Monday, September 30, 2024

Access all areas

How news works. Danny Cohen is CEO of Access Industries, chairman Sir 'Len' Leonard Valentinovich Blavatnik. Access Industries bought into Israel's second most popular tv channel, Reshet 13, in 2019, acquiring a 52% shareholding. Danny Cohen is on the board. In March this year, they brought in Emiliano Calemzuk as Reshet 13 CEO.   In June, former politician Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich was appointed CEO of Channel 13 News - later Sir Len said he wasn't involved. Yulia is a former member of the Knesset (2009-2013) for the Likud-allied Kadima party, and she has publicly supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Her first move was to cancel the channel’s most watched peaktime news show, War Zone, presented by Raviv Drucker. Drucker’s work has in the past led to a number of criminal charges against Benjamin Netanyahu. Channel boss Calemczuk said he didn't understand the Israeli public's "obsession" with news programmes. A newsroom revolt led to the channel agreeing to remove Shamalov-Berkovich and War Zone is now back on air. 

Where's Giovanni ?

 

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Playing to the crowd

On the morning Israel claimed the death of the Hezbollah leader, the two most read stories on the BBC News website in the UK.....







Yes it's the second lengthy story on a themed ball in Detroit, held on 22nd September, that failed to give value for money. Three BBC journalists credited. Second place goes to two BBC journalists who've found a lady rapper who, perhaps, is keen to promote herself, who details treatment on her buttocks. Winning the weekend. 

Friday, September 27, 2024

Morning growth

For those wondering why the BBC News site is peppered with 'questions' posing as headlines, and clickbait dashcam, animal and disaster footage, look no further than the job description for an Audience Engagement Editor, working in London 0800-1600 Sunday. 

"You will wear several hats, as you leverage audience insights to elevate our daily report and help grow our audience in North America."

Tasks include: Prepare and share a (US) morning growth note reporting on daily trends across search, social and our own site performance to inform commissioning and output. 

Help shape pitches and commissions across news, business, climate, culture and other verticals to help them reach and engage more audience in North America

Stay abreast of emerging trends in audience behavior and news curation, including what competitors are doing in the space, to help inform our strategic decision-making 

Succession

Well I never. Yesterday I noted that Tim Davie was looking a bit frazzled in his appearance at the Royal Television Society's London Convention. 

Today, I light upon the newly-published minutes of the BBC Board's Nominations Committee, meeting in June. 



Thursday, September 26, 2024

Beleaguered ?

The RTS has made Tim Davie's interview with Amol Rajan at the London Convention available online - and one has to say that the DG looks frazzled. 

The jaw is clenched, the 'by the way' tick is prominent, we're back to 'massive jeopardy', and Tim seems to be looking more at Ted Sarandos of Netflix in the front row than Amol as he gives his answers. 

Let's hope the next 12 months on the fourth floor of New Broadcasting House are more fun. 

Long and thin

8 and a bit pages (generously spaced) of minutes from the BBC Board's June meeting, and not much to scare the horses. 

Samir Shah, the Chair, is taking over chairmanship of the Editorial Guidelines and Standards sub-committee, though Nick Serota stays as a member.  The Fair Trading Committee is to be folded into the Audit & Risk Committee; odd, given the Fair Trading principal role of checking on cross-subsidy risk between the licence fee and, say, Global News is growing with the scale of investment in news in the USA. 

They go back

When Michael Gove was made Education Secretary in 2010, as part of the Coalition Government, he formed a friendship with hedge-funder Paul Marshall, with financial support for Marshall’s Ark (‘Absolute Return for Kids’) Academies network of over 34 schools; Marshall joined the Ministry of Education’s board.  

Left: Gove cut the ribbon on the Paul Marshall (on the right) Building, part of the Globe Academy, in 2010. 

Ark's first academy, Burlington Danes in White City, became Gove's 'favourite school'. 

When Gove arrived at Education, there were 203 academies. By September 2012 there were 2,309. 

According to the Sunday Times’ chief political editor Tim Shipman, in his book, All Out War, Gove “finally made up his mind to back Brexit on Thursday, 18 February, 2016 after a call to Paul Marshall".  Marshall donated £100k to the Leave campaign. 

In July 2016, Marshall donated £3,250 to Michael Gove's Conservative Party leadership campaign.

Ganador de medalla

Wins for Sky and C4 at the News Emmys; one win for Auntie, for a BBC Mundo 22-minute documentary "Los buscadores de migrantes perdidos en el desierto de Sonora", first broadcast in December 2023, judged Outstanding Feature Story in Spanish. According to the International Organization for Migration, hundreds of migrants disappear and die each year in the Sonoran Desert between, Mexico, Arizona and California; this makes it the most dangerous overland migration route in the world. Volunteers known as the Desert Eagles spend weekends looking for lost migrants; temperatures can reach 50ºC and dehydration is the main cause of death. Perhaps time for "One BBC" to get together a version with English subtitles ?

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Cause and...

The BBC Sound Effects Library (at least 2,963 items) is now online. 

