Friday, August 31, 2012
Bracketed
A correspondent in Northern Ireland notes one uncomfortable consequence of Radio Ulster's new autumn schedule. The station now rebroadcasts Radio Five Live from midnight, to make savings under Delivering Quality First. This means today listeners get an hour and a half of Stephen Nolan from 0903 to 1030, then, on Fridays, joy of joys, the final hour of Stephen Nolan on Five Live, from the witching hour to 0100. And he's as bright as a button, I'm sure, at either end of the day.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Heid banger
If you've got more time on your hands than you know what to do with, the BBC Trust's latest complaints bulletin has a tale for you. Celtic music, people who aren't pole-dancers, unstable bar stools, blind dates, instructions not to look at cameras, the music of Jimi Hendrix are all part of a ludicrous complaint from, someone who went to a music recording session in, yes, Glasgow. Mr Justice Cocklecarrot couldn't have done better. Read from page 5 onwards - and then wonder what it all cost.
Bank on it
“We believe that in the future, brands will be built by aligning themselves with engaging content, as well as the more traditional advertising-led approach. As such, we are delighted to be sponsoring this programme, which reflects our focus on emerging markets and showcases insightful conversations between those global business leaders who are shaping business today as well as tomorrow.”
And so, HSBC burnishes its saintly worldwide reputation by sponsoring a series on BBC World, the BBC's international tv news channel.
And so, HSBC burnishes its saintly worldwide reputation by sponsoring a series on BBC World, the BBC's international tv news channel.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Spartan
Heaven help us all. Saskia Feltz reporting on a squishy mobile, into mother Vanessa's Radio London show, babbling about the Paralympic Torch procession near Abbey Road. Let's hope no fee was involved...
Quota quotes
Twitchy times ahead if you are a tv programme maker at the BBC. Unholy alliances are ranged against you. The big indies want to maintain growth in a recession, and used the Edinburgh TV Festival for the traditional, but shameless call for a further increase in the indie quota, which they now prefer to phrase as "a reduction in the protected levels of BBC production".
This sits well with some BBC Controllers, who see indies as cheaper, sharper, more directable - and more likely to buy them lunch. It sits well with a new cadre of BBC Executive Producers, who sit on top of these indies, giving them the benefit of their wisdom without financial or critical risk to their career path inside Auntie. It sits well with some BBC senior managers, as a way out of the DQF conundrums. Fewer BBC producers in tv and radio creates exponential savings - in HR, IT and training support, in care and career development, and in simple office space. It helps close White City, as well as Television Centre. It sits well with Tory MPs. Staff, unions, etc are nothing but trouble.
So far, the only voice raised in their defence is that of Pat Younge, Chief Creative Officer of BBC Vision, "The attack isn't unexpected. I don't think in-house is the big threat to the BBC. I think we've got our challenges and I'm glad it's George [Entwistle] not me who's got to deal with them, but we'll get through. But this fixation on 'in-house is the problem' - there's no evidence that we're even more expensive [than independent productions].....I want to see George put creativity back at the heart of the BBC. Sometimes it feels like making programmes is an inconvenient obstacle to running the BBC."
You'll notice this makes no reference to scale or size. For tv and radio production across the UK, the reality is that the BBC and indies now have a shared interest in increasing casualisation of the industry....
This sits well with some BBC Controllers, who see indies as cheaper, sharper, more directable - and more likely to buy them lunch. It sits well with a new cadre of BBC Executive Producers, who sit on top of these indies, giving them the benefit of their wisdom without financial or critical risk to their career path inside Auntie. It sits well with some BBC senior managers, as a way out of the DQF conundrums. Fewer BBC producers in tv and radio creates exponential savings - in HR, IT and training support, in care and career development, and in simple office space. It helps close White City, as well as Television Centre. It sits well with Tory MPs. Staff, unions, etc are nothing but trouble.
So far, the only voice raised in their defence is that of Pat Younge, Chief Creative Officer of BBC Vision, "The attack isn't unexpected. I don't think in-house is the big threat to the BBC. I think we've got our challenges and I'm glad it's George [Entwistle] not me who's got to deal with them, but we'll get through. But this fixation on 'in-house is the problem' - there's no evidence that we're even more expensive [than independent productions].....I want to see George put creativity back at the heart of the BBC. Sometimes it feels like making programmes is an inconvenient obstacle to running the BBC."
You'll notice this makes no reference to scale or size. For tv and radio production across the UK, the reality is that the BBC and indies now have a shared interest in increasing casualisation of the industry....
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Safety first
One suspects very few risks are being taken with the latest relaunch of Daybreak, next week. The graphic designer of the "new" logo, clearly had a hammer hovering over his knuckles....
Laura Tobin joins the team to present the weather; Lucy Verasamy moves to national bulletins at lunchtime, six and ten.
Laura Tobin joins the team to present the weather; Lucy Verasamy moves to national bulletins at lunchtime, six and ten.
Top nosh
More of the glitzy same seems to be the recipe for dining and drinking in the Shard. Lawyer-turned restaurateur David Yeo gets the 31st and 33rd floors for his Aqua chain. He's already got a trio of venues on top of the old Dickins and Jones building at the top of Regent Street - Aqua Kyoto, serving Japanese food, Aqua Nueva, offering Spanish food from an El Bulli-trained chef, and Aqua Spirit, for drinking. We are promised at least one new concept for the Shard.
Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, the pair that bring you Zuma and Roka, will operate the 32nd floor restaurant. If you're bored with the views, they promise late night live music in the bar.
The Shard will have 87 floors - with a public viewing gallery on 72, at close to £25 a visit. The Shangri-La Hotel will operate on 34 through to 52, with a "signature bar", gym and swimming pool on 52.
Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, the pair that bring you Zuma and Roka, will operate the 32nd floor restaurant. If you're bored with the views, they promise late night live music in the bar.
The Shard will have 87 floors - with a public viewing gallery on 72, at close to £25 a visit. The Shangri-La Hotel will operate on 34 through to 52, with a "signature bar", gym and swimming pool on 52.
Either end
Always quick to judge, I was about to write with glee that Piers Morgan, now boasting he's top of the pile at CNN, if not catching rival network hosts, had a Friday when he was clearly bottom of the evening offerings. In fact he was bottom - at 9pm - and top - with a 12am repeat (technically the next day) in last Friday ratings. He offered interviews with eyewitnesses of the shootings outside the Empire State Building, a man who's revamping the look of J C Penney stores, and a discussion on Lance Armstrong.
Monday, August 27, 2012
To tweet or...
Will George's BBC offer social media leadership and audience interaction ? On Twitter, @BBCDG is not our new leader, but an occasionally potty-mouthed wag with some previous in news, radio and local radio, and probably based closer to Manchester than London, by my triangulation. George himself is on Twitter, but as a lurker, not a contributor.
Only one of George's old Vision team seem to be on Twitter - Zai Bennett is also a non-tweeting lurker. Of course, the others may be there under deep cover, as per Prince Harry's creation of Spike Wells. It's hard to believe Danny Cohen isn't in there somewhere. His wife, Noreena Hertz, is, with 15,887 followers - and has just been appointed UK chair of "public interest" social media campaigners, Fenton, as well as joining a list of 101 of the world's most innovative people (with Jimmy Wales, Richard Branson and David Beckham).
Acting Director of BBC Vision, Roger Mosey, who, in his role running Olympics coverage, blogged, tweeted and engaged like a good 'un, is clearly considering his social media future. He's tweeted about visits to the Dr Who set and how much he enjoyed "Our War" on BBC3. But here's another recent exchange...
Peak @Peakthinking @rogermosey How is the new job? Any big decisions like cutting E-Enders to give more uplifting TV time to 'Road to Rio' Olympic sports?
Roger Mosey @rogermosey @Peakthinking I think the acting role rules out answering questions like that!
Peak @Peakthinking @rogermosey 'Acting' perhaps but if they give you the big chair best take advantage and make the big calls
Only one of George's old Vision team seem to be on Twitter - Zai Bennett is also a non-tweeting lurker. Of course, the others may be there under deep cover, as per Prince Harry's creation of Spike Wells. It's hard to believe Danny Cohen isn't in there somewhere. His wife, Noreena Hertz, is, with 15,887 followers - and has just been appointed UK chair of "public interest" social media campaigners, Fenton, as well as joining a list of 101 of the world's most innovative people (with Jimmy Wales, Richard Branson and David Beckham).
Acting Director of BBC Vision, Roger Mosey, who, in his role running Olympics coverage, blogged, tweeted and engaged like a good 'un, is clearly considering his social media future. He's tweeted about visits to the Dr Who set and how much he enjoyed "Our War" on BBC3. But here's another recent exchange...
Peak @Peakthinking @rogermosey How is the new job? Any big decisions like cutting E-Enders to give more uplifting TV time to 'Road to Rio' Olympic sports?
Roger Mosey @rogermosey @Peakthinking I think the acting role rules out answering questions like that!
Peak @Peakthinking @rogermosey 'Acting' perhaps but if they give you the big chair best take advantage and make the big calls
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Long may you run
Is is a mindset thing ? What makes online subs lose concentration, when it comes to the big headlines ? TV Newser spotted this from NBC yesterday, now corrected........
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The code
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is trying to get some momentum out of our Harry's shenanigans. It has placed an ad in a range of US newspapers with this important message...
“For shame! To those who traded in their pledge to their Las Vegas brethren, we deplore you. We are calling on you, the defenders of what happens in Vegas staying in its rightful place — in Vegas. We are asking for a shun on those exploiters of Prince Harry. We shall boycott partying of any kind with them. No bottle service. No bikini-clad girls. No Bucatini from Batali. In other words, we will not play with them anymore. Who’s with us?”
