with him. This suggests to me extreme naivete on their part. But it also suggests (and Dan doesn't entirely deny this) a rather heavy-handed approach by him. He seems to have been nailing them to a wall, saying if they didn't give him a guarantee of an exclusive tip off on the search operation, he’d broadcast a story in advance. (Which of course we would never have done). One part of me is hugely impressed with his tactics. But it wouldn't look pretty if it came out – and it nearly did yesterday.
Anyway, the point of this long email is to warn you that Dan's had both a very successful and very bruising time, and we will need to talk to him further about his part in the bigger BBC. He just didn't get that – annoying and strange as it might be – BBC News has to report on itself in stories like this. And we'll need to talk through with him what's okay and what's not in getting exclusives.
I suggest we take him out for dinner on our Thursday night in Newcastle at the end of September. Either that or lunch on the friday.
In the short term, it's worth you repeating to him the message I tried to hammer home on thursday and friday – he should talk to nobody (apart from us) inside or outside the BBC about the genesis of this story.
There may be fallout this coming week (e.g. if cliff richard directly accuses the BBC of invading his privacy which he hasn't done yet.) So Dan may be called on by fran (who knows about some but not all of this) to explain the sequence of events. If this happens, he'll need a lot of guidance and support.…"
Any help with [individual named] much appreciated !
"Thursday and Friday were very full on with Cliff. Fantastic world exclusive from Dan. But… there are some issues about exactly how his relationship with SYP developed. Things got VERY heated on Thursday evening when they took exception to a Danny Shaw 1800 piece (that arse [individual named] mixing it as ever) which accused them of seeking maximum publicity, and said they'd have to answer for their actions. (a piece partly motivated by Danny's continuing bitterness about not being allowed by his bosses to be first to name Rolf Harris, but that's another story). In a series of angry conversations with Matthew [Shaw] on Thursday evening SYP ended up accusing Dan of blackmail. (Yes they used the word blackmail). They said he came to them with loads of detail on their investigation and they felt their only course of action to protect their enquiry was to cooperate totally with him. This suggests to me extreme naivete on their part. But it also suggests (and Dan doesn't entirely deny this) a rather heavy-handed approach by him. He seems to have been nailing them to a wall, saying if they didn't give him a guarantee of an exclusive tip off on the search operation, he’d broadcast a story in advance. (Which of course we would never have done). One part of me is hugely impressed with his tactics. But it wouldn't look pretty if it came out – and it nearly did yesterday.
Anyway, the point of this long email is to warn you that Dan's had both a very successful and very bruising time, and we will need to talk to him further about his part in the bigger BBC. He just didn't get that – annoying and strange as it might be – BBC News has to report on itself in stories like this. And we'll need to talk through with him what's okay and what's not in getting exclusives.
I suggest we take him out for dinner on our Thursday night in Newcastle at the end of September. Either that or lunch on the friday.
In the short term, it's worth you repeating to him the message I tried to hammer home on thursday and friday – he should talk to nobody (apart from us) inside or outside the BBC about the genesis of this story.
There may be fallout this coming week (e.g. if cliff richard directly accuses the BBC of invading his privacy which he hasn't done yet.) So Dan may be called on by fran (who knows about some but not all of this) to explain the sequence of events. If this happens, he'll need a lot of guidance and support.…"
Any help with [individual named] much appreciated !
Evaluating the witnesses
From the full judgement of Mr Justice Mann, in Sir Cliff Richard v The BBC...
"Sir Cliff gave evidence of how it was that he came to hear of the search of his property and the police investigation, and the effect that the events of this case had on him. He was a compelling witness, and was not accused of any exaggeration. I accept his evidence in full."
On the evidence of Carrie Goodwin, head of Corporate Communications at South Yorkshire Police: "I am satisfied that she was a careful and reliable witness, and an honest one. It is necessary to make that last point because part of the case of the BBC involves allegations that she fabricated notes of meetings and conspired to present a false story to the world when SYP and the BBC came under criticism after the search. Based on my impression of her in the witness box, the probabilities and the rest of the evidence, I find that she was not guilty of such dishonesty."
On BBC reporter Dan Johnson: "Mr Johnson was the reporter whose investigations started the whole ball rolling in this case, so his evidence was central to the BBC’s case. He was, at the time, a relatively junior member of the news gathering team, covering the north of England, though he was not without experience. He was, like any responsible reporter, anxious to get knowledge of, and become involved in, big stories, and in my view was anxious to make a bit of a name for himself by getting this story and bringing it home. I do not believe that he is a fundamentally dishonest man, but he was capable of letting his enthusiasm get the better of him in pursuit of what he thought was a good story so that he could twist matters in a way that could be described as dishonest in order to pursue his story. Thus in the present case, as will appear, he was happy for SYP to be under the false impression that he had a story to broadcast and was in a position to broadcast it when that was not true; and he was also prepared to give another false impression to Miss Goodwin, again, as will appear below. That sort of attitude has caused me to consider more carefully than I would have wished his evidence in respect of the main issues in this case on which he gave evidence. In saying that I am in no way characterising him as a generally dishonest man. I am sure he is not. It is just, to repeat myself, that I considered he was capable of letting his enthusiasm for his story get the better of his complete regard for truth on occasions."
On BBC News' North of England bureau chief Declan Wilson: "Mr Wilson was in effect Mr Johnson’s superior at the BBC, being the then manager running the BBC’s North of England Bureau. He gave evidence of how it was that Mr Johnson originally came to him with the story, what he was told about what Mr Johnson had been told, what he passed on to his superior (Mr Gary Smith) and (principally in cross-examination) what passed between him and Mr Johnson after the 14th August when he saw Mr Johnson on his (Mr Wilson’s) return from holiday. I found various aspects of his evidence unsatisfactory, which is significant in this case because his evidence as to what Mr Johnson told him about how he dealt with his informant and SYP would, if accepted, be important corroboration of Mr Johnson’s important primary evidence on those points. Mr Wilson’s evidence of his post-search conversation was particularly unsatisfactory. The totality of his evidence needs to be approached with caution."