Here's a nice taster of the 373 marked 'Comedy'

Impact Rhythms: Comedy - Razz, nazz, bang, jangle - 1967 (7A, reprocessed)

https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=07071034


Relics

And what, pray, are Blake Callaway and AMC Networks using to burnish the reputation of the BBC in the United States, via today's schedule on BBC America ?

7:00am Bones
S9 E13
Big in the Philippines
The team investigates the death of a country singer whose remains were found in a shallow grave.

8:00am Bones
S9 E14
The Master in the Slop
When the team discovers a chess master amid pig slop, Sweets goes under cover in the chess world.

9:00am Bones
S9 E15
The Heiress in the Hill
The team investigates the murder of a kidnap victim whose remains were found at a park.

10:00am Bones
S9 E16
The Source in the Sludge
Booth and CIA agent Danny Beck must track down a terrorist after a CIA informant is murdered.

11:00am Bones
S9 E17
The Repo Man in the Septic Tank
When the remains of a repo man are found in a septic tank, the team learns he had a troubled past.

12:00pm Bones
S9 E18
The Carrot in the Kudzu
An actor known for playing a popular character on a kids' TV show is murdered.

1:00pm Bones
S9 E19
The Turn in the Urn
A wealthy artifact collector walks into his own funeral; Finn's hot sauce venture is a success.

2:00pm Bones
S9 E20
The High in the Low
The remains of a former art student are found; Wendell returns after beginning cancer treatments.

3:00pm Bones
S9 E21
The Cold in the Case
Investigating the death of a woman whose body was cryogenically frozen before being left in a swamp.

4:00pm Bones
S9 E22
The Nail in the Coffin
A dead woman may be a victim of the Ghost Killer; Booth's career might be in for some changes.

5:00pm Bones
S9 E23
The Drama in the Queen
The head swim coach of a community college is found dead at the bottom of the well.

6:00pm Bones
S9 E24
The Recluse in the Recliner
A man who claims to have knowledge of a possible government cover-up is killed.

7:00pm Bones
S10 E1
The Conspiracy in the Corpse
Brennan and the team try to absolve Booth and get him out of prison.

8:00pm Bones
S10 E2
The Lance to the Heart
The team works with Special Agent Aubrey to investigate a far-reaching conspiracy in the government.

9:00pm Bones
TV14
S10 E3
The Purging in the Pundit
The team investigates the murder of a radio host whose remains were found in a storm drain.

10:00pm Bones
S10 E4
The Geek in the Guck
The team and Special Agent Aubrey investigate the murder of a video game designer.

11:00pm Bones
S10 E5
The Corpse at the Convention
Team members investigate when remains are found in a stairwell at a convention they are attending.

Collapsing values

 The fearless pursuit of clicks truth with no agenda leads to this at BBC News online... 










It's the third house on stilts to collapse within a week (it was unoccupied and set for demolition); it's the fifth house on Rodanthe spit to collapse this year; and the tenth house to collapse since 2020. All were unoccupied, most were rental properties. 

Boots on the ground

Global Leadership Footwear for the BBC's Jonathan Munro, Pursuing Truth at the Clinton Global Media Initiative in New York.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Your voice

Dear BBC News,

Can we please have some detailed maps on the Israel v Hezbollah story tonight ?  Rather than three similar voice pieces from people in the dark ?  The only one I can find today is this poor effort, borrowed from someone else..









I'd like to know, for example, in the past year, how far Hezbollah rockets have reached into Israel; why the 'Iron Dome' doesn't get them; where Hezbollah operates; how many southern towns in Lebanon are now 'empty'; what numbers of population have moved north; how big is the strip that Israel have evacuated along their border; what economic activity were the people who lived there engaged in, and who supports them; where are the airfields that Israeli jets are flying from; why does Lebanon seem to have no air defence; and so much more. And, fewer of the flap-doodles about this being a region 'on the brink'...

Monday, September 23, 2024

Expert knowledge

Peter Jay was afforded a minute and a half obituary on the late BBC News last night. It started with a piece to camera from his time as BBC Economics Editor, reminding us how bad he was at bulletin pieces. His voice went up in pitch and he tried to speed his delivery. He volunteered contributions on grand themes, then struggled to use words and thoughts in an accessible way. Which was sad, because, with John Birt, he had made the case that tv news had an inherent 'bias against understanding', partly because of a reliance on pictures and partly because bulletins were too short.  It needed, he argued, real experts to explain things. 

Peter Jay was an early Birt hire when he arrived at the BBC as Deputy Director General, in 1987; Jay joined in 1990. The Birt/Jay thesis had been developed when they worked together at LWT's Weekend World.  But in later life, Jay was more frank about his expertise.. or lack of it.

"At Christ Church at Oxford I did the proverbial PPE, majoring almost entirely in philosophy. I subsequently passed myself off as an economist which was a bit of a cheek really because I rather neglected my economic studies when doing PPE." 

