Mapping interests

"Can we trust the BBC with our history ?" is a question posed by a group of academics gathered together under the banner History Reclaimed. Their answer is 'No', and the debate has been filling up column inches and airtime in the seasonal fallow period. 

I've idled away time looking at History Reclaimed's editors and editorial board, and mused if there was a relationship between their position on the BBC's history output and Europe. Here are my findings

Robert Tombs (Brexiteer)
David Abulalfia (Brexiteer)

Zewditu Gebreyohanes (too young to have voted in 2016; worked with Cornelia Van Der Poll on Restore Trust, trying to win control of the National Trust)
Nigel Biggar (Brexiteer)
Marie Kawthar Daouda (lived in France at time of Brexit vote)
Saul David (regular contributor to The Telegraph)
Niall Ferguson (voted Remain, now regrets it)
Lawrence Goldman
Simon Haines (based in Australia)
Liam Kennedy (based in Dublin)
Cornelia Van Der Poll (Restore Trust)
Gwythian Prins (Brexiteer)
Guy Rowlands (Brexiteer)
Alka Sehgal Cuthbert (Brexiteer)
Doug Stokes (Brexiteer)
Elizabeth Weiss (anthropologist based in the States)

More medalling

Missed one (at least): Claire Popplewell, BBC creative director, Platinum Jubilee weekend, was made a Commander of the Royal Victoria Order, an honour approved by the Queen before she died, and then endorsed by King Charles.

Medalling

Once again, a poor direct haul for the BBC in an Honours List, though they'll argue that they have a claim on many....

Of current and recent employees, I can only find John Bennett, the first presenter on Radio Ulster, still at the mike presenting twice on New Year's Day; DJ Spoony aka Johnathan Joseph (standing in for Ken Bruce on Radio 2 last week); YolanDa Brown, the saxophonist occasionally used as a dep on Radio 2; and Chris Kamara, recently transferred to BBC Sport podcasts after a broadcast careeer built at Sky.  

Slightly wider, Grayson Perry subsidises art with regular BBC appearances; many of Stephen Graham's grittiest performances have been on the BBC, and 2023 will see him star in 'Boiling Point'; actor David Harewood interviewed BBC chair Richard Sharp at this year's Edinburgh TV Festival (he's also signed a letter of concern about BBC local radio cuts); Cleo Sylvestre's been in and out of the BBC since Cathy Come Home in 1966.  

'Sir' Roly Keating, in charge at the British Library, spent 29 years climbing the BBC ladder, and handed back his £375k pay-off just after he left in 20122. 

Commercial radio is working harder to win gongs: Frank Skinner, now working most regularly on Absolute Radio, and long-time Classic FM stalwart John Suchet are in this year's list. 

Philip Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts is gonged. Phil Batty is honoured, citing the Birmingham Commonwealth Games ceremonies; Unboxed is not mentioned. 

Comparisons

The Voice has been trying to find out how much the BBC spends on local radio programming specifically targeted at black African/Caribbean audiences. The BBC has refused to answer; the Voice has published the 'private' briefing note it received, with a BBC press officer saying the programme budgets are 'commercially sensitive', and the number of employees involved can't be shared for 'data protection reasons'. 

The Voice has made its own estimate, claiming that "the BBC spends up to £50,000 annually on all the presenters and part time producers across all ten [local radio weekly] programmes, serving four million black Brits. That works out at 0.001% share of the £3.8 billion licence fee income.

The Voice goes on "The Beeb’s annual report states that BBC Alba, a service for Gaelic speakers, gets £9 million per year, despite there only being 87,000 people who speak or understand Gaelic in Scotland."

US trends

Variety has published its chart of America's Most Watched Channels for 2022. BBC America is down 9% on 2021, with 190,000 weekly average total viewers.  Five years ago, the weekly average was 279,000.

So good

I presume GB News will be highlighting clips of Dan Wootton's interview with Andrew Tate very soon. It ran on 19th December. 

Mr Tate was allowed to talk about 'the imaginary pandemic', to assert that the things he has been saying about masculinity are 'the truth and genuinely good for society', how Harry allows Meghan 'to demasculinise him in public', all asserted without challenge from his interviewer.  "Andrew Tate, so good to have you on.." said our Dan. 

Resolve 2

News bulletins often establish their own grammar, but over-use of formulaic intros needs watching. 

Today, I can reveal I waged a very long but eventually successful campaign against Countryfile presenters handing to weather presenters for the "all-important Countryfile forecast". It was a meaningless piece of verbiage, with no evidence that this forecast was in anyway more significant that any other. 

Today, I launch a new campaign, this time against "the very latest". Mostly used by Huw Edwards, and embraced by Clive Myrie, we're told before a report "So-and-so has the very latest", and then after the report, reminded "So-and-So, [insert title] with the very latest, there". 

Only poets should be allowed to qualify superlatives. And in many cases, the so-and-so is reporting the 'very latest' three hours after close of business, outside a court, hospital, government building long since hunkered down for the night, with no new information in the report since the previous bulletin. Leave it out, eh ?

Resolve 1

Let's move towards the New Year with a couple of resolutions for others to implement. 

At the end of the network news on BBC1, at six and ten, the newsreader announces the impending arrival of the regional news bulletin, then goes backward, and says 'But it's goodbye from me. Goodbye'.   This irks me terribly. Surely, dramatically, and perhaps even more politely, you should say 'That's it from the Six/Ten team for tonight - time to handover over to my colleagues around the UK'. (Perhaps I should get out more....)

I’ve done lots in my 25 year BBC Career but I’ll let you into a secret. Joining up the BBC News Nations & Regions every night on our highest profile progs is something I’m most proud of.
When I first had the idea people said it couldn’t be done.
Every night we do it. #OneBBC pic.twitter.com/yze5TXzujX

— Chris Cook (@chrisckmedia) December 27, 2022

Again

My former BBC colleague Alan Ashton is a relentless opponent of 'guest editors' on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Perhaps one day, the Telegraph letters editor will realise... 