“For shame! To those who traded in their pledge to their Las Vegas brethren, we deplore you. We are calling on you, the defenders of what happens in Vegas staying in its rightful place — in Vegas. We are asking for a shun on those exploiters of Prince Harry. We shall boycott partying of any kind with them. No bottle service. No bikini-clad girls. No Bucatini from Batali. In other words, we will not play with them anymore. Who’s with us?”
Friday, August 24, 2012
Double team
How long is the BBC paying for two Director Generals ?
The anointment of George by the Trust is covered in the minutes of a special meeting on July 4. (Unspoken are the fanfares from the Combined Hautbois (Akimbo) of the Assistant Heads of Governance, and the waving of standards depicting the Charterbird Passant by Senior PAs)
Mr Entwistle would immediately take the role of Director-General Designate alongside his existing role of Director, BBC Vision, with the exact date of handover to be agreed with the current Director-General, although expected to be sometime in the autumn.
You might have thought George's salary rise would kick in when Thommo formally leaves on September 17.
The anointment of George by the Trust is covered in the minutes of a special meeting on July 4. (Unspoken are the fanfares from the Combined Hautbois (Akimbo) of the Assistant Heads of Governance, and the waving of standards depicting the Charterbird Passant by Senior PAs)
Mr Entwistle would immediately take the role of Director-General Designate alongside his existing role of Director, BBC Vision, with the exact date of handover to be agreed with the current Director-General, although expected to be sometime in the autumn.
You might have thought George's salary rise would kick in when Thommo formally leaves on September 17.
Discursive
The BBC always likes to keep an eye on its people who move to Channel 4, in case they threaten a re-appearance. It seems Jay Hunt's style has not been changed so far by her time at Horseferry Road.
She was on parade with Kirsty Young yesterday, at the Edinburgh TV Festival. One Twitterer wrote "Jay Hunt talks without taking breaths; she is a robot, I am now convinced". And these three pieces from the Digital Spy blog of the session gives you more of the flavour.
Jay is defending the controversy surrounding The Undateables and the underwhelming Hoarder Next Door. She has now increased her speaking to 1,000-words-a-minute. She's getting feisty and battling any criticism of her channel.
Jay switches the subject to the "compelling", "innovating" and "overwhelming success" of Million Pound Drop.
Q&A time. Jay is asked if the channel still provokes real authority or if it just pushes levels of taste. She insists that the channel isn't the "kid at the back of the bus". She lists the channel's Sri Lanka shows, the Unreported World series and the ticket tout docs as evidence. She has a bit of a head-to-head with the questioner. "I was underwhelmed by the answer," says the audience member, "I was underwhelmed by the question," she says dryly.
It seems no-one else was then brave enough to ask a question.
She was on parade with Kirsty Young yesterday, at the Edinburgh TV Festival. One Twitterer wrote "Jay Hunt talks without taking breaths; she is a robot, I am now convinced". And these three pieces from the Digital Spy blog of the session gives you more of the flavour.
Jay is defending the controversy surrounding The Undateables and the underwhelming Hoarder Next Door. She has now increased her speaking to 1,000-words-a-minute. She's getting feisty and battling any criticism of her channel.
Jay switches the subject to the "compelling", "innovating" and "overwhelming success" of Million Pound Drop.
Q&A time. Jay is asked if the channel still provokes real authority or if it just pushes levels of taste. She insists that the channel isn't the "kid at the back of the bus". She lists the channel's Sri Lanka shows, the Unreported World series and the ticket tout docs as evidence. She has a bit of a head-to-head with the questioner. "I was underwhelmed by the answer," says the audience member, "I was underwhelmed by the question," she says dryly.
It seems no-one else was then brave enough to ask a question.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Homecoming
When the reporter becomes the story, it's bad enough. If the Editor becomes the President, there may be a few questions to ask of the BBC.
Yusuf Garaad Omar was, until this month, the Editor of the BBC's Somali Service - he's worked at Bush House since 1991. Now he's resigned and returned to his birthplace, Mogadishu, to run for the presidency. There are those who say Somali listeners will not have been surprised. Certainly the BBC heritage featured heavily in the backdrop for his campaign launch - and there was a reasonable crowd to greet him on his airport arrival.
There are some 35 candidates in the race, and the election is currently "delayed". The decision lies not with ordinary Somalis, but the new Parliament - whose MPs were "selected", not elected. A vote could come anytime in the next couple of weeks.
Yusuf Garaad Omar was, until this month, the Editor of the BBC's Somali Service - he's worked at Bush House since 1991. Now he's resigned and returned to his birthplace, Mogadishu, to run for the presidency. There are those who say Somali listeners will not have been surprised. Certainly the BBC heritage featured heavily in the backdrop for his campaign launch - and there was a reasonable crowd to greet him on his airport arrival.
There are some 35 candidates in the race, and the election is currently "delayed". The decision lies not with ordinary Somalis, but the new Parliament - whose MPs were "selected", not elected. A vote could come anytime in the next couple of weeks.
Jewels
No mention of Prince Harry on the current home page of The New York Times; there's a link on the home page of The Washington Post (because it stands at number 5 in the list of "most read"); and the only home page reference in the LA Times is under "People in the news". Indeed, across the States, few printed papers have front page pictures of our Prince, and none seem to have used the naughty ones. Do copyright laws have more impact than press councils ? Or is it just a different editorial take ?
Here, the front five pages of The Daily Mail cover most angles. And even in Las Vegas itself, their Sun reporter uses copy from former colleagues at the Mail.
Here, the front five pages of The Daily Mail cover most angles. And even in Las Vegas itself, their Sun reporter uses copy from former colleagues at the Mail.
Riddled with self-doubt ?
If you see someone sneaking off into a corner at the Edinburgh TV Festival, hoodie up, it may not be another C4 commissioner jumping off Jay's Costa Concordia; it could be someone heading to free leadership coaching being offered on site by the BBC Academy (training department, for those who prefer old money).
There are two coaches on hand; one, Anne Morrison, is the Academy boss.
"Even in an hour’s session you can get quite far with people,” she says. “I’m hoping that they’ll bring something they want to discuss to the session that we can work together to try and crack. Seemingly minor problems can have a deeper cause, and we will try to uncover that. It’s about revealing and confronting self-limiting beliefs that are holding the client back. That can lead to transformational change, which is really pleasing to see.”
Does anyone know anyone in telly with "self-limiting beliefs" ?
There are two coaches on hand; one, Anne Morrison, is the Academy boss.
"Even in an hour’s session you can get quite far with people,” she says. “I’m hoping that they’ll bring something they want to discuss to the session that we can work together to try and crack. Seemingly minor problems can have a deeper cause, and we will try to uncover that. It’s about revealing and confronting self-limiting beliefs that are holding the client back. That can lead to transformational change, which is really pleasing to see.”
Does anyone know anyone in telly with "self-limiting beliefs" ?
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Burnished
The new drama from BBC America, entitled Copper, has launched to reasonable critical response in the States, and its biggest audience for a drama series kick-off so far - 1.1million viewers on Sunday night, rising to 1.8m in total if you add in the most immediate repeats. (BBC America is "available in 80 million homes" across the States.) It's a period cop piece, set in a slum area of New York in 1864, and is a co-production with Cineflix. It is also the first time BBC America has created original drama.
I suppose an interesting question for George Entwistle is: would this sort of thing get made under the re-trenched vision for BBC Worldwide sought by the Chairman Lord Patten ? If anyone sees him in Edinburgh, let me know the answer...
I suppose an interesting question for George Entwistle is: would this sort of thing get made under the re-trenched vision for BBC Worldwide sought by the Chairman Lord Patten ? If anyone sees him in Edinburgh, let me know the answer...
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Local produce
Blogging was less than intense today, for which my apologies. The day was peacefully and pleasantly interrupted by a visit to The Garden Tea Rooms, next to Witley Court, in Worcestershire - run by former colleague and fellow blogger Gill Edmonds (of "Making People Happy With Cake").
They're open 11am to 5pm every day until October 28th; if you're up and down the M5 at junctions near Worcester and Droitwich, you're probably only half an hour away (subject to satnav and a little travel on unmade lanes) from quality home-made soups, ham, cheese, salads and CAKES.
Did I mention there were CAKES ?
Did I mention there were CAKES ?
Eee - bays !
A reminder that the auction of BBC kit from Bush House has a second phase, featuring stuff that was screwed down and in use until more recently. You can buy a complete studio, provided you have the know-how to untangle it and re-assemble. Or, even more challenging, a control room capable of broadcasting 30-odd language services and up to 15 versions of World Service in English. No mention of manuals. You can measure up on site from September 18th.
Tough interview
Piers Morgan and his CNN team used the "empty chair" on screen last night, when Republican Representative Todd Akin pulled out of an interview. The New York Times has the full background, should you care.
The show's audience Monday to Friday last week, amongst 25 to 54 year-olds in America was, in order, 164k, 176k, 189k, 77k ("Will & Grace" producers plugging new CBS series, plus comedian Jon Lovitz) and 104k.
The show's audience Monday to Friday last week, amongst 25 to 54 year-olds in America was, in order, 164k, 176k, 189k, 77k ("Will & Grace" producers plugging new CBS series, plus comedian Jon Lovitz) and 104k.
Glued
We watched even longer and harder in the second week of the BBC's Olympic coverage. BARB figures say the average viewer consumed 10.33 hours of BBC1, compared with 10.18 hours in the first week. ITV1 fell a tad, from 2.27 to 2.23.
The complaining dance
The Iain Duncan-Smith v Stephanie Flanders row has produced one piece of honest revelation - from a lefty in The Telegraph, of all things.