That wasn't all he neglected - the other P, 'Politics' got little attention ahead of exams, despite his father being Labour politician Douglas Jay: "I had completely neglected politics. I read the Political History paper with mounting despair and having read all the questions except the last, I realised there was not a question there I could begin to answer. The last question, however, said explain the dominance of the Conservative Party since 1951 (this was in 1960). Well, this was the story of my life, and I seized a piece of paper and began writing instantly. I wrote non-stop for 3 hours on this one answer, based entirely on my father’s table-talk and walking-talk. I got away with that, even though that was the only answer I offered."

He eventually parlayed his First in PPE into a Civil Service job, and, within six years, had no doubt how important he became, before George Brown refused to work with him (Jay had married Jim Callaghan's daughter Margaret) " I had about eighteen months in charge of the education budget, which was the largest single budget in the whole government – even bigger than defence. Yes, it was a big
responsibility. But, partly as a result of being prematurely pushed out of the Private Office because of George Brown’s intervention, I had been promoted to the rank of Principal rather earlier than I  otherwise would have been." 

He was an early fan of monetarism, and Polly Toynbee (another Birt hire, as Social Affairs Editor) believed he let politics into his reporting, writing in 1997: "One thing everyone knows about Peter Jay, economics editor and setter of the tone of Euro and business reporting, is that he has always been profoundly anti-EU. And he has Panoramas under his belt to prove it."

Peter Jay and Margaret divorced in 1985, after both had affairs while he was US Ambassador; Margaret had already headed back from Washington and was working on more and more editions of Panorama. Peter spent eleven years at the BBC; he managed to acquire small offices, off the beaten track, with a suspicion that he was abusing smoking rules. Even while employed, he would write letters to the Press from his preferred lunchtime/afternoon venue, The Garrick. 


 

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Busy

The Times claims to have found four corporate events hosted by Clive Myrie that haven't turned up on the quarterly 'transparency' register of BBC news presenters' outside activities. 

The BBC tells the paper “There appears to have been some administrative errors in relation to entries on the register. These will be reviewed and, where necessary, the register will be updated.”

Meanwhile the paper has been tracking Mr Myrie's bookings that should appear on future releases...

"This month he hosted the Inspire Justice Awards at the QEII Centre in central London. Later the same day he delivered an after-dinner speech at an Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel in London, after appearing at an event for the same organisation in March.

"Last Tuesday, Myrie appeared at a breakfast event with the speakers’ agency JLA, and he later hosted the Legal Business magazine awards, also at the Grosvenor House. One person who was there said he had spoken about Edwards, Donald Trump and BBC impartiality.

"On Tuesday, Myrie is scheduled to host the Highways Awards at the Park Plaza in Westminster before making an appearance at the Culloden Estate and Spa in Belfast for an Institute of Directors Northern Ireland dinner."

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Career opportunity

Anyone else think Andrew Neil's musings have become so oddly visceral that he might now fit, say, in the GB News presenter line-up ?

ANDREW NEIL: In a few short weeks, Labour has become synonymous with in-fighting, cronyism and freeloading. I can't think of any government that has slurped down the drain so quickly"

Friday, September 20, 2024

Just nasty

Can someone at BBC News please name the duty editor who thinks this is the sort of stuff that provides any sort of insight on the day's news ?   At just after 4.30pm in a monstrous world, it's the most watched video on the site. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd98x9lz272o

Dress code

 









Not a remake of Dynasty. It's the BBC Studios team. Rebecca Glashow, Angie Stephenson, Rachel Bendavid, Ryan O’Dowd and Lawrence Szabo at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images)

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Avoid the meme

As BBC Political Editor, there's a role giving guidance, assessing importance of stories, and providing context, usually based on lengthy experience. 

Chris Mason is a great communicator, and a politics nerd. He has doubled down on the Sue Grey salary story, saying it's really about important ructions within the Starmer administration. He needs to evidence that a bit more. 

In the last disclosed list of 'senior officials salaries' above £150k, from 2023, no less than 372 were paid more than Keir Starmer's current rate; presumably there are more now. "Paid more than the Prime Minister" is a Fleet Street meme... 

"At least four council bosses around the country are paid more than the Prime Minister, despite their areas facing financial ruin", Telegraph September 2023

"Named: 172 civil servants paid more than the Prime Minister" Daily Mail June 2010

"The Bank of England was last night accused of hypocrisy after it emerged that 141 of its staff are paid more than the Prime Minister." Daily Mail June 2015

"Dozens of London hospital bosses are being paid more than the Prime Minister - despite some of them racking up record levels of NHS debt, it emerged today." Daily Mail September 2015

"The number of town hall bosses paid more than the Prime Minister has soared – as households are hit by huge council tax rises. " Daily Mail April 2012. 

So if the real story is that people working under Sue Grey are unhappy, let's know exactly how many, what specifically they are grumpy about, and how it ranks with those who were grumpy with Alastair Campbell and Dominic Cummings in previous administrations. 


What was she cooking up ?

The last Tory Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer (who lost out to a Libdem at the election) was hyper-active on BBC funding strategy, according to her diary. 

From January to March, as well as regular meetings with Tim Davie, and her own funding review panel, she met Patricia Hodgson, former chair Richard Sharp, Michael Lynton (formerly of Sony and Warner Music), Wayne Garvie (Sony), Sir Jeremy Darroch (formerly Sky), Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, and (wait for it) The Walt Disney Company. 

