Tone fades

After a bruising 2019, Director General Lord Hall has decided he can't - and shouldn't - make it to the BBC's centenary in 2022.

"If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave. However, I believe that an important part of leadership is putting the interests of the organisation first. The BBC has an eleven-year Charter - our mission is secure until 2027. But we also have a mid-term review process for the spring of 2022. As I said last week, we have to develop our ideas for both. And it must be right that the BBC has one person to lead it through both stages."

So the 2020 Director General Stakes are open, with the unimpressive Sir David Clementi leading the hunt for a successor by the summer. Internally, it's thankfully too soon for James Purnell at Radio & Education; his appointment might be too much to bear for a Johnson administration, and his proper media management experience only staring in 2016. At BBC Studios, Tim Davie, previously an acting DG, would have to take a pay cut if he wanted the job permanently; he's already shown some further financial ambition by punting for the Premier League. Charlotte Moore, largely successful at Content but a little too late on the yoof market, may decide it's a step too far - but she's best-placed amongst the home team.

Elsewhere, the commercial big cheeses are quite new in post: Carolyn McCall at ITV and Alex Mahon at C4.  Might former Beeboids take a shot at the job ?  Former news and sport man Roger Mosey is 62; he tends to move to writing applications only when sure of success. Former Controller of Radio 4 Mark Damazer is 64; he'd certainly bring intellectual heft, but would the organisation understand the orders ?