Here's the first par, from one Dan Hodges.
When I was working on the No to AV campaign, we convened a meeting to discuss when we would put in our complaint to the BBC. We didn’t actually have anything to protest about, mind. Nor did we have any reason to suspect we would have anything to protest about. Complaining about the BBC is simply what you do, like ordering phone lines and getting leaflets printed.
It's all good stuff. Dan is Glenda Jackson's son.
Here's the first par, from one Dan Hodges.
When I was working on the No to AV campaign, we convened a meeting to discuss when we would put in our complaint to the BBC. We didn’t actually have anything to protest about, mind. Nor did we have any reason to suspect we would have anything to protest about. Complaining about the BBC is simply what you do, like ordering phone lines and getting leaflets printed.
It's all good stuff. Dan is Glenda Jackson's son.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Eventing
Personal Assistants across the BBC Vision Group will spend today adjusting and re-adjusting the travel and accommodation arrangements for the living audition that will be this year's Media Guardian Edinburgh Television Festival. The three-day event starts on Thursday. The prize is to fill the vacancy at the top of BBC Vision - which will fall by inertia to current minder Roger Mosey, unless a suitable star appears.
"Meet the controllers" is the equivalent of the dressage stage. Controller (and, in some cases, the interlocutor) have to perform an equine gavotte, where they combining bigging up their creative drive with minor moans about their lack of funding, in a balance inoffensive to George Entwistle and Lord Patten. Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC2 is paired with Lorraine Heggessey. Zai Bennett, Controller BBC3 will be taken round the course by Matthew Wright. Danny Cohen, Controller BBC1 attempts the piaffe with Kirsty Wark. Richard Klein, Controller BBC4, will be schooled in the flying change by Muriel Gray.
At executive level, George might well be short of women soon. Caroline Thomson probably won't stay long; Zarin Patel has had a long run; Helen Boaden is said to feel pretty bruised by the DG race. So people will be watching, with varying degrees of apprehension, the body language of Jay Hunt and Lorraine Heggessey.
There are also be assessments to be made of those who might join at lower levels, such as Emma Tennant and Angela Jain.
"Meet the controllers" is the equivalent of the dressage stage. Controller (and, in some cases, the interlocutor) have to perform an equine gavotte, where they combining bigging up their creative drive with minor moans about their lack of funding, in a balance inoffensive to George Entwistle and Lord Patten. Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC2 is paired with Lorraine Heggessey. Zai Bennett, Controller BBC3 will be taken round the course by Matthew Wright. Danny Cohen, Controller BBC1 attempts the piaffe with Kirsty Wark. Richard Klein, Controller BBC4, will be schooled in the flying change by Muriel Gray.
At executive level, George might well be short of women soon. Caroline Thomson probably won't stay long; Zarin Patel has had a long run; Helen Boaden is said to feel pretty bruised by the DG race. So people will be watching, with varying degrees of apprehension, the body language of Jay Hunt and Lorraine Heggessey.
There are also be assessments to be made of those who might join at lower levels, such as Emma Tennant and Angela Jain.
Here we go again
It'll be an anxious time for senior editors at the BBC - apart from Dr David Kelly and Saddam's Iraqi regime, far too many of the dramatis personae are still around, and the temptation to re-stage debates will be high in the minds of younger producers...
Sunday, August 19, 2012
What Katie did
Katie Couric launches her new daily chat show from New York on September 10, with ABC/Disney execs hoping she can sweep up some of the 4pm viewers missing Oprah Winfrey. Her new set isn't going to scare anyone, but newly-frisky Kate might...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
The hand that fed him ?
New York Times CEO Mark Thompson, a man with form for biting journalists, now finds himself in strategic battle with BBC News. Let's take as evidence two quotes from separate FT articles this week.
Mr Thompson, who started at the BBC in 1979 as a production trainee, “still considers himself a journalist”, one person close to him said: “He can still knock 800 words out in 45 minutes.”
Mr Thompson’s friends say he is keen to expand the New York Times’ video efforts, believing this will be a defining medium for newspapers online.
Leaving aside the fact that 800 words in 45 minutes seems a little long to this writer, what does it tell us about Thommo's New York plan ? The New York Times has 22 foreign bureaux; it's sister paper, the International Herald Tribune offers some additional effort, and is now branded "The Global Edition of the New York Times". The Boston Globe also has healthy coverage of world affairs. In June, the Times launched a Chinese-language website, with 30 new employees.
I try not to breach too many confidences about my former employer, but think-pieces about international affairs from the New York Times stable (and sometimes the Washington Post) have always provoked debate and ideas for developing more coverage in world news output. BBC diplomatic and foreign correspondents usually file longer analysis "to order" rather than as a matter of course. There isn't the space in tv and radio bulletins; and the BBC's website, though always improving, doesn't always go for pieces much longer than the traditional minute and a half radio offering - less than 300 words. NYT think pieces start at 750, and dead-tree print deadlines make newspaper journalists try to write things that will still be true and interesting for long hours after they've left the keyboard.
This isn't about breaking news, but trends and analysis. Intelligent backgrounders and insightful angles have a long shelf life in the world of the iPad. Can Mark Thompson get past the newsroom control of NYT "publisher" Arthur "Pinch "Sulzberger Junior, to unlock the print skills of New York Times foreign staff ?
Can he create a new genre of video think pieces ? Before BBC.com (now funded by advertising), which ought to lead the way in this field, gets its international analysis in a better shape ?
Mr Thompson, who started at the BBC in 1979 as a production trainee, “still considers himself a journalist”, one person close to him said: “He can still knock 800 words out in 45 minutes.”
Mr Thompson’s friends say he is keen to expand the New York Times’ video efforts, believing this will be a defining medium for newspapers online.
Leaving aside the fact that 800 words in 45 minutes seems a little long to this writer, what does it tell us about Thommo's New York plan ? The New York Times has 22 foreign bureaux; it's sister paper, the International Herald Tribune offers some additional effort, and is now branded "The Global Edition of the New York Times". The Boston Globe also has healthy coverage of world affairs. In June, the Times launched a Chinese-language website, with 30 new employees.
I try not to breach too many confidences about my former employer, but think-pieces about international affairs from the New York Times stable (and sometimes the Washington Post) have always provoked debate and ideas for developing more coverage in world news output. BBC diplomatic and foreign correspondents usually file longer analysis "to order" rather than as a matter of course. There isn't the space in tv and radio bulletins; and the BBC's website, though always improving, doesn't always go for pieces much longer than the traditional minute and a half radio offering - less than 300 words. NYT think pieces start at 750, and dead-tree print deadlines make newspaper journalists try to write things that will still be true and interesting for long hours after they've left the keyboard.
This isn't about breaking news, but trends and analysis. Intelligent backgrounders and insightful angles have a long shelf life in the world of the iPad. Can Mark Thompson get past the newsroom control of NYT "publisher" Arthur "Pinch "Sulzberger Junior, to unlock the print skills of New York Times foreign staff ?
Can he create a new genre of video think pieces ? Before BBC.com (now funded by advertising), which ought to lead the way in this field, gets its international analysis in a better shape ?
Friday, August 17, 2012
Forward thinker
In May this year, BBC DG Mark Thompson confessed to "secretly planning" his departure from the BBC for more than seven years. In an interview for the student journalism course at Lincoln University, he said that from the moment London won the Olympics (in July 2005) he thought that would be a great moment "to finish my tour of duty".
Since July 2005, BBC expenses and travel claims show a range of business visits by Mark to the USA.
Los Angeles December 2005
Washington March 2006
Seattle September 2006
Los Angeles/San Francisco April 2008
Washington/Las Vegas January 2009
Los Angeles January 2010
Washington October 2010
New York February 2012
A planned trip to New York in November 2011 was cancelled.
From the Guardian: 17 August 2012: Among the expenses claims is a £3,245.73 return flight to new York taken by Thompson in February. Earlier this week, Thompson was named as the new chief executive of the New York Times Company. The newspaper publisher had been seeking a replacement since December, when Janet Robinson stepped down.
The spokeswoman said Thompson did not meet any executives from the New York Times, or any company related to the newspaper publisher, about the vacancy while he was on the business trip for the BBC in February. "This trip had a full itinerary and was to attend BBC and BBC Worldwide related meetings," she said. "For clarity, there have been no occasions when BBC time or money has been used in the process of him finding a new role."
Since July 2005, BBC expenses and travel claims show a range of business visits by Mark to the USA.
Los Angeles December 2005
Washington March 2006
Seattle September 2006
Los Angeles/San Francisco April 2008
Washington/Las Vegas January 2009
Los Angeles January 2010
Washington October 2010
New York February 2012
A planned trip to New York in November 2011 was cancelled.
From the Guardian: 17 August 2012: Among the expenses claims is a £3,245.73 return flight to new York taken by Thompson in February. Earlier this week, Thompson was named as the new chief executive of the New York Times Company. The newspaper publisher had been seeking a replacement since December, when Janet Robinson stepped down.
The spokeswoman said Thompson did not meet any executives from the New York Times, or any company related to the newspaper publisher, about the vacancy while he was on the business trip for the BBC in February. "This trip had a full itinerary and was to attend BBC and BBC Worldwide related meetings," she said. "For clarity, there have been no occasions when BBC time or money has been used in the process of him finding a new role."
Executive relocation
Big up fearless BBC staff organ Ariel, reporting on BBC executive's expenses. The party line is that, overall, they've fallen by 4% per cent on the previous quarter. Ariel, however, choses to headline that, compared annually, they've risen by 2%.
The final quarter of the year, covering January, February and March, has executives reporting on transport booked and recorded centrally - but also features claims for taxis hired on the streets with receipts, a good number taken across the festive season.