On Gary Smith, at the time BBC UK News Editor - now Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland: "Mr Smith was the BBC’s UK News Editor. In terms of the command structure, Mr Wilson reported to Mr Smith. Mr Smith received news of the story from Mr Wilson and made arrangements for background research to start. He was responsible for keeping the story alive within the BBC, and in due course briefed Ms Unsworth (see below) about the possible police search. He remained closely in touch with the pursuit and development of the story, arranging for a helicopter to be put up to cover the search, and participated in the final decision to broadcast and name Sir Cliff in the broadcast. He was, in my view, one of the employees of the BBC who became very concerned (I am tempted to use the word “obsessed”) with the merits of scooping their news rivals and that probably affected some of his judgment at the time, and gave rise to a certain defensiveness in relation to his later conduct (in particular his participation in internal BBC email traffic after the search). I consider that Mr Smith was unduly defensive, and to a degree evasive, in much of his evidence, particularly in relation to post-search email traffic. That was probably to try to defend the BBC’s position on what happened at the July 14th meeting, because some of that traffic was significantly inconsistent with the BBC’s case. I regret that I felt I could not always rely on him as a reliable witness.
On Jonathan Munro: "Mr Munro was Head of Newsgathering at the BBC at the time in question. He reported to the Director of News, Mr James Harding whose deputy Ms Unsworth was. Gary Smith reported to him. He first knew of the story when it was “red flagged” internally on or about 31st July, but had little involvement until after the search. He did not take any part in the decision to broadcast and most of his evidence concerned the aftermath. I thought he was a thoughtful man and a thoughtful witness, although he was overly guarded when the content of certain parts of the BBC’s Defence (on which he signed the statement of truth) were compared with his emails, almost wilfully failing to acknowledge inconsistencies and refusing to acknowledge the plain effect of some of the emails in the case. "
On Fran Unsworth, at the time Deputy Director of News, who made the decision to go ahead with the broadcast: "I considered Ms Unsworth to be a careful, thoughtful and conscientious witness. In my view she was honest in all that she said in the witness box. There is one respect in which I do not accept her evidence, a respect which I consider to be tinged with wishful thinking and a bit of ex post facto convenient rationalisation, but that does not detract from her honesty. Mr Rushbrooke criticised her for poor recollection of detail in several respects, but I do not consider her failure to recollect some details such as timing to be at all surprising or to reflect on the more positive evidence that she did give. Her evidence was straightforward. Her acts and thinking on the day, like the acts and views of others, were affected by the desire to protect the scoop, though perhaps less than others."
On using the helicopter shared with ITN to hover over Sir Cliff's apartment, without telling ITN the story as usually obliged: "Mr Rushbrooke (for Sir Cliff) described the BBC’s conduct in this respect as “disgraceful”. I do not think that I need to apply that label, but it was hardly commendable."
"Sir Cliff gave evidence of how it was that he came to hear of the search of his property and the police investigation, and the effect that the events of this case had on him. He was a compelling witness, and was not accused of any exaggeration. I accept his evidence in full."
On the evidence of Carrie Goodwin, head of Corporate Communications at South Yorkshire Police: "I am satisfied that she was a careful and reliable witness, and an honest one. It is necessary to make that last point because part of the case of the BBC involves allegations that she fabricated notes of meetings and conspired to present a false story to the world when SYP and the BBC came under criticism after the search. Based on my impression of her in the witness box, the probabilities and the rest of the evidence, I find that she was not guilty of such dishonesty."
On BBC reporter Dan Johnson: "Mr Johnson was the reporter whose investigations started the whole ball rolling in this case, so his evidence was central to the BBC’s case. He was, at the time, a relatively junior member of the news gathering team, covering the north of England, though he was not without experience. He was, like any responsible reporter, anxious to get knowledge of, and become involved in, big stories, and in my view was anxious to make a bit of a name for himself by getting this story and bringing it home. I do not believe that he is a fundamentally dishonest man, but he was capable of letting his enthusiasm get the better of him in pursuit of what he thought was a good story so that he could twist matters in a way that could be described as dishonest in order to pursue his story. Thus in the present case, as will appear, he was happy for SYP to be under the false impression that he had a story to broadcast and was in a position to broadcast it when that was not true; and he was also prepared to give another false impression to Miss Goodwin, again, as will appear below. That sort of attitude has caused me to consider more carefully than I would have wished his evidence in respect of the main issues in this case on which he gave evidence. In saying that I am in no way characterising him as a generally dishonest man. I am sure he is not. It is just, to repeat myself, that I considered he was capable of letting his enthusiasm for his story get the better of his complete regard for truth on occasions."
On BBC News' North of England bureau chief Declan Wilson: "Mr Wilson was in effect Mr Johnson’s superior at the BBC, being the then manager running the BBC’s North of England Bureau. He gave evidence of how it was that Mr Johnson originally came to him with the story, what he was told about what Mr Johnson had been told, what he passed on to his superior (Mr Gary Smith) and (principally in cross-examination) what passed between him and Mr Johnson after the 14th August when he saw Mr Johnson on his (Mr Wilson’s) return from holiday. I found various aspects of his evidence unsatisfactory, which is significant in this case because his evidence as to what Mr Johnson told him about how he dealt with his informant and SYP would, if accepted, be important corroboration of Mr Johnson’s important primary evidence on those points. Mr Wilson’s evidence of his post-search conversation was particularly unsatisfactory. The totality of his evidence needs to be approached with caution."
On Gary Smith, at the time BBC UK News Editor - now Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland: "Mr Smith was the BBC’s UK News Editor. In terms of the command structure, Mr Wilson reported to Mr Smith. Mr Smith received news of the story from Mr Wilson and made arrangements for background research to start. He was responsible for keeping the story alive within the BBC, and in due course briefed Ms Unsworth (see below) about the possible police search. He remained closely in touch with the pursuit and development of the story, arranging for a helicopter to be put up to cover the search, and participated in the final decision to broadcast and name Sir Cliff in the broadcast. He was, in my view, one of the employees of the BBC who became very concerned (I am tempted to use the word “obsessed”) with the merits of scooping their news rivals and that probably affected some of his judgment at the time, and gave rise to a certain defensiveness in relation to his later conduct (in particular his participation in internal BBC email traffic after the search). I consider that Mr Smith was unduly defensive, and to a degree evasive, in much of his evidence, particularly in relation to post-search email traffic. That was probably to try to defend the BBC’s position on what happened at the July 14th meeting, because some of that traffic was significantly inconsistent with the BBC’s case. I regret that I felt I could not always rely on him as a reliable witness.
