Entanglement

The Sharp resignation from the BBC is getting messier. As if it was some proof of his self-proclaimed effectiveness and loveability, he got agreement that he can stay til June, rather than clear his desk straight away.  Presumably July is reserved for clubbing in Ibiza. But July would never have been deliverable as a date to get a new chairman on board. And July is when the Chairman presents his annual report, the most important document in the BBC calendar. 

Now BBC DG Tim Davie has told staff that, at the end of June, "the UK Government [no other countries involved - Ed] will appoint one of the existing Board non-executive directors as the Acting Chair of the Board; we expect this process to take a few weeks."

This is odd. 

There is already a Senior Independent Director in Sir Nicholas Serota - the obvious move. Has he got a holiday planned ? As discussed in this blog, Richard Sharp was forced to agree that the title for his chum Sir Damon Buffini as Deputy Chair was merely honorary. Perhaps some other non-execs misguidedly fancy having a go; perhaps the Government really wants to have the choice. 

Whoever gets it will have to bash out a chairman's report pretty quickly to make the printers. 

Tim Davie also reveals that the process to recruit a new permanent chair won't even start til the end of June, meaning they can't possibly be confirmed in post by the traditional appearance before the Culture Select Committee until the beginning of September.