November 22, 2022

SIR – I spent nearly 30 years at the BBC, mainly in the radio newsroom, then in news management. If “guest editors” had been suggested (report, November 28), especially when I was deputy editor on Today, I would have had to resign or take time off. It is an insult to staff, especially those on the lower levels who may hope to edit one day.

Many of us would love to be a guest Speaker of the House of Commons, guest Chancellor of the Exchequer or guest manager of Arsenal. Fortunately, however, these posts are left to the professionals. Why not at the BBC?

Alan Ashton
Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

December 27, 2022

SIR – I spent nearly 30 years at the BBC, mainly in an editorial role in the radio newsroom – which included the night we joined the Common Market – later on Today, Radio 1, Radio 4 and in news management.

If “guest editors” including Lord Botham and Jamie Oliver had been suggested, especially when I was deputy editor on Today, I would have had to resign or take annual leave. It is an insult to the editorial staff, especially those on the lower levels who might one day hope to edit a programme.

After all, many of us would love to be a guest speaker of the House of Commons, guest chancellor of the Exchequer or even guest manager of Arsenal or Manchester United. In the latter role, I personally could rant and rave at the referee and the opposition with the best (or worst) of them.

However, these posts are fortunately left to the professionals. Why can’t the BBC be the same?

Alan Ashton

Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

New for old

The dogged Daily Express has kept a Christmas nugget under wraps - the BBC paid £7,261,039 for its 2021 digital rebranding exercise. 

The Express has been pursuing the information over eight months, and the Information Commissioner has ruled that the BBC's position that release would damage the Corporation's commercial interests was unreasonable. New logos were designed for BBC One, Two and Four and other services including iPlayer, BBC Sounds, Weather, Sport and Bitesize, with the help of consultants Wolff Olins. 

The main BBC logo was altered with the “three blocks incorporating the letters BBC slightly wider apart, in the corporation’s own Reith font”. 

Except, that, 14 months on, the old logo persists. Take the programmes bit of the Contact The BBC page,  or the Google Play store for the BBC News app from BBC Studios.... 

Pern and Yentob

A festive mini-imagine.

 

Cheers

Merry Christmas to the global tradingaswdr readership (digital first since 2010); kind thoughts to all those who provide me with the odd nugget (vital to a blog without 'planned news content'), and even to those who lift them. 

 

Running costs

 TalkTV/Radio have settled with Labour MP Barry Gardiner in time for Christmas. 

Just in time for Christmas:
A substantial libel settlement from TalkRADIO & Jeremy Kyle, who falsely accused me of employing a Chinese spy in my office, means a welcome donation to London Community Kitchen who do such amazing work in Brent & Harrow with their foodbank. pic.twitter.com/JUalsguhyn

— Barry Gardiner (@BarryGardiner) December 24, 2022

Not upheld

Entertainingly, the edition of Newsnight about people crossing the Channel in inflatables which so incensed Sir Robbie Gibb has passed scrutiny by the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit. Sir Robbie, as a non-executive, is a key member of the BBC Board's Editorial guidelines and standards committee. 

Complaint

The programme included an item on the influx of people crossing the English Channel in small boats.  A viewer who described them as “invaders” objected to the statement in the item that some of them were fleeing war and persecution, and maintained that footage in the item showing children among those embarking from boats gave an exaggerated impression of the proportion of children among the incomers.

Outcome

Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that a significant proportion of such incomers are asylum-seekers, which, in the ECU’s view served to justify the reference to war and persecution in the context of an item which also made clear that betterment was also one of the motives for making the crossing.  As Government figures indicate that nearly 20% of small-boat arrivals are under 18, the ECU saw nothing misleading in the extent to which they featured in the footage in question.

Not Upheld

Rosie future ?

Another GB News 'original', Rosie Wright is leaving the channel. 

Rosie (BSc Psychology, Southampton and MA Broadcast Journalism, City University) hasn't said where next. 

Some of my own news! Friday will be my last day @GBNews. From my road-trip when we launched, hosting The Great British Breakfast with @SimonMcCoyTV & launching bulletins, it's been a blast.

I'll be on breakfast tomorrow.... for now though, here are some best/worst bits! pic.twitter.com/hjnxBqRW9Q

— Rosie Wright (@rosiewright99) December 22, 2022

This year's Sounds

News and Radio 4 productions dominate the Top 10 prodcasts on BBC Sounds this year. Newscast again topped the chart (with the cut featuring all BBC Local Radio interviews with Liz Truss their most listened-to edition). At Number 3 was Ukrainecast; at Number 5, Gabriel Gatehouse's investigation into QAnon in The Coming Storm; and a Number 7, Jonny Dymond's series of discussions about Putin. 

Missing from this year's list (lost to commercial predators): "Fortunately..with Fi and Jane"; "That Peter Crouch Podcast", and "Americast", still going, but with Justin Webb and Sarah Smith replacing Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis. 

The archive still performs well for Sounds: Sherlock Holmes, in many variants, is second to The Archers in 'drama'. Currently you can choose from 70 Sherlockian adventures on Sounds, from Cecil Hardwicke in 1945, through many with Carleton Hobbs, and some more recent with Clive Merrison.  

Blitz

I occasionally harrumph about where the BBC America deal leaves the BBC's reputation in the USA. 

The 50/50 owners of the channel are AMC Networks, and they have invested in a drama series called Mayfair Witches, from the stories by Anne Rice, set in New Orleans, produced from AMC Studios. They have decided to launch it on January 8th, simulcast across all their various channels - AMC, AMC+, IFC, SundanceTV, WE TV and, yes, BBC America.   I wonder why they moved Doctor Who to Disney.... 