On Jonathan Munro: "Mr Munro was Head of Newsgathering at the BBC at the time in question. He reported to the Director of News, Mr James Harding whose deputy Ms Unsworth was. Gary Smith reported to him. He first knew of the story when it was “red flagged” internally on or about 31st July, but had little involvement until after the search. He did not take any part in the decision to broadcast and most of his evidence concerned the aftermath. I thought he was a thoughtful man and a thoughtful witness, although he was overly guarded when the content of certain parts of the BBC’s Defence (on which he signed the statement of truth) were compared with his emails, almost wilfully failing to acknowledge inconsistencies and refusing to acknowledge the plain effect of some of the emails in the case. "
On Fran Unsworth, at the time Deputy Director of News, who made the decision to go ahead with the broadcast: "I considered Ms Unsworth to be a careful, thoughtful and conscientious witness. In my view she was honest in all that she said in the witness box. There is one respect in which I do not accept her evidence, a respect which I consider to be tinged with wishful thinking and a bit of ex post facto convenient rationalisation, but that does not detract from her honesty. Mr Rushbrooke criticised her for poor recollection of detail in several respects, but I do not consider her failure to recollect some details such as timing to be at all surprising or to reflect on the more positive evidence that she did give. Her evidence was straightforward. Her acts and thinking on the day, like the acts and views of others, were affected by the desire to protect the scoop, though perhaps less than others."
On using the helicopter shared with ITN to hover over Sir Cliff's apartment, without telling ITN the story as usually obliged: "Mr Rushbrooke (for Sir Cliff) described the BBC’s conduct in this respect as “disgraceful”. I do not think that I need to apply that label, but it was hardly commendable."
Justice says....
From Mr Justice Mann's judgement against the BBC in the privacy case brought by Sir Cliff Richard.
First, he takes the South Yorkshire Police view of how the information about the search was obtained by the BBC: "I have found that SYP did not merely volunteer the material for its own purposes; it provided it because of a concern that if it did not do so there would be a prior publication by the BBC, a concern known to and probably fostered by the BBC’s reporter, Mr Dan Johnson."
"So far as the main claim in this case is concerned, I find that Sir Cliff had privacy rights in respect of the police investigation and that the BBC infringed those rights without a legal justification. It did so in a serious way and also in a somewhat sensationalist way. I have rejected the BBC’s case that it was justified in reporting as it did under its rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press."
Mr Justice Mann has awarded £190,000 to Sir Cliff in general damages, whilst rejecting most of the singer's claims for aggravated damages. "The exception is the claim arising out of the BBC’s nominating its story for an award at the Royal Television Society Awards as the “Scoop of the Year” (which, incidentally, it did not win). I have found that that merits aggravated damages which I have assessed at £20,000. Thus Sir Cliff recovers £210,000 by way of general damages."
And on the split of liability between the BBC and South Yorkshire Police, the BBC comes off worse, having to pay 65% of damages where the responsibility is shared.
First, he takes the South Yorkshire Police view of how the information about the search was obtained by the BBC: "I have found that SYP did not merely volunteer the material for its own purposes; it provided it because of a concern that if it did not do so there would be a prior publication by the BBC, a concern known to and probably fostered by the BBC’s reporter, Mr Dan Johnson."
"So far as the main claim in this case is concerned, I find that Sir Cliff had privacy rights in respect of the police investigation and that the BBC infringed those rights without a legal justification. It did so in a serious way and also in a somewhat sensationalist way. I have rejected the BBC’s case that it was justified in reporting as it did under its rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press."
Mr Justice Mann has awarded £190,000 to Sir Cliff in general damages, whilst rejecting most of the singer's claims for aggravated damages. "The exception is the claim arising out of the BBC’s nominating its story for an award at the Royal Television Society Awards as the “Scoop of the Year” (which, incidentally, it did not win). I have found that that merits aggravated damages which I have assessed at £20,000. Thus Sir Cliff recovers £210,000 by way of general damages."
And on the split of liability between the BBC and South Yorkshire Police, the BBC comes off worse, having to pay 65% of damages where the responsibility is shared.
Decision day
The BBC legal team, led by QC Gavin Millar of Matrix Chambers, has taken a bloody nose from Mr Justice Mann, losing in the privacy case brought by Sir Cliff Richard.
The BBC must to decide whether or not to appeal (and risk a level of public opprobrium), or find an appropriate level of resignations. Scary times.
The BBC must to decide whether or not to appeal (and risk a level of public opprobrium), or find an appropriate level of resignations. Scary times.
Febrile
Many would think the changes in this headline over the past 24 hours marginal and unimportant. Behind them lies a high-level Twitter storm, and lots of editorial head scratching at Broadcasting House. I think the first version did the job.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Not champagne
It retails currently at £25.99, or £21.99 if you pick up six. We have no idea how far the BBC buyers battered Majestic down, but they spent £923.58 on the stuff. Heaven forfend the DG finding out it was actually more expensive per bottle than champagne, which is, of course, banned. Majestic offer Nicolas Courtin Brut NV at just £14.99 for 'mix six'.
The detail comes from a Freedom of Information request. The BBC wishes users of the info to include these lines.....
A BBC spokesperson said, “The BBC has strict rules around the purchase of alcohol meaning costs have been cut by over fifty percent.”
No-love-lost-Lucy
Former BBC HR boss Lucy Adams offers a list of 'HR Speak' phrases which she abhors in her latest blog post. They include 'career path', 'HR Transformation' and 'HR Business Partner'. It's almost uncanny how many of them are in widespread use at the BBC, the organisation she left four and a bit years ago.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Mann up
The BBC management operation usually closes down after Wimbledon - indeed a number of Directors are already on holibobs.
But some have to stay behind, for Wednesday's judgement in the action brought against the BBC by Sir Cliff Richard, about coverage of the South Yorkshire police raid on his Sunningdale apartment. Remember, the Director General Lord Hall told MPs back in September 2014, "Looking back at it, I think it was a proper story for us to cover, in the right manner, proportionately, which I think is what we did".
Will Mr Justice Mann agree ?
But some have to stay behind, for Wednesday's judgement in the action brought against the BBC by Sir Cliff Richard, about coverage of the South Yorkshire police raid on his Sunningdale apartment. Remember, the Director General Lord Hall told MPs back in September 2014, "Looking back at it, I think it was a proper story for us to cover, in the right manner, proportionately, which I think is what we did".
Will Mr Justice Mann agree ?
