Order of events

Commentators have noted a lack of 'vision' in the BBC's approach to its future in a digital world. OK, we have a commitment to online delivery with a 'but'; "Unless you have universal provision of basic broadband of 20 megabits per second, or whatever it might be, to ensure that people can stream video, the BBC would have an issue with effecting the transition." So the DTT transmitters, whizzing round on the old electricity meter, will still be required, until somewhere between 2035 and 2040; and a major BBC saving, it's regular payment to Arquiva, remains on the far horizon.  Equally, if the Government backs online delivery, it could cost £2bn to push services through to the unwilling ten per cent or so, plus an annual bill for continuing support with broadband charges for the poorest households. 

The vision bit that's missing is about content. In the last big gavotte around the BBC's future, the BBC produced a 135 page document, "Building Public Value" in June 2004, before the Government Green Paper came in March 2005.  In the next dance around the issue, the Government issued a Green Paper on charter renewal in July 2015; the BBC responded with "British, Bold Creative" in September of that year; 99 pages and a lot more white space than "BPV". 

Let's hope Tim Davie's new bright boys have got something more up their sleeves....