Blathnaid

Not, perhaps, quite as enraging as a "Director of Lived Experience", BBC News has just appointed its first-ever "Executive News Editor, Growth and Social."

Blathnaid Healy will be charged with "driving output development and culture change across BBC News digital platforms in the UK and internationally, in English and other languages. Working with other senior colleagues, she will implement a digital-first World Service and be the Editorial lead for BBC News product development."    All from a base in Cardiff. 

Blathnaid left CNN in August after six years on the digital frontline. One of her projects, "As Equals" was a series first funded by the European Journalism Centre, and then by the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation, a 'gender-inequality reporting team' producing 'mobile-first' stories from places like Malawi, Haiti, Kenya and Yemen.  There's much about 'enterprise journalism' and 'newsletters' in her Twitter feed. With experience at Mashable, and worldirish.com (now merged with irishcentral.com), she seems ideally placed to lead the BBC into a world of Tik-Tokkery and the like. 

Talent

In the midst of all the British 'creatives' appointed to bring us the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next year, the BBC has chosen a set designer who's part Spanish and spends his time between Sydney and New York.

Julio Himede has a BA from Griffiths University in Queensland, and a BA from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney.  He's done this year's Grammys, NBC's American Song Contest, and countless MTV award ceremonies. 

Show your workings

BBC Radio's Director of Speech, Controller of Radio 4 and 4 Extra, Mohit Bakaya has suggested that Radio 4 Extra could still exist as a radio livestream within BBC Sounds, if a decision to remove it from traditional broadcasting through FM and DAB aerials goes ahead in the next couple of years.  

This solution could presumably apply to BBC4, which might livestream within iPlayer. It means, of course, that there's no saving on schedulers, just transmitters. It would be good to see what these marginal costs are - considering other BBC channels will still be 'broadcast'.  

Non-iron

It's not often you see the CEO turned out smarter than the Chairman. Here's the BBC's Richard Sharp and Tim Davie receiving the IBC 2022 International Honour for Excellence, handed over at the December board meeting, by IBC board member and RTS CEO Theresa Wise. 

Maybe Sharpie looks rumpled because he's been chasing Robbie Gibb round the building.... 

Back off

An article in the New Statesman asks "Is Robbie Gibb out of control at the BBC?". 

If Harry Lambert's reporting is fair and accurate, then the answer is "Yes", and Tim Davie should at least rein him in. Sir Robbie shouldn't be lecturing Newsnight staff, and if a non-exec had tried something like that when he was running Daily Politics, there'd have been hell to pay.

Step up, Tim

The House of Lords debated the future of the BBC on Friday, with a report from their Communications Committee, packed with former Beeboids.  The chamber positively echoed with calls for the BBC to detail a vision, way beyond 'Digital First' and 'Across the UK'. 

Committee chair Baroness Stowell: "I remains unclear what the BBC wants to be, beyond being a significant player in this global media world; it needs to offer greater clarity and avoid attempting to be all things to all people. Mr Davie said that the BBC needs to differentiate itself. That recognition too is welcome, but we need to see more detail on what this means in practice—what the BBC will do more of, what it will continue to do and what it will stop doing. For that to be meaningful and give us confidence, we need clarity on the strategic purpose driving the plan."

Baroness (Dido) Harding "I know that the director-general is right that no organisation on the planet has delivered a successful digital transformation without investment, but no investment proposal should be approved without a compelling long-term vision and plan."

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (DCMS): "We welcome the committee’s recommendations that the BBC should set out its own thinking on the role of the corporation in the future and how the BBC can best adapt to the changing media environment". 

Split

A small rift between the positions of the Jewish Chronicle (joint prop Sir Robbie Gibb) and the Jewish News on the BBC. 

10 days ago the JC announced "BBC faces parliamentary probe over its coverage of Jews and Israel", with sub-head "Victory for JC as politicians announce inquiry into the broadcaster’s reporting organised by a panel including an ex-BBC governor"

Today the Jewish News says "Jewish community ‘misled’ over BBC ‘parliamentary inquiry’" with sub-head "So-called “parliamentary investigation” announced by a group of peers into the broadcaster's reporting of issues around Jews and Israel has been roundly condemned for being powerless and disingenuous."

The News goes on to say "An analysis of the newspaper’s petition, launched to support its anti-BBC campaign, also revealed a concerning number of messages from signatories making unsubstantiated, and often inflammatory claims against the broadcaster. One campaign supporter recently wrote that the BBC “is overtly anti-white and consciously pro-black people.” Another, among the petition’s 10,000 backers, accused the BBC of preparing the way for another Holocaust."

It quotes Jerry Lewis, a former World Service press officer now reporting for Israeli radio station KAN, added: “Those who are pursuing an agenda, as this campaign appears to be, must not fall into the trap of becoming part of the political campaign led by groups on the right to demonise some of the excellent reporting and services provided by the BBC, including superb coverage of Holocaust issues and of antisemitism.

“It’s disingenuous, and I fear this inquiry may have been set objectives and asked to do a report fulfilling those objectives, rather than looking at the real issues.”

Rhodes scholar

Any discussion about who will succeed John Ryley at the top of Sky News needs to take account of the position of Sky Group director David Rhodes - either as the decision-maker, or a direct successor. 

David has been hunting for a role after moving his family to this country from New York in 2020, with kids at the American School in London.

He joined Fox News as a production assistant just before launch in 1996, straight from a degree in economics at Rice University in Houston. He rose to Vice President News over 12 years, then moved to reshape Bloomberg's tv offering in 2008. Then followed nearly nine years at CBS News. 

He first came to the UK to work on News UK's tv ambitions, and moved to Sky, now under Comcast management, in July last year, with responsibility for business development. He maintains close contact with his alma mater, Rice. 

Cause and effect ?