Values-driven expertise

BBC non-executive Sir Robbie Gibb may have resigned from his role at the Jewish Chronicle, but according to Companies House he's still active in "The JC Media and Culture Preservation Initiative CIC", a community interest company with some £370k in the bank in its most recent accounts. 

It's a one-man band, set up by self-effacing Robbie in 2021 to bring light where there is none, etc... 









To keep its CIC status, the company has to answer questions along with reporting its finances. Here's a belting answer on not consulting stakeholders, presumably constructed by the Great Impartial Journalist himself... 




Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Panelling

Tonight's planned panel event hosted by the Jewish Chronicle has been cancelled, apparently because of the sudden withdrawal of unnamed guests. 

It was to have featured, Jonathan Levy, Managing Director and Executive Editor of Sky News UK; retired politician Michael Gove, a contributor to the Jewish Chronicle; David Aaronovitch, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Briefing Room and newly-resigned as a Jewish Chronicle columnist;  Melanie Phillips, social commentator for the Times and a columnist for the Jewish Chronicle; and Richard Burgess, Director of News Content at the BBC. The chair was to have been Jake Wallis Simons, JC Editor.

David Aaronovitch, in a note on his resignation, implies he wasn't one who pulled out. Is it possible that the chair was having second thoughts ? Might he have been too much on the receiving end of questions about the ownership of the JC, and the mechanics of acquiring pieces from 'journalist', 'professor' and 'former Entebbe operations man', Elon Perry, now withdrawn ?

How money works

I'm looking forward to a long slow read explaining the Magic Money Tree discovered by James Harding, former boss of BBC News, now seeking to acquire The Observer from the Guardian Media Group for his digital journalism venture, Tortoise Media.

Tortoise Media's last full set of accounts show an accumulated deficit of £16.3m since the company was set up in 2018.  In those accounts, they announced further investment of £1.1m.  Turnover was £6m; losses for the year £4m. 

Apparently Tortoise can commit to £5m of investment in The Observer for each of the next five years. Presumably there's a business plan beyond more loans and share selling...  

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Regional perspectives

 BBC Regional Radio.  It's not all about me.... or is it ?


Obsessive messaging

Extract from the pre-sentence report, author unknown. A number of Huw's managers and colleagues will be interested.... 

"At the time of the offences, Mr Edwards describes an unhealthy lifestyle featuring excessive use and misuse of prescribed medication. He has expressed some disappointment that although family members had commented on these changes, there had not been a greater effort by those around him to challenge him openly about this. He asserts that he does not seek to place blame on others for his own failings but he became so entrenched in his own situation and deteriorating mental health, that he was unable to objectively assess and take positive action.

I have read the Neuropsychiatric Report prepared by Dr Isaac and do not intend to repeat the information contained within that report but note the comments relating to the impact of his diagnosed mental health problems at the time of the offences; "The overarching diagnosis is major depressive disorder, moderate, recurrent, without psychotic features". Additionally, he has been diagnosed with small vessel disease (arteriosclerosis) which is described as cognitive disorder with behavioural disturbance. " 

The qualifier 'with behavioural disturbance' reflects changes in Mr Edwards' behaviour, but in my view fed into his overall judgment and capacity to make decisions, mainly because of the development of his
mood disorder, but compounded by the presence of the neurocognitive disorder, from 2018 and well established by the material time at the end of 2020. This condition will have reduced Mr Edwards' cognitive reserve, rendering him more vulnerable to the adverse cognitive effects of alcohol.

Since approximately 2018, both of these conditions (neurocognitive disorder and mood disorder) are more likely than not to have impaired Mr Edwards' decision making and judgment, including his ability to comply with management instructions, reducing his normal inhibition and becoming 'stuck' in behaviours, such as obsessive messaging, whether appropriate or not, but at the same time detached from his communication, in that he would either forget what he had said or do so on a kind of 'autopilot,' without any real judgment of how such communications might be perceived or his actions impact on others." (Dr Isaac, 28/08/2024)

Huw's issues

More bits and bobs from the court reports about Huw Edwards. 

Dr Michael Isaac, (LVO, MA (Cantab), MB, BS (Lond), IFAPA, FRCPsych, MAE, QDR) a consultant psychiatrist and neuropsychiatrist, with contact details available on Expert Witness. 

'I consider that from approximately 2018… when Mr Edwards took two months of sick leave following an anonymous denunciation, Mr Edwards on balance exhibited a mental impairment that had a significant (non-trivial) effect on his ability to carry out day-to-day activities, including his decision-making capacity and judgment.'

Psychosexual therapist Dr Virginia Appleyard (Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy, Herbert Gray College, Relate, Rugby; Post Graduate Conversion Diploma (Psychology), London Metropolitan University; Masters Degree in Counselling, University of South Australia, Adelaide; Masters Degree in Politics, London Guildhall University) described how Edwards was 'particularly destabilised through the process of commencing a social media presence which allowed him to interact with people that otherwise he would never have engaged with'.