Please try harder
It pains me to keep having to do this. The BBC is looking for four (4) Senior HR Business Partners in Leadership and Development. This is the first paragraph of the 'Job Introduction'. I'm sorry.
Our HR Division are responsible for all aspects of our People Plans with divisionally facing roles as well as HR teams that are highly specialised which is crucial in the changing landscape of People requirements at a time that we are trying to reinvent our organisation for the next generation. We have looked at the complex changes that we face from technological innovation that has driven competition globally and across platforms, to changing the way in which we operate in order to maximise the Licence fee, and the need for leaders that truly represent our audiences is critical.
Our HR Division are responsible for all aspects of our People Plans with divisionally facing roles as well as HR teams that are highly specialised which is crucial in the changing landscape of People requirements at a time that we are trying to reinvent our organisation for the next generation. We have looked at the complex changes that we face from technological innovation that has driven competition globally and across platforms, to changing the way in which we operate in order to maximise the Licence fee, and the need for leaders that truly represent our audiences is critical.
Still hiring
Here's a conundrum. The licence-fee-funded Local Democracy Reporter Scheme is short of 60 reporters. Matt Barraclough, Head of Local News Partnerships for the BBC, has told The Drum that the planned recruitment of 150 has stalled at just 90.
He puts this down to the lack of a large pool of available journalists with the required skills. “Who recently went shopping for 150 senior journalists in one hit? Even when 5 Live turned on [in 1994; we recruited just over 100] and the BBC created a news-driven radio network, there was never that huge hiring exercise.” [There was - I was in it. It was biblical]
Barraclough believes that many hacks laid off by local and regional papers have quit the industry altogether. “They have gone into PR and corporate comms, they haven’t sat around wringing their hands, they have got bills to pay. They are not sitting there waiting for us to call. In very short order we hired 90 and then we hit a plateau and we are having to work harder to find those journalists.”
He puts this down to the lack of a large pool of available journalists with the required skills. “Who recently went shopping for 150 senior journalists in one hit? Even when 5 Live turned on [in 1994; we recruited just over 100] and the BBC created a news-driven radio network, there was never that huge hiring exercise.” [There was - I was in it. It was biblical]
Barraclough believes that many hacks laid off by local and regional papers have quit the industry altogether. “They have gone into PR and corporate comms, they haven’t sat around wringing their hands, they have got bills to pay. They are not sitting there waiting for us to call. In very short order we hired 90 and then we hit a plateau and we are having to work harder to find those journalists.”
Sunday, July 15, 2018
OK, Pod-pickers, it's countdown time...
BBC Director of Radio & Education James Purnell is calling for an industry-wide agreement to launch a podcast chart, to match RAJAR which measures radio broadcasting in detail.
"We need a conversation in our industry about how we get an equivalent for podcasts - one which includes as many of the different ways that audiences are consuming podcasts, where we can all see all the data, and know how it’s been collected. That will help commercial podcasters and distributors speak about their value to advertisers and the BBC measure the value it’s getting from the licence fee for audio content and services.
"We’ve already started talking to colleagues at Apple and in the UK about how to do that. If you’d like to be involved, get in touch."
Can't come too soon.
"We need a conversation in our industry about how we get an equivalent for podcasts - one which includes as many of the different ways that audiences are consuming podcasts, where we can all see all the data, and know how it’s been collected. That will help commercial podcasters and distributors speak about their value to advertisers and the BBC measure the value it’s getting from the licence fee for audio content and services.
"We’ve already started talking to colleagues at Apple and in the UK about how to do that. If you’d like to be involved, get in touch."
Can't come too soon.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
It's all relative
Contextualising success...
Thursday's Good Morning Britain was watched by an average audience of 793k, a 23.3% share - and the highest rating since 11 December 2017, when the figures were 743k and 22.7%. Thursday's Breakfast on BBC1 was watched by an average of 1.41k - a 38.7% share.Highest ever @GMB ratings, Excl interview with @POTUS on Air Force One.. and now watching Fever Pitch on TV.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 13, 2018
If Carlsberg did perfect days... pic.twitter.com/FFyahZUe4y
Friday, July 13, 2018
Quiet please
The Times reports that the BBC has re-invented presenter contracts for those on less than £150k a year. Despite apparently now welcoming the transparency on top talent, publishing narrower pay bands and forecasting pay for the forthcoming year, HR have inserted a new clause in the 'cheaper' contracts of employment, preventing presenters telling anyone but their accountants and advisers how much they're on.
The BBC has told The Times that the clauses were under review, and that they would not be enforced if an individual was talking about their pay to establish whether they were a victim of discrimination.
The BBC has told The Times that the clauses were under review, and that they would not be enforced if an individual was talking about their pay to establish whether they were a victim of discrimination.
Playing politics
You get a sense of (copyright Huw Edwards) the scale of the BBC's Westminster operation when you read that it's making 23 people redundant, saving £1.9m - and nothing much seems to be cut.
The big victim is the Sunday Politics, and there's an entertaining circularity in its demise. Way back in 1972, John Birt and presenter Peter Jay started a cerebral Sunday lunchtime politics show on London Weekend Television, called Weekend World. From 1977, it began to make waves when Brian Walden replaced Peter Jay (off to be US Ambassador) and Walden produced long, calm, tough, political interviews. By 1985, the BBC said "Me, too !" and launched This Week Next Week, presented by David Dimbleby.
In 1988, it morphed into On The Record, with David's younger brother in the chair, followed by John Humphrys in 1993. When Greg Dyke arrived as DG, he ordered a review of BBC political output, conducted in 2000 by one Fran Unsworth. On The Record was scrapped in 2002, and The Politics Show was launched in 2003.
With current presenter Sarah Smith, The Sunday Politics has played out to an average audience of around 650k in recent months, with the earlier Andrew Marr Show on upwards of 1.4m. The same political faces revolve through Andrew Marr, Sophie Ridge on Sky, Jon Pienaar's Sunday Politics on 5Live and the-soon-moving-to-Wednesdays Peston on Sunday.
So the BBC is left with just the regional opt-out bit of the Sunday Politics - and, in an attempt to get it some form of credible audience, it'll be a half hour tagged onto the end of Marr. No word yet on what happens to The Big Questions, fronted by Nicky Campbell, currently in the 10am slot.
BBC Parliament also takes a hit, effectively closing down when Parliament isn't sitting, and hinting that, in future, streaming events away from the main chamber should be left to Parliament, not duplicated by Auntie.
