Televoting

Maybe next year Lord Mandelson might get behind the UK's Eurovision entry. 

The Consulate General of Israel in New York paid for this ad in Times Square, New York. 

No choice of viewing

The experiment is, apparently, over. 

When BBC News 24 launched in 1997, it had its own breakfast output. That ended in 2000, with simulcasting of a re-launched 'Breakfast', shown on both BBC1 and the News Channel. 

In January of this year, BBC News decided that its global output would be transmitted in the UK, as an alternative to the Frediani Breakfast which rules BBC1. 

There's more than a hint that the reasons to abandon this 'pilot' haven't been completely explained to staff and presenters by management.... 

If you're in the UK & wondering where @SallyBundockBBC & I are in the morning? We're very much still broadcasting to our international audience. Want us back in the UK on @BBCiPlayer then let @bbcpress know! Also here: https://t.co/8KAIgttT2s pic.twitter.com/gr7Kf42plC

— Kasia Madera (@KasiaMadera) May 12, 2025

Howard in the end

Congratulations to Howard Simpson (BA Politics and English, Strathclyde) finally rising to the top job in BBC Scotland News.  He joined in 2016, from STV, where his news shows were regularly beating BBC Scotland's efforts. 

He's enamoured of the writings of F Scott Fitzgerald, collects replica Manchester United shirts from the days when they played football, and enjoys Test cricket and rugby. 

Longer view

Not much sign of new trends in the latest quarterly listening figures, with many big stations down quarter on quarter but up year on year.  Maybe we should remind ourselves of longer term changes, even if they cross a few boundaries in research methodology and population change...... 

Radio Scotland's last big peak in monthly reach came in 2006, at 1.09m listeners; it's currently reaching 827,000. Radio Wales reached 527,000 in 2007; now it's 341,000.  Radio Ulster hit 619,000 in 2007, now it's 439,000. 

Radio 1's recent peak came a little later - 11.85m in 2011 (Chris Moyles' breakfast era); 7.39m now. Radio 2's most recent peak came in 2016, with 15.5m monthly reach (Chris Evans' breakfast era); now it's 13.1m. 

Radio 3's reach is perhaps the most stable of all, up and down between 1.8m and 2.2m since 1999. New boss Sam Jackson now has it at 2.15m. 

Radio 4 peaked in 2017 (Today basic line-up John Humphreys, Nick Robinson, Sarah Montague, Justin Webb and Mishal Husain) at 11.5m; now it's 9.3m. 

Radio 5 Live peaked at the end of 2010, with 7m; now it's on 5.4m.

BBC Local Radio in England reached 6.7m in 2021 (the year Rhodri Talfan-Davies became Director of Nations); now it's down to 4.8m. 

Toilet talk

 While we're on about trust, here's the header from yesterday's BBC promo email to me. 

Of course, I clicked on the first offer, presuming it was important. "Can public toilet seats cause diseases?" I was taken to the BBC iPlayer and episode 4 of Series 2 of Dr Xand's Con or cure programme. First broadcast in February 2024, but still favoured by the newsletter team as a trust builder guaranteed clicker....

Agent of change

Gamechanger ?  BBC DG Tim Davie got an hour of coverage on the UK-dangly-bit of BBC World News this morning, for his speech at the Lowry in Salford, entitled The BBC - A Catalyst for Building Trust. 

In word score, 'trust' hits 53; 'jeopardy' only got one outing. "Agentic AI" got three - yet no explanation pops up when you search the BBC website with that phrase.  Unpick this, dear reader; "We want to empower audiences as they seek answers - combining agentic AI with trusted BBC journalism to create a new gold standard fact checking tool."

New stuff ?  Something about 'supercharging' Salford; a renewed bid for £400m p.a. to fund World Service entirely from taxation, promising a global reach of 1 billion; Artificial Intelligence bots to help with school exam revision and parenting; more 'local democracy' reporters funded, more 'investigative' reporters hired around the regions; and a sort of BBC Chromecast, as, presumably, tv transmitters are switched off in the next decade. 

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Order, order

Big tour d'horizon expected from BBC DG Tim Davie today - with big phrase-making about how Auntie can shape the UK's future: "A future where trusted information strengthens democracy". 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, somebody running the 6pm News on BBC1 deemed the continuing trial in Paris featuring evidence from Kim Kardashian the second most important story for a UK audience. The piece was built around pictures of the celebrity walking into the court building, and court sketches. 

It didn't feature as a headline on the Radio 4 Six, but was reported 26 minutes in to the 30 minute bulletin. 

Extra

A slightly disturbing graphic on last night's Six on BBC1 suggested a person with a pony tail and medical uniform had interposed themselves between Clive and Ben.... 

Smaller World

The BBC World Service faces serious shortfalls in funding, and seems further away from a return to full Government funding than ever before. 

Back in November, Foreign Secretary David Lammy upped funding for 2025/26 by £32.6m, to a total of £137m.  Even that settlement left the BBC closing 130 posts, to save £6m. 

The BBC bid for 2026/27 is £200m; Tim Davie's longer-term ambition is for the World Service to be totally funded from taxation, at £400m a year. 

Now The Guardian tells us that the World Service has been asked to cast budgets for 26/27 which reflect FCO flat-funding of £137m, and FCO funding of £134.25m, a 2% cut.  This follows the March announcement of withering cuts to the ODA budget - where the World Service funding sits. In the last full financial year, BBC licence payers contributed £233m to the World Service, down from £249m in 2022/23.

Who's next ?

Not a bad leaving-do for BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore, with 18 awards across 27 categories in the tv BAFTAs.  After her first full year as Director of Content in 2017, the BBC won 18 out of 23.

Applications to replace Charlotte closed on April 30th. Deadline thinks interim boss Kate Phillips will be up against Patrick Holland of Banijay UK and Zai Bennett, recently returned to the BBC fold in Studios.  Will the headhunters have found someone in the USA ?