For completists only.  Here's former BBC News guru Mark Damazer in an interview this month on how he swerved l'affaire Bashir, and his view that the sexed-up dossier on Iraq's threat was a pre-cursor to what happened in Brexit. 

Clear ?

On Tuesday I reported on the NAO having a pop at the BBC for failing plan the organisation's future if the UK moved to internet-only distribution of previously-broadcast content. 

Now the Q&A from BBC Director General Tim Davie's session at the Royal Television Society has been been transcribed, and we're back in a world of Timspeak... 

Q: Theresa Wise: What would an internet-only BBC look like?

A: Tim Davie: Live linear-TV is here for the long term. The online BBC is not trying to replicate Netflix or Spotify…

We’ve got to get an algorithm where you get the right degree of personalisation. But I want to know what the BBC newsroom thinks the main story is and not be wholly driven by algorithms.

Yep. That's it. That's the whole answer. 

Futurist

The hunt, lasting 268 days, is over. The BBC has appointed a new HR supremo. 

Uzair Qadeer was born in Lahore; at one point his parents sent him to a Catholic school. (I can't track down his exact age, but the Boston Business Journal selected him as one of their "40 under 40" last year). The family emigrated to the suburbs of Philadelphia, and Uzair began a long relationship with Penn State University, with bachelor’s degrees in both industrial engineering and in liberal arts, with minors in business, product realization, and history. He later returned to Penn State for his master's degree from the Smeal College of Business.

He founded an International Awareness Club, a group of students from dozens of countries who came together and filmed news segments on global issues. He was also elected student government president and helped organize the first Diversity Summit at Penn State.

Now describing himself as a lifelong HR professional, he started out in the world of work with Johnson & Johnson, then interned with Microsoft, before joining pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb, in the USA and Italy. HR consulting with Deloitte followed, then two years with another pharma company, Alexion, before his current gig with Carbon Health in San Francisco. 

American Health Leader magazine, October 21

He may not be familiar with Alan Partridge; it's for others to make the comparison. “People in HR are often skating to the hockey puck, and by the time they get there, it’s gone... It is our job as HR leaders to design the organizations of tomorrow and incubate skills of the future. To do so, we have to build a strong futurist orientation and serve as business leaders with an HR focus, not the other way around”

At HR Conferences in the States, he's billed as a "Visionary" and a "Futurist". In 2020, he trademarked "Ten Dials of Diversity" in a short paper.

Here's 15 minutes of Uzair. 

Brisk

The BBC Board, as usual skipping August, held what looks like a shortish video conference in September, with a first appearance and presentation from the first ever CEO of News, Deborah Turness. It would be interesting to know how many of the slides survive when Debs finally gets round to announcing her job cuts for 2023/4. 

They discussed local radio cuts and the shift to online, and an as-yet unrevealed plan to grow Radio Cymru 2.  The DG's team had to switch off for another discussion of the Tim Westwood investigation. 

Annual report

Podnews has collated a view of the UK's top podcasts in 2022, using Apple data. The BBC has three entries, and Global's News Agents turn up just ahead of Newscast, despite only being available since August. 

1 - The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
2 - Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
3 - Sh**ged Married Annoyed
4 - The Rest Is Politics
5 - Happy Place
6 - Desert Island Discs
7 - Feel Better, Live More 
8 - The Adam Buxton Podcast
9 - The High Performance Podcast
10  - Today in Focus (The Guardian)
11 - How To Fail 
12  - The Rest Is History
13 - You're Dead To Me
14 - No Such Thing As A Fish
15 - Alan Carr's 'Life's a Beach'
16 - Casefile True Crime
17 - Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware
18 - The News Agents
19 - Newscast
20 - Serial

Ofcom likes live music

Every year BBC News has to make cuts, and there has usually been a rhythm to their delivery, with first announcements in October, to enable the savings to be built into the following financial year. This year, we're running late. Local radio and World Service have made their moves; network news will apparently get their present much closer to Christmas, perhaps even today. 

Meanwhile, some BBC changes have to go through an annual gavotte with Ofcom. Yesterday Ofcom opined on three - changes to Radio 5Live, Radio 2, and regional news output on BBC1. 

The regulator graciously says it's ok with the Radio 5Live proposal, which would allow a 5% weekly increase in sport programming outside peak hours, arguing that sport appeals more to underserved audiences. It says, broadly, ok to one fewer regional newsdesk in Breakfast, and the nudge of the late night summary to 10.30pm, putting it technically outside peak hours. 

It clearly has enjoyed reinforcing a quota of live music on Radio 2. The BBC's own figures show this network commitment is overblown, reaching 260 hours with 192 of repeats. Only 6 new editions of Sunday Night is Music Night, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, are made a year, but they get 44 repeats. The BBC wanted to make just 55 hours a year of live music shows, and my guess is that the Concert Orchestra would be down to 4 shows or less; Ofcom says they must stick to the current 68 hours. 

Just saying

I'm afraid Today's Nick Robinson wasn't quite sharp enough with Maria Caulfield on the nurses' strike this morning. She indicated a willingness to talk about working conditions, mentioning training and shifts - changes which would cost the paymasters more money. Why not lump some of that onto basic pay ?

However Maria let loose one hostage to fortune; every additional one per cent on nurses' pay costs £750m (although she also mentioned £700m and £800m).  One could feel the audience doing comparisons with PPE waste, non-dom taxes, Rwanda deals etc....

Fiona to the rescue

According to Broadcast, Fiona Campbell, currently Controller BBC3, has been elevated to Controller Youth Audiences.  Fiona has been ploughing the yoof furrow for some time, and is now in her early fifties - being kept on her toes by a ten year-old son. 