The big victim is the Sunday Politics, and there's an entertaining circularity in its demise. Way back in 1972, John Birt and presenter Peter Jay started a cerebral Sunday lunchtime politics show on London Weekend Television, called Weekend World. From 1977, it began to make waves when Brian Walden replaced Peter Jay (off to be US Ambassador) and Walden produced long, calm, tough, political interviews. By 1985, the BBC said "Me, too !" and launched This Week Next Week, presented by David Dimbleby.
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| On The Record crocodile |
With current presenter Sarah Smith, The Sunday Politics has played out to an average audience of around 650k in recent months, with the earlier Andrew Marr Show on upwards of 1.4m. The same political faces revolve through Andrew Marr, Sophie Ridge on Sky, Jon Pienaar's Sunday Politics on 5Live and the-soon-moving-to-Wednesdays Peston on Sunday.
So the BBC is left with just the regional opt-out bit of the Sunday Politics - and, in an attempt to get it some form of credible audience, it'll be a half hour tagged onto the end of Marr. No word yet on what happens to The Big Questions, fronted by Nicky Campbell, currently in the 10am slot.
BBC Parliament also takes a hit, effectively closing down when Parliament isn't sitting, and hinting that, in future, streaming events away from the main chamber should be left to Parliament, not duplicated by Auntie.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Express yourself
As BBC News presenters get used to the feeling of being part of a Job Family in a Career Path Framework, with Salary Bands and All That Transparent Stuff, more indications that, in future, vacancies will not be filled by cosy chats over an open sandwich, pie, pint, or dry white wine.
The Director of News, Controller of Radio 4 and Controller of Daily Programmes have invited 'expressions of interest' in becoming Chief Presenter PM. You have til July 17th to throw your hat in the ring. Newsroom hacks are pretty certain they know enough likely names to start a sweepstake.
'Twas never like this for William Hardcastle, Steve Race, Joan Bakewell, Brian Widlake, Robert Williams, Susannah Simons,Valerie Singleton, Gordon Clough, Frank Partridge, Libby Fawbert, Chris Lowe, Nigel Wrench, Hugh Sykes, and myriad others.
The Director of News, Controller of Radio 4 and Controller of Daily Programmes have invited 'expressions of interest' in becoming Chief Presenter PM. You have til July 17th to throw your hat in the ring. Newsroom hacks are pretty certain they know enough likely names to start a sweepstake.
'Twas never like this for William Hardcastle, Steve Race, Joan Bakewell, Brian Widlake, Robert Williams, Susannah Simons,Valerie Singleton, Gordon Clough, Frank Partridge, Libby Fawbert, Chris Lowe, Nigel Wrench, Hugh Sykes, and myriad others.
More bloomin' reports
Nuggets from BBC Worldwide, in its last annual report before it formally became BBC Studios:
The company made nearly £26m over the year on 'foreign exchange cash flow hedges'. That didn't quite cover a £28m loss on exchange differences when translating money back from foreign operations.
Worldwide's headcount fell by 189,to 1523. Total Director pay went up from £1,094,000 to £1,147,00; but the company total spend on salaries, National Insurance and pensions, etc fell from £144m to £124m.
BBC America posted a 13th year of increased audience figures in prime time (but we're not told more detail than that). However returns to Worldwide from the joint venture fell from £14.3m to £12.3m. Overall, Worldwide operations outside the UK generated 65.2% of the Group's Headline sales in 2018 (2017: 67.9%).
Returns from Worldwide's half-share in UKTV were down, from £33.8m to £23.5m.
The company made nearly £26m over the year on 'foreign exchange cash flow hedges'. That didn't quite cover a £28m loss on exchange differences when translating money back from foreign operations.
Worldwide's headcount fell by 189,to 1523. Total Director pay went up from £1,094,000 to £1,147,00; but the company total spend on salaries, National Insurance and pensions, etc fell from £144m to £124m.
BBC America posted a 13th year of increased audience figures in prime time (but we're not told more detail than that). However returns to Worldwide from the joint venture fell from £14.3m to £12.3m. Overall, Worldwide operations outside the UK generated 65.2% of the Group's Headline sales in 2018 (2017: 67.9%).
Returns from Worldwide's half-share in UKTV were down, from £33.8m to £23.5m.
Big numbers
ITV's strategy/luck in the selection of World Cup games was rewarded with a match average audience of 24.43m in the overnight ratings. That includes those who may have perversely been watching on +1.
Only 652k stayed with Room 101 on BBC1 at 9pm. Today at Wimbledon fared little better on BBC2, with 745k. 24 Hours in A&E on C4 scored 1.14m
Only 652k stayed with Room 101 on BBC1 at 9pm. Today at Wimbledon fared little better on BBC2, with 745k. 24 Hours in A&E on C4 scored 1.14m
- Another in our occasional sightings of Newsnight figures shows an average audience of 419k last night (the Love Island impact ?). Earlier in the day, the Victoria Derbyshire programme, between 9 and 11am, brought 140k viewers to BBC2 - it was also available on the News Channel, for which I don't have figures.
More detail
As well as publishing the Annual Report yesterday, the BBC updated its list of senior staff. So we welcome Catherine Hearn, as HR Director, Resourcing &Talent (probably responsible for the ads that provide so much fun - salary so far undisclosed), and Wendy Aslett, now Head of HR for Nations & Regions, on £160k.
(There is some variance between the website, and the Annual Report, which features Peter Farrell, Head of Legal, and Isabel Begg, Head of Commercial and Business Development for Radio & Education, both on the £150k band).
Still no published salary for Executive Board member Kerris Bright, who joined from Virgin Media last month.
On the exes front, we note two nights in the Altis Grand, Lison for the DG (Eurovision Song Contest and a Eurovision meeting) at a total of £569.73, and a couple of nights in Reykjavík, at £549.96.
Radio and Education Director James Purnell stayed for three nights in Dinah's Garden Hotel, Palo Alto, at a tasty £1081.16. It was for 'education and digital stakeholder meetings'. The flight tickets, taking in Seattle as well, totalled £3343.21.
(There is some variance between the website, and the Annual Report, which features Peter Farrell, Head of Legal, and Isabel Begg, Head of Commercial and Business Development for Radio & Education, both on the £150k band).
Still no published salary for Executive Board member Kerris Bright, who joined from Virgin Media last month.
