Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Threads

Some loose ends were tidied up yesterday, but there are more appearing, dangling from the ends of the BBC sofa covers.

The move to new Broadcasting House was completed. Helen Boaden finished her nine-year stint as Director of News; but we also were told not to expect a permanent replacement to emerge until late April/early May. At the end of last week, The Guardian reported that Roger Mosey had not applied for either of the currently vacant directorships - News or Vision. At 55, this may not mean a lack of ambition on Roger's part. In 1997, he emerged as Controller Radio 5 Live (from Today), much to the shock of the inside tip, and without the knowledge of any of the other candidates.  Now, it's doubtful he's retreating to rose-gardening in Richmond, or to the cross-bench vacancy left by Lord Hall. The Pollard annexes show he was making big BBC decisions after the Olympics - and Lord Hall's longer term mission is to change not just the sofa covers, but get a new sofa shape altogether for BBC management. Who knows, there may be a new Mosey-sized slot on that sofa, with, perhaps, the Directors of Vision and News on footstools and pouffes .....

Anne McElvoy yesterday tweeted thus...











This will upset a few. For Vision, Peter Salmon, of Twickenham and Salford (promised by the end of March) will give Mr Cohen a run. Jay Hunt may not want to be the last one left of her C4 team to turn out the lights (George Dixon is off to RTE) and has served longer than Mark Thompson at Boot Camp. In News, Peter Horrocks will not want to be left off lists.

And, above all, Lord Hall will want to demonstrate that he can bring in new blood.

  • Early this morning, BBC Worldwide announced the sale of Lonely Planet operations, to a Nashville-based media group, NC2 Media. Sale price £51.5m (in stages). BBC acquisition price £130.2m (in stages). Will John Smith have left with a bonus for 2012/3 ?

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