Gang of Ten

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden takes credit in The Telegraph for assembling a panel of 'experts' to advise on the future, or otherwise, of public service broadcasting in the UK. But the fleshy fingers of his Minister, John Whittingdale, are all over this one - he's done it before, back in 2015, with no separately published outcome. 

Here's a brief run down on the ten. 

Baroness Bertin, previously Gabrielle 'Gabby' Bertin, 42 (Croydon High School and Southampton University) Senior Advisor at BT and former Press Secretary to David Cameron

Miranda Curtis CMG (Lycee Francais, London and Durham University), self-described 'grandmother of the British Cable Industry). She won a BBC graduate traineeship with her Spanish degree, worked on le subtitling and dubbing foreign programmes, then joined BBC Enterprises, sent to the US to implement a new North American distribution contract and sell shows such as Life on Earth. She became commercial manager for the BBC Micro computer initiative and the BBC Domesday Project. Now a Non-Executive Director of Liberty Global. Other Liberty Global executives are backing GB News. 

Sir Robbie Gibb, 56 (Royal Holloway and Bedford, University of London), former Head of BBC Westminster and Director of Communications at No 10, now Senior Advisor at Kekst CNC, part of Publicis, supplemented by articles for the Mail and Telegraph, and fees for advising GB News. 

Lord Grade of Yarmouth CBE, 77 (Stowe and St Dunstan's College) Former Chief Executive of Channel 4, Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors, and Executive Chairman of ITV plc.

Andrew Griffith MP, 49 (St Marys & St Josephs, Sidcup and Nottingham University) Member for Arundel and South Downs, former Chief Operating Officer & CFO of Sky Group plc. Started out with Rothschilds and PWC. Worked with Dido Harding on "Fix Britain's Internet". Saviour of Just East, advisor to Boris Johnson, who used his London home as HQ in the Tory leadership election.  

John Hardie (Glasgow University) Former CEO and Editor-in-Chief at ITN. Contemporary of Tim Davie at Procter and Gamble. 

Nicola Mendelsohn CBE, 49 (Manchester High School for Girls and Leeds University). Currently Vice President, EMEA for Facebook. Worked with Tim Davie at the Creative Industries Council. 

Sophie Turner Laing OBE, 60 (Oakdene School) Former CEO of Endemol Shine Group, 5 years at the BBC in programme acquisition, 7 years at Sky, launching Sky Atlantic. 

Dr Samir Shah CBE, 68 (Latymer Upper School, Geography and Maths at the University of Hull, D Phil, St Catherine’s College, Oxford) Chief Executive of Juniper Productions, former BBC non-exec and old brother of Radio 4 Controller Mohit Bakaya. 

Jane Turton, 58 (St Andrews and MBA, Cranfield) Chief Executive of All3Media (spookily owned by Liberty Global)

Jolly nice to have a long lunch with, I'm sure, and I'm guessing Mr Whittingdale will be focussing on how much money the BBC could really make abroad.....