Studio Director

The role of player-manager in professional football often brings forward conflicts of interest. Imagine being an Editorial-Director-elect/presenter in BBC News.  Imagine being the producer (day or night) of a current affairs programme due to be presented by your next thought-leader.

I haven't been able to listen to the whole Today programme this morning; that would be to go against doctor's advice. But I wouldn't mind betting it didn't feature one of those 'discos' deplored by Kamal Ahmed, in which presenters attempt to referee discussions between representatives of two opposing sides.

Will Kamal ever drop the dual role ? Previous Director of News James Harding almost groomed himself as a presenter during his three and a half years in the top job.

• It's not just Today interviews that can cause hypertension. It's the casual prolixity of it all. "The headlines this morning ". They'd be less relevant if they were yesterday morning's.