'His social media engagement presented as an easy way to manage his low mood and provided him with a number of men and women who were motivated to be sexual with him which not only boosted his fragile self-esteem but allowed him to re-engage with his sexual interest in men which had been managed since 1994.

'The feelings of being desirable and unseen alongside Mr. Edwards' unresolved sexual orientation created a perfect storm where he engaged in sexual infidelities and became vulnerable to people blackmailing him.'

Monday, September 16, 2024

Out

Paul Goldspring decided on Huw Edwards' sentence. He's a Senior District Judge and Chief Magistrate.

He graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in 1993, on their first ever LL B course, studied for his LPC at Nottingham Law School, and worked in a small practice in South East London prior to specialising in criminal litigation. Having set up his own practice by 2004, by 2009, Paul was appointed Deputy District Judge, then, in 2013, he became a full-time District Judge. He was appointed Senior District Judge in 2021, at the age of 49 - the youngest ever in the post, carrying leadership responsibilities for over 300 District Judges and Deputy DJMCs across England and Wales. 

Goldspring read from pre-sentence reports, saying Edwards turned to social media engagement with men and women to boost his fragile self-esteem and reignite his sexual interest in men which he had managed since 1994. Another report detailed Edwards' upbringing and family life, adding he has shown "insight, shame and remorse" and would be "exceptionally vulnerable" in prison.  It also outlined the breakdown of the relationship with his wife.  He doesn't consider his bisexuality to be an excuse for infidelity and has a "high level of remorse for the betrayal of his partner and children", the judge says.

Mr Goldspring said, in his view, the custody threshold had been crossed, with the appropriate sentence being 12 months for the most severe abuse images. However, taking into account the mitigation and early guilty plea, the sentence would be six months suspended for two years; evidence showed he could be rehabilitated. The suspended sentence comes with requirements to complete a sex offender programme, and he will be placed on the sex offenders register for seven years - meaning he has to notify the police of his whereabouts.

Sitrep

Sentencing not till 12.30pm. 

The magistrate heard that Edwards' "decision-making across the relevant time may have been adversely impaired by a mixture of mood disorder, neuro-cognitive disorder and alcohol consumption". His barrister, Philip Evans, KC  said the key period of his offending was in late 2020, after his mental health had significantly deteriorated. He had begun treatment in 2019, and that was interrupted in 2020 by Covid. 

Evans said Huw Edwards expressed deep remorse for his actions. He acknowledged the "repugnant nature" of the indecent images involved in the case and the hurt caused to those who appeared in them. Evans said Edwards was "profoundly sorry" for his role in these offences, highlighting his sincere regret and the betrayal of trust he recognises he has caused. Edwards further acknowledged the pain and damage inflicted on his family and those who supported him, stating his remorse was meaningful and that he fully understood the harm these images cause.

The Probation Service said it had used a sexual offender predictor tool to establish Huw Edwards’ risk of reoffending.They deemed his risk of internet offending as medium, and the risk of serious harm to children as medium. The prosecution asked for a Sexual Prevention Order for Huw Edwards to include a ban on him using any home broadband router unless the device was made available to be tracked by authorities, in order to see the devices attached and sites visited.

Philip Evans, KC, a member of QEB Hollis Whiteman chambers, is, like Edwards an alumnus of Cardiff University. According to his website, he has "particular expertise in cases involving homicide and serious and historical sexual offending – he is authorized to sit as a Crown Court Judge in cases involving serious sexual offences." 

Huw's solicitor is Ellen Peart, partner at BCL: "Ellen Peart is described as a ‘secret weapon’ who ‘inspires total confidence from her clients’ and is a ‘phenomenal team player.’ She comes highly recommended for her expert representation of high-profile clients, particularly those facing serious sexual and violent offence charges.”


Timing

For all its burgeoning US resources, BBC News was not the fastest off the line with the latest attempt on Donald Trump's life. 

BBC Breaking News on X got to it at 2029 BST.  CNN had it at 2004.  BBC News' US partner CBS had it at 2014. 

The BBC News Channel launched a repeat of Americast at 2030, before breaking in. The BBC News 'live' page started at 2024.  For a time, there was a circular lack of information, with the 'live' page offering the live video from the channel, and the live video offering a QR code taking you to 'updates' from the 'live' page - of which there was little, apart from transcripts of 'expert' interviews on the channel. 

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Let's have a meeting

 The use of the ground floor "Media Cafe" at Broadcasting House is being challenged by one dogged FOI campaigner. He believes the public is not getting the access it should under the Section 106 agreement with Westminster Council as part of the planning permission for New Broadcasting House. 

In the continuing battle, he's now secured the release of internal bookings for the Media Cafe from 2017 to 2023, and it's a wonderful guide to the meetings culture of the BBC. Here's a few of the titles of sessions: 

Engineering Operations Wider Leadership Group
IR35 Updates to Stakeholders
Compete or Compare Change Workshop
DG Leadership Deloitte Workshop
BBC Pride Gathering
World Service Digital Summer Fair
Single Brand Stakeholder Engagement Session
How young people are changing the face of BBC News
Take Time Out: Well Being At Work
Rights Management in the News Industry
Culture and Career Progression Workshop
FCO Heads of Mission Breakfast Event
International Bureaux Managers Week
Leaving the BBC Seminar

Standards

The opaque ownership and management structure at the Jewish Chronicle doesn't publicly disclose whether it has an "Editorial Standards Board", like the BBC, where Sir Robbie Gibb opines as a non-executive director. 