Fiona didn't leave her native Belfast til she was nineteen, and got off to an odd start at Cambridge. "I found myself caught up in the push for girls to become engineers. I applied for Electronic Engineering degrees all over the UK – winding up at Jesus College Cambridge in the winter of 1988. I was surrounded by a lot of guys who had already spent a year in engineering firms and frankly I was lost immediately. There were maths lectures where equations spanned across four blackboards (yes chalk!) and by Christmas of first term I realised I had no idea why I was there or where it was taking me. Never one to waste time; I left the course."

Fiona (Dominican College, Belfast and BA Economics, Jesus College, Cambridge) was brought into News by James Harding in 2014, from documentaries on BBC3, to run the whole of current affairs. It was a torrid time: "There was lots of ranting, swearing and tears — with my coach, with my team leaders, with James Harding. I’ve learnt to stay on top of emails by replying the same day with a “yes, we’ll make that” or “no, we can’t”. Nobody should write a long email or send emails on the weekend. I also started to walk out of meetings early — an hour is too long"

One of her innovations was an online section called BBC Stories. It survives today. Top stories:  The seven-day-a-week life of a maid for Qatar's royal and rich, My dream holiday was a $30,000 scam, Deepfaked: 'They put my face on a porn video', 'Claims I had sexsomnia destroyed my rape case'. 

Filler

Whoever's written the job ad for a BBC News Editor in Washington DC needs to go on a plain English course. 

"The News Editor will be expected to redefine and reimagine the relationship between digital and linear news on every platform by taking advantage of the power of visual storytelling both on air and online, use social media as a means of newsgathering and sourcing stories, and implement the importance of transparency in every aspect of our journalism as an integral part of news verification and authenticity."

The text has an average readability score below 20/100 on Flesch Kincaid. 29% of the words used are rated 'complex', and according to analysis at tradingaswdr blog headquarters, they've been arranged in a way that produces only marginal discernable meaning. 

Missing homework

The key element of the NAO report on the BBC's digital transformation is stark.  

"The BBC has not fully explored scenarios for any future shift to digital-only broadcasting"

"In December 2022, the director general of the BBC, in setting out a vision for where it should aim to be by the 2030s, stated that the BBC would be active in future in planning for the switching off of traditional broadcasting. The BBC has, however, to date only conducted limited work planning out scenarios in which it could potentially move away from traditional broadcasting at a more wholesale, strategic level. Nor has it set out those older services which it will protect, or the wider implications of removing certain broadcast channels for access by disabled audiences and other groups at risk of being digitally excluded."

"The BBC should identify, working with relevant stakeholders, including those at risk of being
left behind, scenarios for its proposed role of digital-only linear channels in the future."

Leadership in bits

The National Audit Office's progress report on the BBC's digital transformation takes plenty of sideswipes at the quality of decision making at the top of the organisation.  Newspaper summaries of the report have chosen to highlight the comparative low level of investment in digital development, but the NAO is very critical of the management of what has been spent so far. Here's some bits: 

We have, for example, only seen limited evidence that the BBC’s executive committee is providing sufficient challenge to its digital leaders....

While the BBC has started to develop plans for how it could personalise some of its individual digital products and services, we have yet to see evidence that it has begun work on pulling together a comprehensive strategy for personalisation across the organisation....

The BBC was due to start developing its personalisation strategy in July 2021, following completion of work on its sign-in strategy, but by November 2022 we had yet to see evidence that the BBC has started this work....

In May 2022, the BBC announced a £500 million plan, in support of its ‘digital-first’ plans. Included in this was its expectation that by 2025 it will invest approximately £50 million extra annually in digital product development. The BBC has an internal plan in place to support this investment, but this currently lacks the detail necessary for taking it forward....

In reviewing BBC planning documents on using customer data we found no references to its approach to the management and mitigation of reputational and other potential risks that could arise as it increases its use of such data ....

...evidence we have seen of interactions between DLG [the BBC's new Digital Leadership Group] and the executive committee suggests that these interactions have taken place on a more ad hoc basis than originally planned....

As of September 2022, 88% of the time that BBC audiences spent with its services was through traditional television and radio broadcasting....

It currently uses the same production infrastructure to distribute content for both its broadcast television and digital online channels. This means that in practice there may not be straightforward savings to be found from simply closing linear broadcasting channels...

It is clear the BBC has taken value for money into consideration in individual procurement decisions related to the maintenance of its critical national infrastructure. However, it was not apparent to us that it regularly evaluates its overall resilience arrangements to establish where it can make further efficiencies.

In July 2022, the BBC... noted that metadata was still managed very differently across different parts of the organisation.

Rebecca and Deborah

BBC Studios' New York lead, Rebecca Glashow, has been speaking to Vulture.com about her developing strategy to conquer the USA. She teased her interviewer about the future for BBC World News, which currently raises funds in the States through ads, sponsorship and payments from cable providers. 

Could there be a streaming option instead ? “We feel really bullish about what we’re delivering in the news space, and even more excited about Deborah Turness, who’s come over from NBC News to serve as CEO of BBC News in the U.K. Delivering to international audiences is a core priority, and you will see us continuing to expand across other platforms — both our investment in journalists on the ground here, as well as products in the marketplace — over the next six months. … I think it’s on us to make it as easy as possible for a consumer to get to BBC News.”

Katie gets bigger brief

I'm usually quite good at spotting job ads, but must have missed the one for Culture and Media Editor, BBC News. It's gone to BBC Culture Editor Katie Razzall, who takes the Media brief from Amol Rajan. Is possible that this represents a saving ?  Can it prevent Katie and Amol co-hosting Today ?  What does it say about the The Glass Ceiling within the BBC, examined tonight by Amol on BBC2, with Seth from Wiltshire who wants to read the news ?

Just another state

Some readers will remember the days when American series peppered BBC schedules - from Dr Kildare, through Bilko, to Kojak, Dallas and Dynasty. Licence fees are still being spent on US programming, and a cynic might say such programming is padding out the iPlayer, whilst seeking to make it 'sexy', like Netflix and Amazon. 