On the exes front, we note two nights in the Altis Grand, Lison for the DG (Eurovision Song Contest and a Eurovision meeting) at a total of £569.73, and a couple of nights in Reykjavík, at £549.96.
Radio and Education Director James Purnell stayed for three nights in Dinah's Garden Hotel, Palo Alto, at a tasty £1081.16. It was for 'education and digital stakeholder meetings'. The flight tickets, taking in Seattle as well, totalled £3343.21.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Spreading out
I'm not sure if this is re-invention, but during the next Premier League season, BBC Radio 5 Live surrenders half-an-hour of news a week in favour of half-an-hour of sport chat. Robbie Savage's World Cup Breakfast, featuring his mother Val, morphs into Premier League Breakfast at 8.30am every Friday morning.
Annual Report 7
Bits and bobs
"Cost of compliance In 2017/18, the BBC incurred costs estimated at £19.3 million (2016/17: £15.6 million) to ensure that we complied with all relevant legislation. This includes the BBC’s annual £11.6 millionwitchfinder regulatory fee to Ofcom."
Whilst executive director bonuses are a thing of the past at the BBC, Mark Linsey, birth-father of BBC Studios, and now its Chief Creative Officer, got a tidy £136k to add to his £340k base pay.
Further proof that telly pays best: median earnings across the public services fell to £42k. It would have stayed at £44k if Studios hadn't gone commercial.
BBC1 peak-time repeats rose to 6.6% in 2017/8 compared with 4.0% the previous year. Not surprising, as the channel cost £110m less, year on year.
The BBC News Channel leads the way with the proportion of air-time devoted to promotional spots - at 2.6%. Second place goes to Radio 2, on 2.2%. Then comes BBC Four, 1.8% and BBC1, 1.7%.
Readers are always worried about the Orchestras and Performing Groups. Total costs in 2017/18 £32.2m, compared with £27.8m in the previous year.
Valerie Hughes D'Aeth's lean, mean HR and Training operation cost £42m over the year, up by £2.1m.
"Cost of compliance In 2017/18, the BBC incurred costs estimated at £19.3 million (2016/17: £15.6 million) to ensure that we complied with all relevant legislation. This includes the BBC’s annual £11.6 million
Whilst executive director bonuses are a thing of the past at the BBC, Mark Linsey, birth-father of BBC Studios, and now its Chief Creative Officer, got a tidy £136k to add to his £340k base pay.
Further proof that telly pays best: median earnings across the public services fell to £42k. It would have stayed at £44k if Studios hadn't gone commercial.
BBC1 peak-time repeats rose to 6.6% in 2017/8 compared with 4.0% the previous year. Not surprising, as the channel cost £110m less, year on year.
The BBC News Channel leads the way with the proportion of air-time devoted to promotional spots - at 2.6%. Second place goes to Radio 2, on 2.2%. Then comes BBC Four, 1.8% and BBC1, 1.7%.
Readers are always worried about the Orchestras and Performing Groups. Total costs in 2017/18 £32.2m, compared with £27.8m in the previous year.
Valerie Hughes D'Aeth's lean, mean HR and Training operation cost £42m over the year, up by £2.1m.
Annual Report 6
A smaller Auntie ? The BBC's 'public service' head count dropped from 19,357 in 2016/17 to 18,210 in 2017/18.
That's not because vast numbers of jobs were cut. 1,546 were moved from 'Content' to the new commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios. Over the year, 315 jobs were cut, and 418 new posts created. There were also 774 new jobs in World Service News, largely thanks to additional Foreign Office funding (though it seems World Service may have also spent a tad more than its Operating Licence allowed).
That's not because vast numbers of jobs were cut. 1,546 were moved from 'Content' to the new commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios. Over the year, 315 jobs were cut, and 418 new posts created. There were also 774 new jobs in World Service News, largely thanks to additional Foreign Office funding (though it seems World Service may have also spent a tad more than its Operating Licence allowed).
Annual Report 5
The approximate 2017/8 daily rate for a show on Radio 2, crudely calculated...
Chris Evans £8,300
Steve Wright £2,037
Simon Mayo £1,259
Ken Bruce £1,250
Over on talk radio, Jane Garvey works out at £750 a pop for c140 Woman’s Hours, c20 programmes on 5Live, and c40 episodes of the podcast Fortunately. Stephen Nolan, on telly and radio in Northern Ireland, and on Radio 5Live, comes out around £1,142.
Chris Evans £8,300
Steve Wright £2,037
Simon Mayo £1,259
Ken Bruce £1,250
Over on talk radio, Jane Garvey works out at £750 a pop for c140 Woman’s Hours, c20 programmes on 5Live, and c40 episodes of the podcast Fortunately. Stephen Nolan, on telly and radio in Northern Ireland, and on Radio 5Live, comes out around £1,142.
Annual Report 4
By my crude calculations, these are the 2017/18 rates for presenting Today:
John Humphrys £2,857 (more than five times the average weekly wage).
Mishal Husain £1,447
Nick Robinson £1,388
Martha Kearney £1,111
Justin Webb £1,066
John Humphrys £2,857 (more than five times the average weekly wage).
Mishal Husain £1,447
Nick Robinson £1,388
Martha Kearney £1,111
Justin Webb £1,066
Annual Report 3
The new BBC Annual Report has been audited, for the first time, by the NAO, and there are some belting caveats.
They've looked at the risk around re-financing the deal on New Broadcasting House, "a series of significant derivative cash flow swops'. 'The valuation of these swaps involves judgement and is highly sensitive to the assumptions made.' Net liabilities of £98.3 million 'have been recognised.'
They've re-assessed the deal with AMC Networks to sell them 49.9% of BBC America: "I have reviewed the past judgement that, although BBC Worldwide owns 50.1% of New Video Channel America, it does not control the entity and therefore does not consolidate it on a line by line basis."
The audit notes the BBC's pension liabilities have falled to £518.3m, compared with £1,149m the previous year. You, dear licence fee payer, have helped. Licence fee collection and pension deficit costs take £1.15 out of every licence - compared with 0.57p in the previous year.
They've looked at the risk around re-financing the deal on New Broadcasting House, "a series of significant derivative cash flow swops'. 'The valuation of these swaps involves judgement and is highly sensitive to the assumptions made.' Net liabilities of £98.3 million 'have been recognised.'