Taking the total taxi bill and claims of the seven-strong Executive alone, that cost £4,466.12. It's worth saying that's on top of Mark Thompson's car and driver (annual cost £64k, quarterly cost £16k) plus a second car and driver, contracted by the BBC for the Chairman, but not required by Lord Patten over this period (thus another £16k). So the total cost of moving executives around in the back seat on four wheels for the three months was £36,500.
Anything else unusual about this quarter ? Well, the race to replace Mark Thompson had been publicly declared in January. Mark booked a trip to New York in February, at a return cost of £3,245. His Director of Future Media, Ralph Rivera may have had time to hunt for a better deal for his visit to the Big Apple the following month - a mere £1,200. Lucy Adams, Director of Business Operations got a bigger bargain in Q4 2011 - JFK return for £441.
The final quarter of the year, covering January, February and March, has executives reporting on transport booked and recorded centrally - but also features claims for taxis hired on the streets with receipts, a good number taken across the festive season.
Taking the total taxi bill and claims of the seven-strong Executive alone, that cost £4,466.12. It's worth saying that's on top of Mark Thompson's car and driver (annual cost £64k, quarterly cost £16k) plus a second car and driver, contracted by the BBC for the Chairman, but not required by Lord Patten over this period (thus another £16k). So the total cost of moving executives around in the back seat on four wheels for the three months was £36,500.
Anything else unusual about this quarter ? Well, the race to replace Mark Thompson had been publicly declared in January. Mark booked a trip to New York in February, at a return cost of £3,245. His Director of Future Media, Ralph Rivera may have had time to hunt for a better deal for his visit to the Big Apple the following month - a mere £1,200. Lucy Adams, Director of Business Operations got a bigger bargain in Q4 2011 - JFK return for £441.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Football fantasy
Admittedly this ad was in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph, and things have changed - but not quite as radically as this list of top players at the Emirates suggests.....
Supermatch
The news that BBC1 Controller Danny Cohen has commissioned a pilot gameshow hosted by a man dressed as a woman and featuring celebrities helping ordinary punters to answer questions and win prizes got me thinking.
The 40 minute pilot - apparently not for transmission - is being made by an ITV susbsidiary. This is another blow to in-house entertainment production teams, and odd because it uses Brendan O'Carroll, star of the BBC Scotland-produced Mrs Brown's Boys, in character as host.
In 1997, Lily Savage fronted a relaunched Blankety Blank, made for BBC1 by Grundy Productions. It ran for over a year, and then moved briefly to ITV. In 1997, Peter Salmon was Controller BBC1, succeeding Michael Jackson. Danny Cohen was 23.
The 40 minute pilot - apparently not for transmission - is being made by an ITV susbsidiary. This is another blow to in-house entertainment production teams, and odd because it uses Brendan O'Carroll, star of the BBC Scotland-produced Mrs Brown's Boys, in character as host.
In 1997, Lily Savage fronted a relaunched Blankety Blank, made for BBC1 by Grundy Productions. It ran for over a year, and then moved briefly to ITV. In 1997, Peter Salmon was Controller BBC1, succeeding Michael Jackson. Danny Cohen was 23.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Thommo and print
During his time at Merton College, Oxford University, Mark Thompson edited the student magazine Isis. In the early seventies, the students had just taken back control from Robert Maxwell, who'd tried to make it a national magazine and failed. In 1972, it was saved by a cheque for £1,000 from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, to settle a printer's bill. In Thommo's time, just after that, it was published fortnightly on Fridays during the academic terms - 12 issues cost £2. In the editor's chair, he turned down an article from Lionel Barber, now editor of the Financial Times. Now the magazine is part of Oxford Student Publications, which also produces the newspaper Cherwell; Isis is printed once a term, and has a subscription-free website. Whatever time Mark devoted to print, he still managed a 1st in English.
At the BBC, the staff newspaper Ariel stopped printing in December last year, after more than 75 years. It now exists only as a website.
At the BBC, the staff newspaper Ariel stopped printing in December last year, after more than 75 years. It now exists only as a website.
Out-takes on Thommo
Smug, liberal, patrician, overstaffed, institutionally biased to the Left while pretending not to be… how on earth will Mark Thompson, outgoing director-general of the BBC, cope with the culture of The New York Times, where he's taking over as CEO?
Damian Thompson in The Daily Telegraph.
He is a highly regarded executive who comes to us from one of the other great global media brands, known for high-quality content and excellence in journalism, the BBC. And importantly, under Mark’s direction, the BBC also became known as a place of constant innovation... His appointment will strengthen our already powerful organization with new ideas and fresh insights. Mark is in the process of relocating to New York from London, and we expect him to start in November. When he arrives, we will schedule employee town halls, so you will have the opportunity to meet him in person.
Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger JNR, Chairman NYT in a memo to staff
The BBC has been misleading and propagandizing the Brits for decades. The BBC's Mark Thompson will feel right at home at the NYT
US Commenter on Politico blog
Good news: He does't have any newspaper publishing experience. Bad news: He doesn't seem to have much experience in developing successful for-profit digital publishing models. However, he seems to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with trying to move staid and long-established news organizations from their legacies to whatever the future holds. As such, he ought to be able to look at the assets and liabilities of NYTCo. with fresh eyes -- which is exactly what the company needs
Alan Mutter, newspaper ed turned digital consultant ("Newsosaur") quoted in Adage.
When I heard Mark Thompson is going to be the new CEO at the NYT, my first thought was "National Youth Theatre? Left field..."
Nick Duncalf on Twitter
Damian Thompson in The Daily Telegraph.
He is a highly regarded executive who comes to us from one of the other great global media brands, known for high-quality content and excellence in journalism, the BBC. And importantly, under Mark’s direction, the BBC also became known as a place of constant innovation... His appointment will strengthen our already powerful organization with new ideas and fresh insights. Mark is in the process of relocating to New York from London, and we expect him to start in November. When he arrives, we will schedule employee town halls, so you will have the opportunity to meet him in person.
Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger JNR, Chairman NYT in a memo to staff
The BBC has been misleading and propagandizing the Brits for decades. The BBC's Mark Thompson will feel right at home at the NYT
US Commenter on Politico blog
Good news: He does't have any newspaper publishing experience. Bad news: He doesn't seem to have much experience in developing successful for-profit digital publishing models. However, he seems to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with trying to move staid and long-established news organizations from their legacies to whatever the future holds. As such, he ought to be able to look at the assets and liabilities of NYTCo. with fresh eyes -- which is exactly what the company needs
Alan Mutter, newspaper ed turned digital consultant ("Newsosaur") quoted in Adage.
When I heard Mark Thompson is going to be the new CEO at the NYT, my first thought was "National Youth Theatre? Left field..."
Nick Duncalf on Twitter
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Gray lady gets new help
Three weeks ago, New York Times Chairman Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr told Wall St that the group was around three months away from appointing a new CEO. And unloved Arthur may prove to be one of Mark Thompson's biggest problems in his new, second career.
He's called "Pinch" in an ironic reference to his father, who was nicknamed "Punch" - and generally accepted to be a much tougher journalistic cookie; Junior has more of a reputation for job cutting. Junior's other nickname is Moose - because in conversations with New York Times staff, he produced a stuffed toy moose, to illustrate that the paper should always take on "the moose in the room" - this side of the pond, we prefer elephant. Arthur is only some five years older than Thommo - will he give the Englishman room to manage ?
He's called "Pinch" in an ironic reference to his father, who was nicknamed "Punch" - and generally accepted to be a much tougher journalistic cookie; Junior has more of a reputation for job cutting. Junior's other nickname is Moose - because in conversations with New York Times staff, he produced a stuffed toy moose, to illustrate that the paper should always take on "the moose in the room" - this side of the pond, we prefer elephant. Arthur is only some five years older than Thommo - will he give the Englishman room to manage ?
- Spencer Stuart were the NYT's headhunters on this occasion, though they have also recently used Egon Zehnder to fill director vacancies.
Gongs-a-go-go ?
Anyone else getting sniffs of a plan for a special Olympics honours list ?
Normally, gongs come in the next available slot - New Year or Birthday honours. After Beijing in 2008, every Olympic gold medallist ended up with an honour ranging from an MBE to a knighthood, though 17 of the 35 Paralympic champions got nothing at all. Just before London 2012, there were hints from Team Cameron that there would be no automatic honours this time - some vague concept of "giving back" would also have to be met.
Now apparently there is momentum behind a plan for a one-off set of honours, which may well be "automatic" - though what you give Sir Chris Hoy is clearly now problematic.
The BBC will probably seek some letters after their names for Roger Mosey and Dave Gordon; I reckon Clare Balding will have to wait until the next Birthday Honours.
Meanwhile I rather hope somebody at the BBC has a quick think about the shape of this year's Sports Personality of the Year award. Many think it would be demeaning to Team GB to choose between Mo, Jessica, Ben, Sir Chris, etc - and that creating a short-list of 10 would be just as invidious. Why not, for this one special year, just have a Sports Review of the Year (and party) without awards - ideally in an Olympic venue ?
Normally, gongs come in the next available slot - New Year or Birthday honours. After Beijing in 2008, every Olympic gold medallist ended up with an honour ranging from an MBE to a knighthood, though 17 of the 35 Paralympic champions got nothing at all. Just before London 2012, there were hints from Team Cameron that there would be no automatic honours this time - some vague concept of "giving back" would also have to be met.
Now apparently there is momentum behind a plan for a one-off set of honours, which may well be "automatic" - though what you give Sir Chris Hoy is clearly now problematic.
The BBC will probably seek some letters after their names for Roger Mosey and Dave Gordon; I reckon Clare Balding will have to wait until the next Birthday Honours.