Companies House says Sir Robbie Gibb resigned as a director of the Jewish Chronicle in August, but he certainly was in charge when current JC editor Jake Wallis Simons was appointed. Was it Jake who accepted articles from Elon Perry, which may have been made up to bolster the position of Benjamin Netanyahu ?  All have now been removed from the JC website. 

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Sandwich filler

The Daily Mail reports that former BBC Royal correspondent Nick Witchell has had a busy season at the British Normandy Memorial. As well as being a founding trustee, he's been filling in at the Memorial's cafeteria, as an occasional 'plongeur' (dishwasher) and preparing food. 'I've made 2,000 sandwiches in the past two months'. Perhaps customers were unaware of his BBC nickname, 'The Poisoned Carrot'. 

If you want more Witchell, he's available in November at The Hostry, part of Norwich Cathedral, in conversation with former BBC Look East presenter and Hostry festival patron Susie Fowler-Watt. "This in-depth profile interview will be sure to reveal some extraordinary stories", presumably unreportable in his previous role. 


Weak end

Winning the weekend at BBC News Online now means a selection of iPlayer clips at the third rail, below 'real news'. No front page presence for the much-vaunted but dull 'In Depth' pages. Stay classy, Naja. 



Friday, September 13, 2024

One stop shopping

The BBC continues its policy of trying to make you buy its newspapers only from its newstands. listen to its programmes from its platform, BBC Sounds. 

The news comes from Mary Hough, (BA Politics and International Studies, Warwick) who is titled Head of Growth and Discovery for BBC Sounds. Mary came from The Eater, and was previously Senior Web Manager at The New Yorker, Online Content Lead at Obama for America, and Online Content Manager and Writer for the Democratic National Committee Sounds

She says "This latest move follows an initial trial which began in 2022 and saw a small number of radio programmes made available for on-demand listening on BBC Sounds first before release onto RSS. The trial titles included Desert Island Discs, In Our Time, BBC Inside Science, The Infinite Monkey Cage, and Friday Night Comedy. Over the six-month trial period these titles brought 218,000 new and lapsed listeners to BBC Sounds and received 17 million plays on-platform. Listeners to these titles were also more likely to become regular listeners on BBC Sounds than on average. This growth on Sounds had a marginal impact on RSS where the majority of listeners continued to listen to the podcasts. As a result of the trial, Ofcom agreed that the BBC can continue to choose how to publish all our podcasts."

"Titles which were included in our successful trial, and which will continue to be available on BBC Sounds first, include Desert Island Discs, Moneybox, In Our Time, BBC Inside Science, The Infinite Monkey Cage, and Friday Night Comedy. These will continue to be available on BBC Sounds first, and Friday Night Comedy will now become available on third party platforms after a shorter seven-day window instead of the previous 28 days.

"Additional titles which will now be available on BBC Sounds before anywhere else include The Life Scientific, This Cultural Life, Sliced Bread, Evil Genius with Russell Kane, Comedy of the Week, You’re Dead to Me, and series two of The Coming Storm with Gabriel Gatehouse."



Information rich

 BBC News Online's 'most watched' list at 0830 today. 




At No 1, snippets of what looks like a promotional film from the Red Arrows, flying over Niagara Falls. "Crown copyright/MoD" flashes briefly in the top right. Entertainingly, this will count in the BBC stats as BBC Local news from Lincolnshire. 

At No 2, police-released footage from a cyclist's rear camera, showing a car passenger about to shove him off his bicycle. 

At No 3, "Entangled whale freed from nets after four-day rescue", posted by the BBC a day ago, posted by CBC on Wednesday. The BBC say the action took place off the coast of British Columbia. The coastline of British Columbia is some 16,000 miles long. CBC were a bit more site-specific, saying it happened in the 160 mile long Hecate Strait, and carried stats on how often this happens. No need for such useful information at the BBC. Just bash the clip out, eh ?

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Cption contest

 One way to make the headline fit... 



Appetite for news

 After some July highs, our news channels fell back in August. 

BBC News' monthly reach was down to 10.9, from 12.8m in July. Sky News fell back to 8.7m, from 10.1m in July. GB News reach was a tad down, from 3.8m, to 3.77m.  

Fence sitting

The BBC, with its growing financial investment in America, built up last night's US Presidential election debate as 'crucial', 'possibly decisive', 'pivotal', 'high stakes' and more. And yet, it's gone all wussy in calling a result.  

US Editor Sarah Smith relied on Trump's visit to the post-debate spin room. "His surprise appearance was a clear sign that he knew he had not done well on the debate stage"

Correspondent Anthony Zurcher used circumlocution to give it to Harris. "If debates are won and lost on which candidate best takes advantage of issues where they are strong - and defends or deflects on areas of weakness - Tuesday night tilted in favour of the vice-president."

