Stockholm Syndrome

The May meeting of the BBC Board sees the part-time non-execs held hostage by an inexorable agenda, with no less than 21 senior managers trooping in and out to make cases.

The day starts with a session with Sharon White and Siobhan Walsh from Ofcom. (No sign that this cleared the frosty air between the parties, either in the minutes or Ms White's remarks to the Royal Television Society in September)

Then it's on to licences for the Over-75s - four pars in the minutes, but no decision.

The gathering moved on to the ever-expanding Litany of Triumphs, as each Director competes for the Laurel of Finisher/Completer of the month. Lord Hall trumps them all by parading both Laura Kuenssberg and Katya Adler, clearly previously unknown to the non-execs. One presumes the coffee break overran, with joyous selfies all round.

Then discussion shifted up a gear, to consider an International Broadcasting Framework. Was there also a paper explaining the Rationale for the Star Trek Channel otherwise known as BBC America?

If that wasn't chewy enough, there was still time for a proposal on a Local Democracy Foundation, before the hapless grandees had the leather straps on their replica Eames chairs released....