Meanwhile I rather hope somebody at the BBC has a quick think about the shape of this year's Sports Personality of the Year award. Many think it would be demeaning to Team GB to choose between Mo, Jessica, Ben, Sir Chris, etc - and that creating a short-list of 10 would be just as invidious. Why not, for this one special year, just have a Sports Review of the Year (and party) without awards - ideally in an Olympic venue ?
Older women not the answer...
Piers Morgan's CNN show last Friday night recorded the lowest weekday score I can remember. 55,000 Americans aged 25 to 54 tuned in for interviews with Melissa Etheridge and Gina Gershon.
We just sat there.....
BARB has shared the average tv viewing hours for the first week of the Olympics....
Breakfast battle re-joined
Lorraine Kelly has told Twitter followers that ITV's breakfast offering relaunches on September 3rd. She'll be on the sofa from 7am most weekdays alongside Aled Jones; Kate Garraway will stay on the books as cover. The 6-7am slot will be presented by Matt Barbet, who's followed new editor David Kermode from Channel 5 News, and Ranvir Singh, nicked from the BBC in Manchester.
Back at Salford Quays, Charlie Stayt and Susannah Reid have returned to the BBC Breakfast helm, after being supplanted by others for Olympic period. Has time been kind to them ?
Back at Salford Quays, Charlie Stayt and Susannah Reid have returned to the BBC Breakfast helm, after being supplanted by others for Olympic period. Has time been kind to them ?
Mind that torch...
Readers know I enjoy the results of Freedom of Information requests. Here's an odd one, apparently asked by a journalist from BBC Northern Ireland.
It cost the police in Northern Ireland just over £1m to protect the Torch Releay over five days on their patch. The Metropolitan Police estimated it cost them £750,000 - for seven days.
I'm now a little concerned at the total cost of looking after this operation - which went on for 70 days in all. Even at the cheaper Met daily rate....
It cost the police in Northern Ireland just over £1m to protect the Torch Releay over five days on their patch. The Metropolitan Police estimated it cost them £750,000 - for seven days.
I'm now a little concerned at the total cost of looking after this operation - which went on for 70 days in all. Even at the cheaper Met daily rate....
Monday, August 13, 2012
Up your Trossachs
Post-Olympic blues ? Cheer yourself up with four black and white re-runs (presumably with Gaelic subtitles) of Dr Finlay's Casebook on BBC Alba, starting this Thursday. The very limited number of exteriors were shot in Callander, in the Trossachs.
Looking forward to re-runs of Softly Softly and Mr Pastry from Danny Cohen....
Looking forward to re-runs of Softly Softly and Mr Pastry from Danny Cohen....
Racing uncertainties
It'll be squeaky bum time now for the current racing presenters at Channel 4 and the BBC - who will end up alongside Clare Balding at the big events ? So far there's no suggestion from the new contract holders - C4 and IMG - that Clare will be turning up at the all-weather track at Fontwell, so some old stagers from both camps might survive at run-of-the mill meets. However, Jay Hunt is known for forming decisive opinions about presenters...
Maybe more worrying to the BBC will be the loss of Carl Hicks, (left - caught channelling Harry Hill) who gets to lead the C4 team. As well as Grand Nationals, Royal Ascots and Derbies, he's "edited" Rugby Union, Rugby League and athletics, winning a BAFTA in 2010, and supervising the Gary Lineker show most evenings during the Olympics.
Widnes-born Hicks goes way back with racing, tipping Troy, jockey Willie Carson, to win the Derby to 15-year-old schoolmates in 1979.
Widnes-born Hicks goes way back with racing, tipping Troy, jockey Willie Carson, to win the Derby to 15-year-old schoolmates in 1979.
Huge
An average audience of 22.9 million is a fantastic score for the closing ceremony. Beijing in 2008 got 5.5 million - but it ran from noon, and there was F1 qualifying on ITV.
Meanwhile the ever-helpful Richard Bacon is calling for a full, judge-led inquiry into who let George Michael sing that second song...his latest single, White Light, about his near-death experience.
I'm back
I'm back
Prouder than ever baby
Louder than ever maybe
One more pill
Just one more beer
One less star in the atmosphere
For us
Maybe she just wanted to be free
Heartless pictures on TV
Change that channel that could've been me... I said
Maybe she just wanted to be free
So I just kept breathing my friends
Waiting for the man to choose
Saying this ain't the day that it ends
Cause there's no white light
And I'm not through
I'm alive
I'm alive ... etc, etc, etc
I'd have preferred Club Tropicana. But George stayed up to judge the impact....
Meanwhile the ever-helpful Richard Bacon is calling for a full, judge-led inquiry into who let George Michael sing that second song...his latest single, White Light, about his near-death experience.
I'm back
I'm back
Prouder than ever baby
Louder than ever maybe
One more pill
Just one more beer
One less star in the atmosphere
For us
Maybe she just wanted to be free
Heartless pictures on TV
Change that channel that could've been me... I said
Maybe she just wanted to be free
So I just kept breathing my friends
Waiting for the man to choose
Saying this ain't the day that it ends
Cause there's no white light
And I'm not through
I'm alive
I'm alive ... etc, etc, etc
I'd have preferred Club Tropicana. But George stayed up to judge the impact....
Transatlantic Reviews
What some US newspaper critics thought of the closing ceremony....
With a gaudy three-hour farewell that mashed up theater, acrobatics, fashion and a few generations of musical idols, London extinguished the Olympic torch Sunday night, capping two weeks of athletic achievements with a jukebox collection of songs and a marathon display of endearingly wacky stagecraft. It felt as if the Games had suddenly been programmed by England’s version of the Chamber of Commerce, which decided to take advantage of this final moment in the international spotlight to produce one long and kinetic ad for the country’s pop culture. David Segal, New York Times
In a country with an uncomfortable relationship with aspiration, where the successful are often seen as overly earnest sellouts, the inspiration of the moment may indeed fade fast, many here concede. The choices of aging rock stars and a homage to London of decades gone by as the headlining themes Sunday also suggested less a look forward than a certain clinging to Britain’s past. But like the doses of British beet juice that have become the energy drink of choice among so many Olympians, the London Games have seemed to be nothing if not a $15 billion national pick-me-up. Anthony Faiola, Washington Post
Titled "A Symphony of British Music," Sunday night's closing ceremony-cum-dance-party was a color-coordinated parade of illustrated pop songs, some that will have been less than familiar to foreign listeners, some worldwide hits, but most of them so deeply ingrained into the modern British consciousness as to be extricable only by surgery........ If it lacked the energy and audaciousness and personal touch that Boyle brought to the opening — Sunday's show, directed by Kim Gavin, who specializes in staging big pop concerts in big places, was more like three hours of MTV, and just as good and bad as that might sound. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
With a gaudy three-hour farewell that mashed up theater, acrobatics, fashion and a few generations of musical idols, London extinguished the Olympic torch Sunday night, capping two weeks of athletic achievements with a jukebox collection of songs and a marathon display of endearingly wacky stagecraft. It felt as if the Games had suddenly been programmed by England’s version of the Chamber of Commerce, which decided to take advantage of this final moment in the international spotlight to produce one long and kinetic ad for the country’s pop culture. David Segal, New York Times
In a country with an uncomfortable relationship with aspiration, where the successful are often seen as overly earnest sellouts, the inspiration of the moment may indeed fade fast, many here concede. The choices of aging rock stars and a homage to London of decades gone by as the headlining themes Sunday also suggested less a look forward than a certain clinging to Britain’s past. But like the doses of British beet juice that have become the energy drink of choice among so many Olympians, the London Games have seemed to be nothing if not a $15 billion national pick-me-up. Anthony Faiola, Washington Post
Titled "A Symphony of British Music," Sunday night's closing ceremony-cum-dance-party was a color-coordinated parade of illustrated pop songs, some that will have been less than familiar to foreign listeners, some worldwide hits, but most of them so deeply ingrained into the modern British consciousness as to be extricable only by surgery........ If it lacked the energy and audaciousness and personal touch that Boyle brought to the opening — Sunday's show, directed by Kim Gavin, who specializes in staging big pop concerts in big places, was more like three hours of MTV, and just as good and bad as that might sound. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
Bad wedding disco
I've just woken up from a terrible dream. All the Olympic athletes were imprisoned for hours by blue oompa-loompas, pinned inside a track by that event for odd vehicles that Grandstand used to hold in old claypits. Bradley Wiggins sang Wonderwall with someone from the Bay City Rollers on guitar; the woman who propagates on Gardeners' World appeared on the prow of a pretend ship; and all sorts of other people I didn't really recognise came on and did their third best hit - or, worse, somebody else's third best hit. Russell Brand revealed he'd been to stage school; Kim Gavin revealed that choreographers from Seaside Special aren't all dead; and unlike Danny Boyle's effort, nobody had the guts to say it was too long. And The Who did a MEDLEY.
If you though the binman and his friends from Brazil were a bit hard going, imagine what the rest of the world thought of the UK tonight.
If you though the binman and his friends from Brazil were a bit hard going, imagine what the rest of the world thought of the UK tonight.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Who's asking ?
Peter Preston in The Observer complains about being given the run-around by BBC people over the cost of covering the London Olympics. Someone told him "We never divulge production or rights costs as this information is commercially sensitive".
I think time will provide the answers - as long as the questions come from the right places. In a review of event coverage costs during 2008/9 by the National Audit Office, the BBC said a budget of £16.2m was set for Beijing 2008 (though Auntie could not provide the accountants with a written minute of divisional approval). The NAO said the total spend was never brought together by the BBC until they asked, and then it turned out that they'd come in 4% under budget.
I suspect the NAO can't wait to get back in.