This year BBC Head of Acquisition Sue Deeks has bought the second series of State of The Union, now set in Connecticut, made by SeeSaw Films for Sundance TV; comedy thrillers Search Party for BBC3 and iPlayer and Our Flag Means Death for BBC2 and iPlayer, both previously on HBO; we have Tokyo Vice, also from HBO; iPlayer has a box set of Pretty Little Liars, previously on HBO. We've mentioned before that the BBC3 section of iPlayer is rich in Americana, with Fboy Island, Ghosts US, and Awkwafina. A search of 'America' on iPlayer produces 57 separate programmes. 

BBC Studios big boss Mark Linsey is moving to LA in January, and has told Deadline it's to be “geographically closer to key global content decision makers”. He talks about 'building infrastructure' in Los Angeles, but the BBC refuses to say how many staff are employed in the city.  

Educated

A slightly reduced list of Beeboids in this year's University Challenge Alumni competition. 

I've spotted Reeta Chakrabarti, Rachel Burden, Victoria Gill, Sanchia Berg, and Paul Gambaccini; there are many more who rely on the BBC for top-up income.  Intimacy Co-ordinator Ita O'Brien, representing the West Of England, has helped with scenes in Normal People, I May Destroy You, Industry and Gentleman Jack, and has provide assistance to the stars of the upcoming Sony Netflix take on Lady Chatterly's Lover. 

Park life

Beechcroft Developments have come forward with slightly revised plans for Caversham Park, formerly home to BBC Monitoring, Radio Berkshire and Some Americans. After the first public consultation, there seems to be a little more detail on the new mini-estates at the east and west ends of the park. 

Rail news

Early days, but the revolutionary ITN News 'rail' available via the all new ITVX has a rather narrow range on its hangers. This morning's offering, at 1008, starts, with a 90 second summary, with a presenter out-of-vision. Then you get Southgate, the Jersey fire, and more cold weather forecast, which turn out to be cuts from the ITV 9am bulletin, available complete further along the rail. Charlie Frost brings you both the 90 second summary and the weather story. 

News reach

Another fall in monthly reach for one of our nascent 'news' channels in November. GB News dropped from 3.2m in October to 2.5m  However TalkTV is up, from 2.01m to 2.27m. 

BBC News, unloved by management, reached 11.2m, down from 14.23m. 

Crowning

BARB, the tv ratings counter, has revealed that the opening episode of The Crown, Series 5, on Netflix, has finally got a Top 50 ranking.

"Over on Netflix, all eyes were on the launch of the fifth series of The Crown. The first two episodes received 7-day ratings of 2.81m and 2.87m viewers respectively, placing them just outside of the top 50 programmes across all channels and services for the week ending November 7th. However, later in the month, the first episode of Wednesday attracted 3.73m viewers, putting it at number 38 in the most-watched programmes for the week ending November 27th."

Unwelcome visual noise

I'm grateful to former colleagues for direction to some weapons-grade blah blah associated with a new logo for ITN. 

The dribble comes from Matthew Rudd, of the Rudd Studio: “We decided to build the new logo around the original, simple ITN letterforms to signal a continued dedication to accuracy and impartiality. But this time we set free the rigid, angular line around the letters so that it can move and respond to stimulus like a living cell"

This thinking is embedded in Mr Rudd's Linkedin profile: "I like to make things which are beautiful. This works in a commercial sense because beautiful branding engages people in an emotional way. In more general terms, I am keen to enrich people’s lives a little bit, and to avoid bringing more unwelcome visual noise into the world."

Transfer window

We now discover why the BBC Board was asked to approve more money for non-execs on the Commercial Board. Sir Damon Buffini has been shopping, and brought in three new faces.

Gary Newman (BA Yale, JD USC Law Centre) was Chairman & CEO of Fox Television Group, which included Fox Broadcasting Co. and Twentieth Century Fox Television, until its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company.  During his tenure at Fox he oversaw development and production of such shows as 24, Glee, Modern Family, Homeland, 911 and The Masked Singer. He has a vineyard in Santa Anita, California.

Ian Griffiths, 56, was Deputy CEO and CFO of market intelligence agency Kantar from 2020 to 2022.  Between 2008 and 2019 he served as CFO and COO of ITV plc and was previously CFO of EMAP plc.  He still seems to be an advisor to Bain - are we ok about that ?

Claire Hungate (BA Film Studies, mainly Truffaut, Warwick, MA West London, five missing years, then law conversion course and 'pupillage' at the Old BBC Resources) has held the roles of CEO of Warner Bros TV Production UK, COO of Shed Media, and Managing Director of Wall to Wall. Today she is President and COO of Team Liquid, the world’s most viewed esports organisation with a global audience reach of around 40 million

Afternoon slot

100 MPs backed Conservative Sir Mike Penning to bring cuts to BBC local radio for another debate in the Commons yesterday afternoon.  25 or so got to speak, all against the plans, making bedfellows of John McDonnell, Sir John Whittingdale and Sir John Redwood. 

DCMS minister Paul Scully said "The BBC should not be salami-slicing its services. It should be responsive to local need, and that includes looking at the peak times... I stress again that the BBC is independent from the Government, but it is now for the BBC to reflect on the concerns raised in the debate and elsewhere on its proposals. It must also clarify whether it has other plans to change local radio services in future, particularly in Scotland and Wales."

Minutiae

The BBC Board meeting in July had non-executive director pay on the agenda, and approved a plan to benchmark competitors, particularly for the BBC's Commercial Board.  They also approved plans to move Birmingham operations from The Mail Box to the former Typhoo tea factory in Digbeth, noting something not prominent in press releases - it's smaller. 

