Java

I'm not sure how much coffee BBC DG Tim Vave ingested before this morning's 2hr 20m session in front of the MPs of the Culture Select Committee. There were certainly more 'by the ways' and 'to your points' than usual. 

He was giving no ground when one MP hinted that disciplinary action following the broadcast of Bob Vylan at Glastonbury seemed to be taking a long time (72 days and counting). A 'reformed licence fee' was the mantra, and Tim offered to double the audience for World Service output, if the Government took back funding from the licence fee. He also tantalised 'doubling' BBC Studios' turnover, a bold claim that might offer £2bn back to the business over three or four years. (Quietly, he said he wasn't sure there was much more growth in returns from 'News' to come.)

Chairman Dr Samir Shah tried to look wise, but once again took a very long time to say not very much. If Tim looked impatient (perhaps up late after the ITV 70th birthday dinner), the glances were usually to his left, to Samir and to the burblings from Rupa Huq, MP.