I think time will provide the answers - as long as the questions come from the right places. In a review of event coverage costs during 2008/9 by the National Audit Office, the BBC said a budget of £16.2m was set for Beijing 2008 (though Auntie could not provide the accountants with a written minute of divisional approval). The NAO said the total spend was never brought together by the BBC until they asked, and then it turned out that they'd come in 4% under budget.
I suspect the NAO can't wait to get back in.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Cheerio
Dear visitors,
A few things.
Normally the London transport system doesn't work like this. And we don't speak to tourists on the tube.
Normally there are fewer police around; and they're not always as friendly.
Oxford Street on a quiet day might feel quite relaxed, but normally, it's an unpleasant, slow-moving river of consumer insanity.
We're getting better at food in London; please don't judge us by the Olympic venues.
We have beer as well as bottled lager, and some of it's quite good.
Outside the Olympics, people wearing pink tee-shirts are not obliged to give you assistance.
So, with those caveats, please hurry back.
Bill
A few things.
Normally the London transport system doesn't work like this. And we don't speak to tourists on the tube.
Normally there are fewer police around; and they're not always as friendly.
Oxford Street on a quiet day might feel quite relaxed, but normally, it's an unpleasant, slow-moving river of consumer insanity.
We're getting better at food in London; please don't judge us by the Olympic venues.
We have beer as well as bottled lager, and some of it's quite good.
Outside the Olympics, people wearing pink tee-shirts are not obliged to give you assistance.
So, with those caveats, please hurry back.
Bill
Friday, August 10, 2012
Identity crisis
Funny things find their way onto The Information Highway. It seems no-one will be singing Nick Grimshaw's name when he starts on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. But someone might be saying it, if this brief for new jingles, sorry, sonic identity, delivers...
Friday flap - and dog photo
Nothing like a Friday flap at the BBC, is there? As PR men and women are sent out and about on Twitter to redress the reputation of Mark Thompson, who idly pondered whether BBC News coverage of the Olympics might tilt a little towards other flags, dear old Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 stokes the fire again with a debate on whether or not the BBC has been "too patriotic".
Stuck in the middle is BBC News chief Helen Boaden, whose robust email interpretation of Thommo's gentle suggestion, reads rather too robustly - which suggests it was not meant for general consumption, and definitely not the Daily Mail.
Stuck in the middle is BBC News chief Helen Boaden, whose robust email interpretation of Thommo's gentle suggestion, reads rather too robustly - which suggests it was not meant for general consumption, and definitely not the Daily Mail.
- Not all BBC Twitterers are on message with the Thommo protection plan. This gentleman is trending for a picture of a dog dressed as two dogs carrying a present.
Cheering news
Ah, sport and politics. Who's this in the Olympic Big Mac Box with Cameron and Bojo ? Could it be outgoing BBC Director of 2012, soon to be acting Director of Vision, Roger Mosey ? (bottom right). And punching the air, is that Dominic Coles, Chief Operating Officer of the News Group (BBC News, BBC English Regions, BBC World Service and BBC World News), the Nations (BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland) and the London 2012 Olympics?
 |
| Torn from the Evening Standard |
Soft touch
Give this a listen from around 09.58. "Don't worry, it's not the Today programme, I don't care about the facts and figures..." Chris Evans to our glorious leader David Cameron on Radio 2 yesterday morning; a total of 19 minutes at the microphone, all with the stirring Olympics theme drifting through the background.
Dave was so pleased he posted it on his Facebook page (or maybe Craig Oliver helped). Will there be equal time granted to Miliband before the closing ceremony ?
Dave was so pleased he posted it on his Facebook page (or maybe Craig Oliver helped). Will there be equal time granted to Miliband before the closing ceremony ?
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Only the farmers won...
Gender balance and diversity maybe beginning to play on George Entwistle's mind. If speculators are to be believed, Caroline Thomson, Zarin Patel and Tim Davie may be interested in careers outside the BBC.. There are currently seven BBC posts on the Executive.
All about the music
The Independent believes that Ben Cooper at Radio 1 has offered Chris Moyles the weekday evening slot - 10 til midnight - and that has sparked outrage from people who like music. It's possible that Mr Cooper is putting forward this option in the hope of being turned down.
Moyles' current contract lasts til New Year 2014, and runs at around £400k per year. He earns more from the BBC because of his composing credits on jingles and background instrumentals which are played throughout his breakfast show. Yesterday's programme featured an hour of records in 210 minutes of show time - 28% music. His selections - Justin Bieber (18) Little Mix (average age 19.5) Aiden Grimshaw (20) - aren't going to appeal to an evening audience. But if Moyles ends up with just a weekend show, the contract will have to be negotiated down quite a way.
The Moyles' handover to Grimshaw at Breakfast also looks a little awkward. Moyles has talked of a party show on Thursday 13 September, before his last show on the Friday. Then there's a week yet to be filled before Nick Grimshaw starts on 24th September; this three weeks after most schools are back, despite Cooper's argument about the change being tied to the academic timetable.
Moyles' current contract lasts til New Year 2014, and runs at around £400k per year. He earns more from the BBC because of his composing credits on jingles and background instrumentals which are played throughout his breakfast show. Yesterday's programme featured an hour of records in 210 minutes of show time - 28% music. His selections - Justin Bieber (18) Little Mix (average age 19.5) Aiden Grimshaw (20) - aren't going to appeal to an evening audience. But if Moyles ends up with just a weekend show, the contract will have to be negotiated down quite a way.
The Moyles' handover to Grimshaw at Breakfast also looks a little awkward. Moyles has talked of a party show on Thursday 13 September, before his last show on the Friday. Then there's a week yet to be filled before Nick Grimshaw starts on 24th September; this three weeks after most schools are back, despite Cooper's argument about the change being tied to the academic timetable.
Super human
BBC job ads usually catch my eye for combining spelling mistakes and grammatical errors with statements of the obvious and Grade 1 HR speakak. Today I bring you one clearly written by a different hand. It's for the vacancy as head of User Experience and Design (UX&D) at BBC News. This means how BBC output looks and works on computers, mobiles etc. Let's hope staff who may have to work with this demi-god (scraping by on £70k p.a - a salary a long way behind most of the senior people in news) don't keep a copy
As the new Head of UX&D for News you’ll stand among the most senior people in BBC journalism. So you’ll need to hit the ground sprinting, leading your fellow leaders and taking them with you as you innovate exceptional user experiences.
Along the way you’ll dazzle all and sundry with your supreme expertise, your rousing vision and your insatiable urge to understand, predict and deliver what people want from news.
Sound like you? Apply now for your chance to join a centre of excellence for UX&D, helping us design experiences for the audience of tomorrow, and deliver them to the audience of today.
As the new Head of UX&D for News you’ll stand among the most senior people in BBC journalism. So you’ll need to hit the ground sprinting, leading your fellow leaders and taking them with you as you innovate exceptional user experiences.
Along the way you’ll dazzle all and sundry with your supreme expertise, your rousing vision and your insatiable urge to understand, predict and deliver what people want from news.
Sound like you? Apply now for your chance to join a centre of excellence for UX&D, helping us design experiences for the audience of tomorrow, and deliver them to the audience of today.
On camera
According to the BBC1 news at ten last night (and again all through Breakfast), Bob Hoskins has made "several" films. I make it 66, excluding tv movies. He's also directed, written and produced. I'd hate to hear about anyone with a serious film career retiring.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A famous seaside place...
When cuts clash with strategy....
The BBC won't be visiting the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing. The Blackpool Gazette has the scoop. Apparently, executives have suddenly discovered re-locating the show north for one night is a “mammoth logistical exercise” and the resources would now be put “into other areas of the show”.
The Blackpool show first appeared in 2009, and last year Blackpool hosted the final.
I wonder what will happen to the Wembley show ? And one presumes it's Elstree from 2013 ?
The BBC won't be visiting the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing. The Blackpool Gazette has the scoop. Apparently, executives have suddenly discovered re-locating the show north for one night is a “mammoth logistical exercise” and the resources would now be put “into other areas of the show”.
The Blackpool show first appeared in 2009, and last year Blackpool hosted the final.
I wonder what will happen to the Wembley show ? And one presumes it's Elstree from 2013 ?
Take the Elstree bus....
BBC Studios - one of Auntie's commercial subsidiaries - is moving completely out of Television Centre from Spring next year, and relocating to Elstree.
The long-term plan is to refurbish TC1 and a number of other studios at Television Centre as part of the "partnership" with developers Stanhope.
One hopes the balance sheet of the deal (£200m reported income for Auntie) will be publicly adjusted to cover the cost of this temporary move. It's been announced by BBC Studios Interim CEO Clive Hodge - Anna Mallett joins the party next month.
The long-term plan is to refurbish TC1 and a number of other studios at Television Centre as part of the "partnership" with developers Stanhope.
One hopes the balance sheet of the deal (£200m reported income for Auntie) will be publicly adjusted to cover the cost of this temporary move. It's been announced by BBC Studios Interim CEO Clive Hodge - Anna Mallett joins the party next month.
Heated debate
An unusual whiff of dissent comes swirling from commenters on the Daily Mail website today. Richard Kay is outraged that the BBC's UK hotel bill has gone up from around £750k p.a. to some £2m, as the Out Of London production drive continues.
How do DM reporters' expenses compare to the BBC, per person? The DM should publish, or shut up.
Like all business reorganisations (think moving papers from Fleet Street to Wapping) this will have been included in the budget calculations. Would you rather they had stayed in London, where costs are extortionate and out of proportion to the rest of the UK? Didn`t have to look far to find the knocking BBC article today, did we, but DM you are getting desparate to report them in a negative light with another non story!!