The minutes baldly report 'a audio deep dive', 'a further discussion around the future strategy of the BBC', and 'a presentation on iPlayer performance and product development plans.'   Unfortunate, then, that Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, was an absentee. 

It looks like some Board members may have to speak for themselves, in the latest DCMS review of the BBC's Charter: 'The Board noted the next phase in the Mid Term Review process, including the potential
direct involvement of some Board members through interviews with the DCMS.' This seems a dangerous precedent.

Under AOB, we get: 'The Board non-executive directors met without the Director-General or other executive directors in private session, where they were briefed on the allegations regarding Tim Westwood, while he was employed by the BBC'

Rogue male ?

Has Tim "IP" Davie gone rogue ?  An internet-only-delivered BBC in ten years ?

This is part of a BBC submission to Ofcom, published in April this year... 

Digital terrestrial television (DTT, known in the UK as Freeview) will remain critical for the BBC to deliver our mission and public purposes, as a key requirement for universal access to BBC content and the societal benefits conferred by public service media. There does not have to be an ‘either/or’ decision between mobile and DTT. The UK’s spectrum governance must protect spectrum allocated for DTT and programme making at home, as well as recognising the use of spectrum for delivery of UK objectives outside the UK.

We therefore welcome Ofcom’s expectation that DTT will need to continue until at least 2030 and likely beyond, and are clear that use of the sub-700 MHz spectrum band well into the 2030s is vitally important for both audiences and programme makers. It is particularly important for older and vulnerable
audiences, and we note that research shows that audiences from ‘Freeview-only’ households (the biggest proportion of all UK homes in 2019) are typically older audiences and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

As the Government noted in its 2021 Consultation on the renewal of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) multiplex licences, ‘There are approximately 11.3 million ‘Freeview-only’ households in the UK (c40% of all) and this category makes up the biggest proportion of all UK homes. Freeview has a broad audience; however, in ‘Freeview-only’ households, its audience has traditionally been older and from lower socio-economic backgrounds compared to the audiences using pay platforms. DTT is currently a

crucial requirement for universal access to BBC content that informs, educates, and entertains, ensuring that many people are able to access public service TV who would otherwise not be able to.

Paraffin

BBC DG Tim Davie has delivered a big speech at the Royal Television Society, and it's worth a read. 

He managed to use 'jeopardy' only once (as written), which is an improvement, but I think he's wrong on one big point: "A switch off of broadcast will and should happen over time, and we should be active in planning for it."

I'm convinced democracy, governments and open societies need to maintain broadcast services, for communication in times of threat and national disaster. The 'internet' is too vulnerable to bad actors, at national and individual level, and war and disaster are still real possibilities over the years ahead. Within the past year, the BBC has reactivated short-wave transmissions to connect with oppressed minorities. 

And though we're talking about a change of platform and delivery rather than content, there's room for legacy in delivery. Radio didn't kill newspapers; TV didn't killed radio; and IP shouldn't kill broadcast.  Have a think, Tim. Have you got candles and a paraffin heater ?

Hunters, hunting and hunted

Clearly Kevin Bakhurst, Director of Content at Ofcom, has trodden on somebody's toes at Global, the commercial radio behemoth run by Ashley Tabor. 

Global has pursued Kev's activities in seeking consideration as Director of BBC News via Freedom of Information, suggesting a conflict of interest in his role overseeing the BBC's Operating Licence. Ofcom says the allegations, detailed in today's Telegraph, are 'completely unfounded'. An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We are aware of Global's complaint. To be clear, our Group Director for Broadcasting did not apply for this role and any concerns about a conflict are completely unfounded.'

The timeline, in 2021, looks like this. 

October 8: Emails discovered under FOI show Kevin in contact with the BBC about the vacancy
October 9: It's revealed that headhunters Korn Ferry are seeking candidates for a new Director of News

October 9: This blog includes Kevin in its list of obvious runners and riders
October 12: Kevin meets a recruiter from Korn Ferry

October 20: Ofcom main board discuss changes in requirements imposed on the BBC, in a report prepared by Kevin: 

Kevin Bakhurst gave the example of the Operating Licence which currently included 110 quotas on the BBC. Many of those quotas had been required to be included in the first Operating Licence under the Charter and Agreement. A move to a cross-platform approach to regulation including iPlayer and BBC Sounds in the Operating Licence could see the BBC being offered more flexibility about how it delivered on its Mission and Public Purposes across the platforms.

October 22: Kevin sends his cv by email to the BBC

October 30: The Mail says that Kevin has become a leading contender for the job, risking a 'bias row' 

November 25: Ofcom publishes 4th BBC Annual Report

January 6: Deborah Turness appointed CEO BBC News 

Night working

If BBC News staff think there may be more consultation to come on the merger/takeover of the BBC News Channel by BBC World News, the World side of things seems to know exactly what they're planning - recruiting two new Chief Presenters to host "our new primetime evening and weekend news coverage".   

"Our Chief Presenters will be based full time in Washington, DC and work nights (until midnight) every night including weekends when scheduled. Occasionally output will be shown on other BBC networks. "

Going north ?

The news of more Radio 3 programmes moving to Salford Docks means that, by 2024/25 at least 50% of production hours will be made there. 

Hold hard before you collate that with 50% of Radio 3 staff. One of the longer programmes moving to Greater Manchester is Through the Night, six hours of largely non-needletime music from international public service broadcasters, selected and recorded by individual presenters. It's been going for over 25 years, and current presenters include Jonathan Swain (London), Donald Macleod (London), Catriona Young (Suffolk) and John Shea (London). 

Jim

 A part of the BBC's reputation in the USA is back in the hands of James 'Jim' Dolan, as interim executive chairman of AMC Networks, co-owners with BBC Studios of BBC America. 