They've re-assessed the deal with AMC Networks to sell them 49.9% of BBC America: "I have reviewed the past judgement that, although BBC Worldwide owns 50.1% of New Video Channel America, it does not control the entity and therefore does not consolidate it on a line by line basis."
The audit notes the BBC's pension liabilities have falled to £518.3m, compared with £1,149m the previous year. You, dear licence fee payer, have helped. Licence fee collection and pension deficit costs take £1.15 out of every licence - compared with 0.57p in the previous year.
Annual Report 2
The BBC Annual Report, published today, is more of a brochure than ever before. I think the BBC is brilliant, but, as a critical friend, here comes a series of posts picking away at some of the gloss.
Whilst the BBC's total global audience for News has nudged up, from 345m to 347m, within that, the advertising-funded BBC World news channel is down, from 99m to 95m. BBC Global News, which includes the channel and bbc.com saw a £1m drop in advertising revenue, but returned £18m as "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization". That's because they made £15m in 'substantial foreign exchange gains on the year-end valuation of hedged positions'.
In the language services, BBC Chinese's reach is up by nearly a third, whilst Urdu is down by same amount. BBC World Service now gets £1.08 of your licence fee, compared with 90p in the previous year.
Whilst the BBC's total global audience for News has nudged up, from 345m to 347m, within that, the advertising-funded BBC World news channel is down, from 99m to 95m. BBC Global News, which includes the channel and bbc.com saw a £1m drop in advertising revenue, but returned £18m as "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization". That's because they made £15m in 'substantial foreign exchange gains on the year-end valuation of hedged positions'.
In the language services, BBC Chinese's reach is up by nearly a third, whilst Urdu is down by same amount. BBC World Service now gets £1.08 of your licence fee, compared with 90p in the previous year.
Annual Report 1
The BBC Annual Report, published today, is more of a brochure than ever before. I think the BBC is brilliant, but, as a critical friend, here comes a series of posts picking away at some of the gloss.
BBC Alba: Reach, amongst Gaelic speakers, down from 67.2% to 62.1%; cost per user hour up from 9.6p to 14.3p.
In Wales, Radio Cymru has grown audience - weekly reach is up from 16.7% to 21.1%, and costs per listener hour are down from 22.6p to 16.9p. Radio Ulster/Foyle's reach is up from 34.3% to 38%. Cost per listener hour nuddges down to 5.8p.
Across Scotland, only 49% watch dedicated BBC Scottish news services on tv, down from 50%. In Wales, the figure has dropped from 47% to 44%. In Northern Ireland it's up 1%, to 53%. The figure is lowest across England, at 42%.
BBC Alba: Reach, amongst Gaelic speakers, down from 67.2% to 62.1%; cost per user hour up from 9.6p to 14.3p.
In Wales, Radio Cymru has grown audience - weekly reach is up from 16.7% to 21.1%, and costs per listener hour are down from 22.6p to 16.9p. Radio Ulster/Foyle's reach is up from 34.3% to 38%. Cost per listener hour nuddges down to 5.8p.
Across Scotland, only 49% watch dedicated BBC Scottish news services on tv, down from 50%. In Wales, the figure has dropped from 47% to 44%. In Northern Ireland it's up 1%, to 53%. The figure is lowest across England, at 42%.
New York State of Mind
More news from the intersection of property deals and news broadcasting. ABC News in New York is moving to downtown Manhattan, to a planned new development in Hudson Square. Handy for the New York Fire Museum and the Dog Pound.
Their current base, on the Upper West Side, was dedicated to presenter Barbara Walters in just 2014. It'll be sold for $1bn; the lease on the new site is estimated to cost $650m. It'll take two years before it's ready. Good Morning America will stay in their current Times Square studio.
Their current base, on the Upper West Side, was dedicated to presenter Barbara Walters in just 2014. It'll be sold for $1bn; the lease on the new site is estimated to cost $650m. It'll take two years before it's ready. Good Morning America will stay in their current Times Square studio.
Impressive
I'm not sure if a open sandwich sealed the deal, but James Harding has recruited Ceri Thomas, former Today editor, to the nascent, barely-perceptibly moving Tortoise Media. Ceri is currently polishing the reputation of Oxford University. In 2012 he was acting No 2 at BBC News, and part of the welcome team for Mr Harding when he arrived from The Times. Mr Harding liked him -"He is one of the most impressive journalists I have ever been fortunate enough to work with."
Practising answering the phone and saying “Hello, Tortoise”... https://t.co/PLzA7ri2Tz— Ceri Thomas (@CeriThomas01) July 10, 2018
Duo
The news hour that will be the jewel in the crown of the new BBC Scotland channel has announced two presenters. Martin Geissler (George Watson's College and Sky News) joins from ITV News. He lives in the village of Yetts o'Muckhart, and is a celebrity supporter of Heart of Midlothian.
Rebecca Curran went to Robert Gordon University in Aberdeeen, and started in journalism in Northsound Radio; she's currently a BBC Scotland reporter in the city, and supports the Dons.
Rebecca Curran went to Robert Gordon University in Aberdeeen, and started in journalism in Northsound Radio; she's currently a BBC Scotland reporter in the city, and supports the Dons.
See more of @rjcurran2 footballing skills on Reporting Scotland tonight BBC One at 6.30. @BBCScotlandNews @BBCNorthEast pic.twitter.com/ZPcbxJyV9O— Steven Duff (@duff_steven) February 13, 2017
Clearer ?
The BBC reinvents salary transparency today. Having said that revealing talent pay was a BAD thing, they're publishing more granular detail than before. The £50k bands narrow to £10k, apparently at the behest of previous Culture Secretary Matt Hancock (Top Civil Servants are disclosed in £5k bands). We're told the salaries, where earned through different bits of the BBC, will be broken down. And, to prove how butch the BBC has become, we'll see a forecast salary for the current year (so that management get the full reflected glory of battering the so-and-so's down now, not later).
I hope the minus sign on my keyboard holds out. In News and Sport, we'll end up with, effectively, a rate card for the job. But less idea about what a jobbing actor can earn with a big contract in a soap. So that's all good, eh ?
I hope the minus sign on my keyboard holds out. In News and Sport, we'll end up with, effectively, a rate card for the job. But less idea about what a jobbing actor can earn with a big contract in a soap. So that's all good, eh ?