Even the headline on the online mini-poll of six 'independent' voters is wussy "Debate brings undecided voters closer to a decision".  One moved to backing Harris, two leaned towards Harris; nobody thought better of Trump. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Questionable

I think I just heard BBC DG Tim Davie say News Online doesn't use questions as headlines to drag people in.. 

Currently In Depth has 

Why is the Pope doing a long tour when he's so frail?
Why does the Church of England struggle to deal with child abuse allegations?
What does science tell us about boxing’s gender row?
What is Elon Musk's game plan?
In one US state, women politicians dominate. What pointers can it offer Kamala Harris?

and more..

Alarmed ?

Just a couple of things about the annual Ofcom News Consumption survey, which is presented as bleak news for linear news services. It is the product of a survey and interviews, and does not use 'audience figures'. Its definition of 'news' is broad. And the attraction of social media for the under-25s is mainly for news about celebrities (and their activities on social media), films, videos, music and odd stuff, which linear broadcasters have never done very well. Don't panic. 

Back to the....

There may well be a 'future strategy' at the BBC, but they're not prepared to share it with licence-fee payers. Here's a bit of the minutes from the May meeting of the BBC Board.  Maybe the Lords would like to prod Samir about it at 2.30pm today... 




Monday, September 9, 2024

Digital futures

There's an example to us all. Sir Mark Thompson in the FT pondering the future of CNN, and admitting he doesn't yet know all the answers. 

“I don’t think any broadcaster has cracked the code on how to be yourself in terms of digital products.”

Time for someone to be equally frank at the BBC. 

Available

Huw Edwards has updated his Linkedin page, apparently hoping for a fresh start... 

After four decades of top-level experience in journalism, media, politics and communications - I'm available for no charge to charities and not-for-profit organisations.After four decades of top-level experience in journalism, media, politics and communications - I'm available for no charge to charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Interview Preparation • Public Speaking • Political Consulting • Public Relations • Corporate Events • Live Events • Blogging • Copywriting • Editing • Ghostwriting

Tate modern

The data labels driving an Andrew Tate story to the front page of the bbc.com "Culture" page need looking at quick.



Sunday, September 8, 2024

Cart and horses

The consultants have got their teeth into the BBC again. As Auntie continues to talk up a transformed digital future, still without being able to describe it or demonstrate it, the O&D lot in HR are lining up.

Here's a job worth £130-150k: "We are seeking a highly skilled Operating Model Design Specialist to play a pivotal role in shaping and optimising our organisation. You’ll join a newly formed Organisational Strategies team within the BBC HR function who work in partnership with senior HR leaders and business stakeholders on Operating Model design and Organisational Design."

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Cui Bono, Philo ?

BBC News CEO Deborah Turness has welcomed staff back to the new term with the news that BBC Company Secretary Phil Harrold is joining her board as Transformation Director, a post which few knew was available.  I'm sure it was openly, fairly and transparently boarded, as a man embedded with the BBC Values and Corporate Governance would have expected from BBC News. "In his new role he will lead our work to keep pace with consumers as they shift to digital and to respond to the BBC’s significant financial challenges"

Key question: Did Debs ask for his services, or has he been sent ?

Lines supporting request theory: 

  • Phil is the executive sponsor of the BBC's LGBTQ+ staff group, BBC Pride. The forthcoming workplace culture review, post Huw Edwards, may get a number of tricky contributions from News staff. News and World Service have marginally more gay men than other divisions, fewer 'out', and more who don't declare their sexuality. 
  • Phil has some skills: he 'ran' the fast turnaround move of the Eurovision Song Contest from Ukraine to Liverpool. He recently joined the Board of the BBC 'news charity', Media Action. 

Lines supporting the 'he's been sent' theory. 

  • BBC News is notoriously slow in delivering the savings requested by the centre. It has always relied on claiming "This was a very expensive year", and will be trying that again, with Ukraine, Gaza, the Election and the riots. Twas always thus; Phil may do work exposing the argument. 
  • Tim Davie likes him, and wants to bolster his career, with some sort of succession planning. Or, Phil is miffed at the creation of a new executive post handling Transformation & Strategy, and, at 48, wants out from the centre to boost his future salary chances (current pay £205k)
Apart from reading Board papers on change (and writing uninteresting minutes about them), it's hard to find things in the Harrold cv that point to experience of work in news, transformation, or digital. Though he takes nice pictures on Instagram.   

Friday, September 6, 2024

Blancmange ?

BBC chair Samir Shah gets his next Westminster examination on Tuesday, on the nursery slopes of the Lords Communications and Digital Committee. Quentin Letts wrote of Dr Shah's performance at his appointment interview in front of the Culture Select Committee: "Next time we see squeaky little new chap Samir Shah he may start spouting BBC blancmange, but he felt refreshingly different as he was interviewed by MPs". 

Blancmange won't be acceptable to the Committee chair, Baroness (Tina) Stowell, tipped by the Mail for the job Samir got. Shah was made a non-executive on the BBC Executive Board (alongside Mike Lynch) when Tina was running communications for the BBC Trust. 

