Acute

Samir Shah has until Monday to hand in answers to 18 follow-up questions posed by MPs of the Culture Select Committee, about the BBC chairman's evidence to them on 24th November. 

Committee chair Caroline Dinenage unhelpfully described that evidence as 'wishy-washy'; critics of the Committee might say "If you ask wishy-washy questions...."

It's not the first time they've tried to pin down Dr Shah in writing. In December 2023. the Committee published Dr Shah's answers to ten questions they posed as part of his pre-appointment hearding....

10) What criteria should the Committee use to judge your and the BBC’s performance over your term of office? 

Dr Shah chose to divide his answer into how he would handle 'chronic' and 'acute' problems, and on 'acute' wrote.....

"Every now and then, the BBC runs into a storm of criticism. Often it is about impartiality and its coverage of a particular story. Sometimes it’s rather different (e.g. Huw Edwards, Tim Westwood).

"The committee should judge my performance, and the BBC’s, by how well we have handled such “storms”. Have we responded in an open, transparent and respectful way? Have we understood the various shades of opinion on the subject? Was the decision proportionate, sensible and carried out in a calm and thoughtful manner?"