Unvarnished

It's not often BBC executives are frank about bad news in front of the BBC Board. Director of Content Charlotte Moore told the March meeting that "radio stations had been affected by the change in peoples’ habits during the pandemic." This may explain why Radio 4 feels the need to create trails for the Today programme (which, one naively assumes, most Radio 4 listeners will have tried). 

In meatier business discussed in March, it seems that the financial travails of EastEnders, already burdened with a delayed and very expensive new set, continue. Part of the minutes are redacted for commercial confidentiality, but there is reference to 'an investment proposal', which usually means borrowing, and a clear suggestion of hardballing between Content and BBC Studios over price: "The Board agreed the proposed negotiating mandate for the commission of one series of EastEnders for 2021-22."

It would be interesting to see how Eastenders has done through reliance on iPlayer during the Euros.