If anything this proves the case for the attempt to balance a national service across the nation. I now have a number of neighbours who have moved with the BBC and they seem very happy to enjoy a mega improvement in their quality of life.. If are starting a debate on relative costs, lets look at all of those working at our expense in overpaid, high overhead positions in prime locations. There are thousands of them who are untouched by the present economic difficulties.
Instead of sensationalising the hotel bill increase can we have some balanced reporting on how much they had planned to save with the move longed term? Any relocation is going to be expensive in the first year or so and clearly this is a consequence here for the BBC. I'm not defending this lefty biased corporation but some perspective here DM wouldn't go amiss!
How do DM reporters' expenses compare to the BBC, per person? The DM should publish, or shut up.
Like all business reorganisations (think moving papers from Fleet Street to Wapping) this will have been included in the budget calculations. Would you rather they had stayed in London, where costs are extortionate and out of proportion to the rest of the UK? Didn`t have to look far to find the knocking BBC article today, did we, but DM you are getting desparate to report them in a negative light with another non story!!
If anything this proves the case for the attempt to balance a national service across the nation. I now have a number of neighbours who have moved with the BBC and they seem very happy to enjoy a mega improvement in their quality of life.. If are starting a debate on relative costs, lets look at all of those working at our expense in overpaid, high overhead positions in prime locations. There are thousands of them who are untouched by the present economic difficulties.
Instead of sensationalising the hotel bill increase can we have some balanced reporting on how much they had planned to save with the move longed term? Any relocation is going to be expensive in the first year or so and clearly this is a consequence here for the BBC. I'm not defending this lefty biased corporation but some perspective here DM wouldn't go amiss!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Go for a walk
Whoever gets the sticky seat at CNN as new "Worldwide President" might like to review the Piers Morgan travel strategy. Letting him "do" the Olympics from London has given him his worst week of ratings so far, amongst Americans aged 25 to 54 (Piers' preferred target). Our hero has been seen by more people a day just wandering round...
Too much fun ?
You have to look hard in architect Penson's designs for Google in London for what you might call "ordinary" office space. They've taken 160,000 sq foot (traditionally enough space for around 200 employees) atop one of Renzo Piano's multicoloured building blocks at Central St Giles, and turned it into a sitcom set for an internet giant. They claim there are 1250 "seats and desks".
Penson is Lee Penson, and the 39-year-old self-professed wunderkind has few pretensions. His website celebrates with equal fervour jobs for a Premier Inn, a Ramada Encore in Leicester, the fact that OK magazine have done a shoot in boutique hotel Stoke Place, and that Lee likes parties and sailing.
Here's a few Google shots - there's plenty more here in Dezeen.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Blind side beater
So this is how the new BBC Executive Board will line up from September 17th. The arrival of Roger Mosey, as acting Director of Vision, probably means a seat on the board is his for some time - if not necessarily in Vision. Seven is the same as a water polo team - or the number required for Quidditch. I wonder how it'll look by Christmas.
Mind's eye
Sometimes, when you only hear radio news, you can create a wrong picture. Curiosity Rover.
Tyke time
George Entwistle is "keeping it Yorkshire" in his first move as DG-Designate. Roger Mosey, 54, currently the BBC's Olympics supremo, is to be acting Director of Vision - filling (temporarily or not ?) the gap left by George's promotion.
Roger was born in Bradford, and went to Bradford Grammar before Wadham College, Oxford; he splits his football loyalties between Bradford City and Arsenal FC. George Entwistle has the environs of Wakefield to thank for his upbringing - Silcoates School and then Queen Elizabeth Grammar School - before pressing on to Castle College, Durham University.
However, he was born in Woolwich (which many people, me included, have previously missed). Whether or not this implies any loyalty to the (Woolwich) Arsenal, needs clarification.
Roger was born in Bradford, and went to Bradford Grammar before Wadham College, Oxford; he splits his football loyalties between Bradford City and Arsenal FC. George Entwistle has the environs of Wakefield to thank for his upbringing - Silcoates School and then Queen Elizabeth Grammar School - before pressing on to Castle College, Durham University.
However, he was born in Woolwich (which many people, me included, have previously missed). Whether or not this implies any loyalty to the (Woolwich) Arsenal, needs clarification.
Knockout stage
In the middle of all this Olympic joy, spare a thought for two strong women, who've been instrumental in our success, and who will have to fight it out for a job when this is all over.
The Tories' clampdown on quangoes means Sport England and UK Sport have to sort out a merger after these games. Both spend your money (Government grants and lottery funds - with UK Sport also raising some funds through sponsorship) - with Sport England focussed more on strategy and facilities for general sporting participation, and UK Sport more on top talent.
Sport England is led by Jennie Price, a lawyer by training, who's come through the construction industry and running Government recycling schemes, to this job in 2007.
UK Sport's CEO is Liz Nicholl OBE, a netball player who went on to run the sport in England for 16 years, before joining UK Sport first in 1999.
It would nice to think there'd be a role for both of them in the future, if they wanted it.
The Tories' clampdown on quangoes means Sport England and UK Sport have to sort out a merger after these games. Both spend your money (Government grants and lottery funds - with UK Sport also raising some funds through sponsorship) - with Sport England focussed more on strategy and facilities for general sporting participation, and UK Sport more on top talent.
UK Sport's CEO is Liz Nicholl OBE, a netball player who went on to run the sport in England for 16 years, before joining UK Sport first in 1999.It would nice to think there'd be a role for both of them in the future, if they wanted it.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
A little chat
That little tinker Alan Yentob seems to have got himself signed up for an episode of Living The Life, Backdoor Productions' conversation series for SKY ARTS. We can only hope he's told Big George.
The format pitches arty celeb against arty celeb, in armchairs, and sometimes with glasses of alcohol to hand, at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden.
The only route to redemption for Alan is to insist that he's paired with Salman Rushdie, also on the contributor list for Series 2, so that Simon Amstell's fictional grandma can at least end her confusion of the two once and for all.
The format pitches arty celeb against arty celeb, in armchairs, and sometimes with glasses of alcohol to hand, at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden.
The only route to redemption for Alan is to insist that he's paired with Salman Rushdie, also on the contributor list for Series 2, so that Simon Amstell's fictional grandma can at least end her confusion of the two once and for all.
Understanding Auntie
Here's a small selection of understatements from the June minutes of the BBC Executive, decoded by yours truly.
3: General update
The Board discussed the BBC’s coverage of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, focusing in particular on the river pageant, associated press coverage and the BBC’s response to it. A number of points were made and Mark Thompson agreed it would be useful to reflect on the conversation. The Board also agreed it would be helpful to have a briefing note with key facts and audience figures.
Decoded: There's still a bit of a row going on....
4 Commercial Framework
Summary: This section of the meeting focused on the commercial framework proposals discussed by the Board at its last few meetings and also included a presentation on BBC Worldwide’s strategy. The Board discussed the proposals and the presentation and the timetable for considering these alongside a piece of work on the financials flowing from the framework proposals. It was noted that all three pieces of work would return to the Board for further discussion and approval.
Decoded: There's still a bit of a row going on....
8.7 This paper noted that, as part of the BBC Trust’s ongoing programme of reviews and
seminars on the impartiality of BBC coverage, Edward Mortimer had been commissioned by the BBC Trust to focus on the impartiality and accuracy of the BBC’s coverage of the events known as the “Arab Spring”. The paper presented BBC News Group Management’s response to the report.
8.8 The Board acknowledged the main points of the report, noting it was unusual to review an ongoing story. The Board approved the response for submission to the Trust.
Decoded: where does the Trust think it gets off reviewing a story that's still to run its course ?
The Board discussed the BBC’s coverage of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, focusing in particular on the river pageant, associated press coverage and the BBC’s response to it. A number of points were made and Mark Thompson agreed it would be useful to reflect on the conversation. The Board also agreed it would be helpful to have a briefing note with key facts and audience figures.
Decoded: There's still a bit of a row going on....
4 Commercial Framework
Summary: This section of the meeting focused on the commercial framework proposals discussed by the Board at its last few meetings and also included a presentation on BBC Worldwide’s strategy. The Board discussed the proposals and the presentation and the timetable for considering these alongside a piece of work on the financials flowing from the framework proposals. It was noted that all three pieces of work would return to the Board for further discussion and approval.
Decoded: There's still a bit of a row going on....
8.7 This paper noted that, as part of the BBC Trust’s ongoing programme of reviews and
seminars on the impartiality of BBC coverage, Edward Mortimer had been commissioned by the BBC Trust to focus on the impartiality and accuracy of the BBC’s coverage of the events known as the “Arab Spring”. The paper presented BBC News Group Management’s response to the report.
8.8 The Board acknowledged the main points of the report, noting it was unusual to review an ongoing story. The Board approved the response for submission to the Trust.
Decoded: where does the Trust think it gets off reviewing a story that's still to run its course ?
Other hashtags are available....
And to remind you that there's more than one way of looking at things, try #GBJOfacts on Twitter (Grande Bretagne Jeux Olympiques). One consequence of the re-start of the men's double sculls - when the British pair held up a broken seat, within the first 100m, which, under the rules, allows a complete re-run - was that, as we sobbed with the Brits winning silver, the French howled at coming fourth.
The cascade of tweets is wide-ranging in its targets.
"Usain Bolt applies for British nationality to be allowed to make false starts".
"During the marathon, if an Englishman gets tired, he is entitled to a taxi".
"Federer will have to play Murray with a ping-pong bat".
"Team GB have been given the right to replay the football match against Korea on Playstation"
"Flipper the Dolphin has been authorised to swim for GB".
"The Queen has just knighted 738 Olympic judges".