Mr Dolan runs the New York Nicks, the New York Rangers, Madison Square Gardens, is building the Las Vegas Sphere, and has a paused Sphere project at Olympic Park. He was once a friend of George Weinstein, and is the lead singer with JT and The Straight Shot, who, clearly without influence, were selected to tour as opening band for the Eagles, the Allman Brothers and more. 

Here's his 2017 ouevre. 

Product placement

 Another BBC1 10pm bulletin dominated by 'planned news' last night. Of the 31 minutes available to cover things new and surprising, affecting me in some way, we got 10 minutes of Gloomy Orla pointing out that Haiti is a bit of a basket case, our favourite media editor Amol Rajan straying off-piste with a puff for a BBC2 documentary about social mobility, at around 3 minutes, and bits of an iPlayer interview with popular music artiste Billie Eilish, again around minutes, one of this years 100-women-as-selected by the World Service. Leaving 15 minutes for things that had actually happened since I last checked in with the BBC-News-as-Marketing-Service. 

And another thing...

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp is graciously is prepared to consider new forms of funding for the broadcaster, according to his interview with The Sunday Times. 

Among them would be a levy on all households regardless of whether they have a TV or consume any media. He would also look at adding a “BBC fee” to council tax, o achieve some  with those with bigger homes paying more than those with smaller homes. And, according to The Times, he'd contemplate a Netflix-style subscription model. 

But he rejects funding from general taxation, because, he says "politicians should not control the BBC's purse strings". 

Someone needs to take him through the last twelve years, where George Osborne, a politician, clearly controlled BBC funding. Even further back, in 2006, the OBR deemed the licence fee effectively part of general taxation, and therefore part of the calculations fashionable at that time about the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement. 

His alternative: a household tax would require new infrastucture to collect, but the Germans seem to have sorted that. Non-payment of the Rundfunkbeitrag can hit your credit score, important if you're a renter. But it's not immune from politicians. The CDU sees public service broadcasting in a “deep crisis”, and proposes a commission is to draw up reform proposals that will significantly reduce costs. 

Council Tax is now effectively controlled by central Government; who's to say that local politicians woulddn't want a say on a BBC precept ?    

A complete move to subscription ends the BBC as public service broadcaster. A partial move to subscription is unsustainable, and should not be contemplated; one bit of the BBC producing proletariat tv for the C2DEs under the Ofcom cosh, while posh people wander through the media gardens and cafes of a National Trust BBC. Think harder, Sharpie. 

Sharp being blunt

Richard Sharp may have lived up to his name on Wall St but he's plain naive in creating hostages to fortune for the BBC; lacking in empathy for staff; and still acting like the investment banker he is, rather than the chairman of one of the world's greatest publically-owned institutions.

In a long Sunday Times interview he agrees that “the BBC does have a liberal bias”, but insists “the institution is fighting against it”.  Presumably he's prepared to share his evidence for this bias with 'Defund the BBC' and give examples of the hand-to-hand fighting his marketing-trained Editor-in-chief is having with dangerous wets infesting his organisation 

He wants sharper business coverage, he says, pointing to a screen in his office showing Bloomberg News, whilst offering no evidence whatsoever of a public clamour for ticker-tastic broker speculation courtesy of the licence fee. 

When reminded that News had just sent its business and economics operation to Salford Docks (losing 100s of years of business journalism experience in the process) he opines gnomically "We are required to run inefficiently". Brilliant.

Mr Sharp also reveals the existence of a three year old daughter from a second marriage, now ended.

Busy

BBC Company Secretary Phil Harrold has been extra busy this year. In his role as Chief of Staff to both DG Tim Davie and Chairman Richard Sharp, he was asked to chair the selection committee which lighted upon Liverpool as the host city for the next Eurovision Song Contest. 

So perhaps he's a bit behind on transparency work; we've had no minutes of BBC Board meetings since June; and the link to Mr Harrold's own three-monthly travel declarations is broken. Maybe he needs a deputy. 

Brand dilution

 These are some of today's top stories from a section of a global website. Your task - guess which.

"The rise of the remote helicopter boss"
"Why toxic in-laws are no stereotype"
"The stepmother myth that persists today"
"Why open relationships are on the decline"
"The dating grey area 'Gen Z' embrace"

They're all on the landing page of BBC Worklife, from bbc.com. You can read it all here in the UK without the ads that make money around the world. The editor of this section is New York-based, and has worked there all her career. She's looking for a Deputy Editor, who must be able to work in New York. 

Two things are happening here. Brand dilution, and a desperate hunt for clicks in the USA. Does anyone ever talk about the risks of this course at the top of the BBC ?

Art online

Former BBC DG George Entwistle has taken a small further step back into the shallow end of public life, with a gig as Vice-chair of Art UK, where's he been Trustee since the charity was set up in 2016. 

Said George, "Art UK has become a vital part of the nation's digital infrastructure, making available online – free of charge – high quality images of every oil and acrylic painting in public ownership, the best of the nation's sculpture, and many more artworks besides."

Bless you

Bishop Rhodri Talfan Davies and his Suffragan Jason Horton stuck strictly to the message on the tablets in front of MPs on the Culture Select Committee, and should now be made to 'listen again' with coaches.  

The Bishop said there would be no significant change to his proposals to suck funding from local radio in England, despite being warned by some on the committee that such a position meant there was no 'meaningful consultation' on the cuts. Jace made the mistake of defending "We Are England", proudly recalling he'd personally turned it round, before Rhodri got the MPs message of 'shambles' and said 'mistakes were made'. 

Other MPs picked up on Rhodri's use of the word 'local' to mean whatever he wanted to mean, and noted that this was yet another session in which BBC executives promised 'more for less'. 

"Maybe with hindsight we should have talked DCMS through these proposals", said Rhodri, in a rare moment of contrition. He also revealed a metric - his ambition with Digital First is for his services to reach 50% of the communities they serve each week. No MP was smart enough to ask for the current weekly reach.