Lord (Tony) Hall, also on the committee, will have to declare that he and Shah go back to the days of John Birt running BBC News. Baroness (Patience) Wheatcroft has been tipped over time for roles ranging from BBC Business Editor to chair of the BBC Trust, and was among those calling for the resignation of Richard Sharp, who's departure created the space for Samir Shah. 

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Clarity

The BBC is keen on transparency when it suits it. Yesterday there was news of job cuts in the BBC Nations & Regions, with a four-week window opening for those who would like an exit deal. The total of post closures required was put at 115. BBC Wales, part of the 'Nations' gave more detail: 25 to 30 editorial and production roles, and 20 jobs in the operations department set to go, from a current total of 746 staff. BBC Local, which I think now equates to BBC England, will close 40 to 45 jobs; BBC Scotland will close 25 to 30 posts; and BBC Northern Ireland will lose 10 to 12 jobs.  I make that 100 to 117 posts, plus 20 in operations. 

The BBC said 115 jobs represented 3% of the workforce, which would suggest a journalistic team of 3,800 across the Nations & Regions.  The Annual Report puts the 2023 average headcount of individuals  across all services including support functions, in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at 15,846.   115 jobs would be 0.7% of that figure. 

Meanwhile, in response to a detailed report from the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, the BBC announced it will "invest a minimum of £80 million annually in content that meets the BBC’s creative diversity criteria for TV and Radio."  The report says in previous commitments of this sort, it's never been clear whether or not this is 'new money' or a re-badging of existing funds; it still isn't clear. 

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Joy

BBC News Global Boss Jonathan Munro may be using poetry to persuade David Lammy and the Foreign Office to cough up at least £365m a year from March 2025. That's his ambition, as the Government considers its Autumn statement. 

I say 'poetry' cos Jonny is already using some pretty florid language in first-day-emails to his new "World" flock. He has grand intentions to grow audiences, which have at the very least plateaued... 

"At the heart of that will be our impartial journalism - pursuing truth and enriching knowledge. As ever, we will often go to places where we are not welcome. We will ask questions of those in authority. We will explain why events matter, and use our specialist knowledge to frame the context of the stories we report. We will puncture myths, bring clarity to areas of confusion, disinfect disinformation. We will focus not just on war, politics and tragedy (important though they can be), but also on human achievement, enterprise and joy. "

  

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Watching Me Watching You

An odd factoid from an FOI enquiry to the BBC about tv licence enforcement... 

Q:  Over the past 12 months (5th August 2023 - 5th August 2024) where possible, how many of your Enforcement Officers reported back that they were being filmed by a handheld device whilst carrying out a doorstep visit?

A: During the specified time period TV Licensing Visiting Officers reported 45 separate 
incidents.

Pathological

I used to have to type out the tv listings for CEEFAX. The only intellectual challenge was to try to make each channel fit its allotted pages. 

I could easily get a gig doing the same for BBC America.Today, it's all Bones - Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan - from 6am to midnight. I'd only have to change the episode number. 

Why not show Silent Witness ?

Monday, September 2, 2024

Phil Swern

Phil Swern, the engine room of pop knowledge that drove Radio 1 and Radio 2 for many years, has died aged 76. 

He loved collecting pop records from a very early age, and first made a BBC connection with  neighbour Steve Race, later befriending Controller-Radio-1-to-be, Johnny Beerling. After hairdressing (including pop stars like Mama Cass and The Walker Brothers), he became a runner for a record company, and boosted his collection whenever he could. He became a completist, with every single that's appeared in the UK Top 40 since 1952, now stored in a temperature-controlled converted village hall. 

The BBC, inexplicably to some, decided to go out to tender for a supplier of digitised pop records, despite owning the world's biggest record library. Phil was ahead of the game on transferring to digital and won the contract for his company 'I Like Music'. 

He also wrote and produced pop records. Perhaps one of his biggest was Polly Brown, former lead singer of Pickettywitch, with Up In A Puff Of Smoke in 1974. It made number 16 on the US Billboard chart, but would have technically escaped Phil's collection, reaching only 43 in the UK. 

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Hugo first

It's not Ed Vaizey. Hugo Rifkind is taking over the Matt Chorley slot on Times Radio, at least on Mondays to Thursdays, from 9th September. 

“I have adored presenting on Times Radio on Saturday mornings these past four years, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be moving over to weekdays. I was a huge fan of Matt Chorley’s show, and he’s left big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, making the show into even more of an unmissable landmark for news and politics addicts than it has been until now.”

Hugo, 47 (Loretto School, George Watson's College, and BA Philosophy, Emmanuel College, Cambridge) is the son of Malcolm Rifkind

Dabbler

 

No formal announcement yet from Times Radio on a long-term replacement for Matt Chorley. They seem to be letting dilettante Lord 'Ed' Vaizey (spookily far right, above) drift through three hours of broadcasting from 10 on weekday mornings. Maybe if he read his briefs, listened to answers, and generally feigned some interest in his guests, he'd get the gig full-time.

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