Suitcase

I'd just penned the previous post when the news came through that Lord Hall of Birkenhead will assume office as Director General of the BBC on Tuesday April 2. The Trust had originally expected a March date, but this push-back is to allow Tone time to take a break before what will be a long haul. And, until he chooses someone he can trust to mind the shop, an almost continuous one.

This later start may also put a little extra distance between his arrival and the publication of the Pollard annexes, now expected in February, as the Trust's team of Crusted Governance Assistants (Fourth Dan and Above Only) scratch their heads over how much they dare cut out.  'Twas only last January that Lord Patten opined to the 2012 Oxford Media Convention on the robust strength of the BBC: "It remains a trusted national institution. And by upholding its standards, its civility, and its democratic intelligence the BBC remains something for us all to be proud of". The problem now is that civility is missing from many of the exchanges collected by Pollard and his barrister. When people were questioned on matters of fact, however disputed or poorly remembered, things are alright. When they were asked questions seeking opinions of colleagues' abilities, it seems some forgot the discussion would be transcribed, and let rip. And that's before we get to some of the views expressed in emails....

Could the Trust, as publisher, find itself in a libel court ? Or will Fleet Street have a field day when bottles of Snopaque blank out paragraph after paragraph ?