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Dining
Scandal sheet PopBitch claims that former BBC News boss James Harding has been inviting former colleagues for discussions about opportunities with Tortoise Media. The venue is thought to be the Scandinavian Kitchen on Great Titchfield Street W1 (two open sandwiches and a side salad £7). It'll be interesting to what sort of journalist he can acquire with the wild attraction of a sarnie with no lid....
Loose end
The photographer who seems to follow Huw Edwards around, to provide shots for his Instagram account, might like to re-touch last night's effort in the trouser area.
Another recent surprising discovery is Huw Edwards’ Off The News Instagram account. Got pregnant just looking at it.— Sarah (@CQEdinburgh) July 8, 2018
Jeremy
After just six months of Matt Hancock, 'events' give us a new Culture Secretary. Step forward Jeremy Wright, 45, MP for Kenilworth and Southam.
Jeremy was born in Taunton, parents both teachers, and was educated at Taunton School and, for a spell, at Trinity School, New York - one of the most expensive and selective private schools in the States (alumni include Larry Hagman, John McEnroe and Eric Trump). He was on an intern scheme with the US Congress when he met his American-wife-to-be, Yvonne Salter. He studied law at Exeter, where he chaired the Conservative Association, and was called to the Bar in 1996, and then practised around the West Midlands.
He now lives in his constituency, in the village of Shrewley. His interests include "travel, especially to the USA, music, James Bond films and playing golf badly." Mrs Salter-Wright is a school governor and champion of Catholic academy schools; she has an active Twitter account - unlike her husband.
Still, he managed a post on Facebook this morning: "Very excited to be starting a new job this morning as Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, a department whose work has a huge impact on our heritage, the things we enjoy now and on our national future."
Jeremy was born in Taunton, parents both teachers, and was educated at Taunton School and, for a spell, at Trinity School, New York - one of the most expensive and selective private schools in the States (alumni include Larry Hagman, John McEnroe and Eric Trump). He was on an intern scheme with the US Congress when he met his American-wife-to-be, Yvonne Salter. He studied law at Exeter, where he chaired the Conservative Association, and was called to the Bar in 1996, and then practised around the West Midlands.
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| Crooning at Kenilworth Xmas Market 2017 |
Still, he managed a post on Facebook this morning: "Very excited to be starting a new job this morning as Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, a department whose work has a huge impact on our heritage, the things we enjoy now and on our national future."
Show of hands
There are 22 members of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister. Yesterday David Davis told John Humphrys, who didn't notice, that there was a vote on the Chequers proposals, and it was "Two to one, three to one" in favour.
By my weak maths, that means between five and seven voted 'no'. Should our swathes of political correspondents work out who they were ? If it is only Davis and BoJo that quit, that means three to five are either less principled or more pragmatic.
By my weak maths, that means between five and seven voted 'no'. Should our swathes of political correspondents work out who they were ? If it is only Davis and BoJo that quit, that means three to five are either less principled or more pragmatic.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Distinctively similar
New BBC Director of England Helen Thomas has quickly palmed off the most difficult task in her portfolio - reinventing BBC Local Radio.
The new post of Head of Local Radio, England, will be required to square the circle of "a joined-up approach to serving audiences...whilst recognising a ‘one size fits all’ approach no longer works for the audiences and communities that exist today."
All that on a budget that I'm guessing is largely flat, despite the DG's reversal of a proposed £10m cut - content spend on BBC Local Radio still falls from £117m to £108m in this financial year.
The new post of Head of Local Radio, England, will be required to square the circle of "a joined-up approach to serving audiences...whilst recognising a ‘one size fits all’ approach no longer works for the audiences and communities that exist today."
All that on a budget that I'm guessing is largely flat, despite the DG's reversal of a proposed £10m cut - content spend on BBC Local Radio still falls from £117m to £108m in this financial year.
Paying attention
ComRes asked 151 MPs about their preferred news sources - and which broadcasters got their attention every day.
37% said Radio 4
36% said the BBC News Channel
30% said Sky News
16% said Channel 4 News
15% said ITV News
11% said Radio 5 Live
4% said LBC
2% said CNN
1% said Al Jazeera English and Bloomberg News.
37% said Radio 4
36% said the BBC News Channel
30% said Sky News
16% said Channel 4 News
15% said ITV News
11% said Radio 5 Live
4% said LBC
2% said CNN
1% said Al Jazeera English and Bloomberg News.
All ears
As Today editor Sarah Sands says, "All of us have good days and bad days". John Humphrys was given the 0810 interview with former Brexit Secretary David Davis, and at least one other BBC presenter took to Twitter with a commentary.
Too much concentration on process — ask DD what is substance of white paper that has caused him to resign.— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 9, 2018
Ahhh. Now we’re on to that. Good. https://t.co/sxUDddbmtH— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 9, 2018
John, normally rigorous in keeping interviewees on track, failed to intervene when David Davis dodged the question of the deal he WOULD like to see. And was clearly getting someone loud in his headphones towards the end and Davis noticed the distraction. Was it radio interview expert and friend of BoJo, Sarah Sands ?And we’re back to process. Mmmm— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 9, 2018
Where to turn ?
A hot July night, and the way things are staffed at weekends and overnight denied BBC News some agility of response to the David Davis resignation last night. It dropped around 2340, but the midnight bulletin on BBC News is in the hands of World News, so there was 12 minutes of Thai cave rescue coverage at the top of the hour.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Draught lager sales up ?
One can only assume that more England fans got organised and watched the Sweden match down the pub...
Tuesday: England v Colombia (ITV) match average 20.33m
Saturday: Sweden v England (BBC1) match average 17.39m
Some of the difference can be explained by the number of iPlayer requests for live streams; the BBC put that figure at 3.8m, but hasn't yet commented on why so many viewers lost the stream in the last five minutes of the match. The 3.8m may have been inflated by multiple attempts to get the picture back - another reminder that Internet Protocol provision is way off supporting the same numbers of simultaneuous viewers as a good old transmitter or transponder.
Tuesday: England v Colombia (ITV) match average 20.33m
Saturday: Sweden v England (BBC1) match average 17.39m
Some of the difference can be explained by the number of iPlayer requests for live streams; the BBC put that figure at 3.8m, but hasn't yet commented on why so many viewers lost the stream in the last five minutes of the match. The 3.8m may have been inflated by multiple attempts to get the picture back - another reminder that Internet Protocol provision is way off supporting the same numbers of simultaneuous viewers as a good old transmitter or transponder.
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