"By Royal decree, it is mandatory to carry a screwdriver for everyone in the country"
The cascade of tweets is wide-ranging in its targets.
"Usain Bolt applies for British nationality to be allowed to make false starts".
"During the marathon, if an Englishman gets tired, he is entitled to a taxi".
"Federer will have to play Murray with a ping-pong bat".
"Team GB have been given the right to replay the football match against Korea on Playstation"
"Flipper the Dolphin has been authorised to swim for GB".
"The Queen has just knighted 738 Olympic judges".
"By Royal decree, it is mandatory to carry a screwdriver for everyone in the country"
Who stipulated ?
Another tricky one for BBC News and Zarin Patel on staff and company status; this from Fiona Bruce, interviewed in The Independent....
"I formed a service company because it was a stipulation laid down by the BBC. And I pay my full share of tax." So, you pay the 50p tax rate? "Yes." So why have all the embarrassment of a PSC? "It's a stipulation that I, and a number of other presenters, have to form service companies to be employed by the BBC. It's not my choice, and it would never be my choice. But that's the situation."
"I formed a service company because it was a stipulation laid down by the BBC. And I pay my full share of tax." So, you pay the 50p tax rate? "Yes." So why have all the embarrassment of a PSC? "It's a stipulation that I, and a number of other presenters, have to form service companies to be employed by the BBC. It's not my choice, and it would never be my choice. But that's the situation."
Just saying....
What you may have missed yesterday at the Olympics, by watching BBC 1 in the evening.
Michael Phelps retired from swimming after gold in the 4x100m medley relay. The British team were fourth.
The United States women's team won their 4x100m medley relay. GB was eighth.
Sun Yang of China won gold in the Men's 1500m freestyle. Daniel Fogg was eighth.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the women's 50m freestyle title; Francesca Halsall, GB, was fifth.
Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retained her 100m title.
In weightlifting, Russia's Alexandr Ivanov won the men's 94kg snatch. GB's Peter Kirkbride came 19th.
Nicola Spring of Switzerland won the Women's Triathlon. Team GB's Helen Jenkins came fifth.
Jessica Rossi of Italay struck gold in the shooting, in the Trap final, as did Jamie Gray of the States in the women's 50m rifle 3 x 20 final.
World champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic won the Wommen's Single Sculls.
Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark got gold in the Men's Lightweight Double Sculls.
Rosannagh McLennan of Canada won the Women's Trampoline gold; Katherine Driscoll of Team GB came equal eighth.
Korea won gold in the Team Epee fencing (as well as seeing Team GB out of the football)
Sandra Perkovic of Croatia won the Women's Discus.
Chen Ding of China won the Men's 20km walk - there were no Brits in the top 50.
In many ways, the proliferation of channels is a cop-out for the editors at BBC Sport; in the old days of Coleman Olympics, there would at least be an update/round-up of other results.
OK, it was an extraordinary night for British sport. It was also an extraordinary night for British VT editors - different teams cutting highlights for the end of Lineker, the news titles, the four news sports packages, and the opening sequences of the Gabby Logan round-up. Another trite flap doodle from sports editor David Bond (and plenty of sports guests elsewhere) failed to offer any notion of explanation for this "day-without-parallel" for Brit sport. Better training ? Better facilities ? Better pay ? More strategic sports investment ? More sponsorship ? Better school sport ? Improving diet ? A rebirth of British grit and determination under the wobbly Coalition ? I did it for BoJo ? Let's have some proper analysis and reporting.
Michael Phelps retired from swimming after gold in the 4x100m medley relay. The British team were fourth.
The United States women's team won their 4x100m medley relay. GB was eighth.
Sun Yang of China won gold in the Men's 1500m freestyle. Daniel Fogg was eighth.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the women's 50m freestyle title; Francesca Halsall, GB, was fifth.
Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retained her 100m title.
In weightlifting, Russia's Alexandr Ivanov won the men's 94kg snatch. GB's Peter Kirkbride came 19th.
Nicola Spring of Switzerland won the Women's Triathlon. Team GB's Helen Jenkins came fifth.
Jessica Rossi of Italay struck gold in the shooting, in the Trap final, as did Jamie Gray of the States in the women's 50m rifle 3 x 20 final.
World champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic won the Wommen's Single Sculls.
Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark got gold in the Men's Lightweight Double Sculls.
Rosannagh McLennan of Canada won the Women's Trampoline gold; Katherine Driscoll of Team GB came equal eighth.
Korea won gold in the Team Epee fencing (as well as seeing Team GB out of the football)
Sandra Perkovic of Croatia won the Women's Discus.
Chen Ding of China won the Men's 20km walk - there were no Brits in the top 50.
In many ways, the proliferation of channels is a cop-out for the editors at BBC Sport; in the old days of Coleman Olympics, there would at least be an update/round-up of other results.
OK, it was an extraordinary night for British sport. It was also an extraordinary night for British VT editors - different teams cutting highlights for the end of Lineker, the news titles, the four news sports packages, and the opening sequences of the Gabby Logan round-up. Another trite flap doodle from sports editor David Bond (and plenty of sports guests elsewhere) failed to offer any notion of explanation for this "day-without-parallel" for Brit sport. Better training ? Better facilities ? Better pay ? More strategic sports investment ? More sponsorship ? Better school sport ? Improving diet ? A rebirth of British grit and determination under the wobbly Coalition ? I did it for BoJo ? Let's have some proper analysis and reporting.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Parish news 2
The Czechs have taken over the Business Design Centre in Islington for their Olympic party base - and Czech artist David Cerny has created the "London Booster 2012" on the forecourt - a Routemaster that does press-ups all day, emitting audible groans.
Parish news 1
Youngs' Chinese restaurant - a stalwart of the mid-price range for Islington long before our various and continuing recessions - has had it. For more than thirty years, first in Canonbury Lane, and then in bigger premises on Upper Street, it's been cheerfully piling up the plates on round tables. Now, perhaps no longer leading-edge for a faddy generation, it's to be replaced by a branch of the upstart Le Mercury, started in 1987 by Peter Ilic, with the publicity stunt of customers paying what they thought the food was worth. It's now run by Peter's ex-wife, Grace - prices are cheap but fixed.
BBC topper goes pop in K-deal
Is it possible that Mark Thompson is winding down his DG-ship with a few cocktails on the Olympic-meejah party circuit ? Has he told George Entwistle or Danny Cohen about this deal with the Korean Broadcasting System ?
"KBS president Kim In Kyu has met with BBC's Mark Thompson in London to discuss plans for a K-Pop concert as well as a K-Pop documentary film. They plan to co-produce both of these films together."
It's this sort of stuff....
"KBS president Kim In Kyu has met with BBC's Mark Thompson in London to discuss plans for a K-Pop concert as well as a K-Pop documentary film. They plan to co-produce both of these films together."
It's this sort of stuff....
Strong government
For the bewildered, here's two process charts for dealing with the proposed merger of GMG Radio and Global Radio. The first, the preferred Global Radio/Ashley Tabor line, included a six month's fast track assessment by the Competition Commission. The second, the change in process required by Jeremy Hunt. The only difference is time - a longer time before Ashley can reduce costs and increase profits across the new group, and a longer time for Jeremy Hunt to be in a different job when the wails come...
Friday, August 3, 2012
Quantity
On Thursday night, Piers Morgan peppered his CNN Tonight audience with Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, Marion Jones and Fabrice Muamba. 81,000 people aged 25 to 54 tuned in across America.
More peacocks
Time for Tim Davie to call a meeting between Ben Cooper, minder of Moyles, and Bob Shennan, minder of victims ? Or are there no producers at Radio 2 this week ?
Effortless
Wednesday's edition of Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN offered Michael Johnson and Lord Coe. 89,000 American viewers aged 25 to 54 stuck with it. BBC Coventry and Warwickshire's reach in the latest RAJAR figures was 88,000. Even David Holdsworth might now turn down a bid for the All-England show with Piers as front man....
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Gt Portland Street: interior
1st Assistant Head of Governance: "Busy day ?"
2nd Assistant Head of Governance: "Totally frantic, bruv, considering the top man's scuttled off to France. Had to present the shortlist for that impartiality review to Alison Hastings".
1st "Who made it ?"
2nd "Well I gave her Harry Hill, 'cos he seems to watch a lot of telly anyway, and maybe we could save money on all those surveys. Then Rod Liddle - he's got a humungous range of opinions, and they say he used to work here. And an old dude who produces Grumpy Old Men, Stuart Prebble, who apparently was a player once."
1st "And.... ?"
2nd "Well, she had her severe face on - you know, the one when Panorama goes smelly. Then she read that Prebble used to be a reporter with the Beeb in Newcastle, and it was all smiles and time for a little light shopping"
1st "Simples. Well done, you".
2nd Assistant Head of Governance: "Totally frantic, bruv, considering the top man's scuttled off to France. Had to present the shortlist for that impartiality review to Alison Hastings".
1st "Who made it ?"
2nd "Well I gave her Harry Hill, 'cos he seems to watch a lot of telly anyway, and maybe we could save money on all those surveys. Then Rod Liddle - he's got a humungous range of opinions, and they say he used to work here. And an old dude who produces Grumpy Old Men, Stuart Prebble, who apparently was a player once."
1st "And.... ?"
2nd "Well, she had her severe face on - you know, the one when Panorama goes smelly. Then she read that Prebble used to be a reporter with the Beeb in Newcastle, and it was all smiles and time for a little light shopping"
1st "Simples. Well done, you".
Taking the biscuit
John Bridcut wrote a wonderfully pompous "impartiality" report for the BBC Governors in 2007. Seminars were held to help the conclusions, debating important hypotheticals such as "Sacha Baron Cohen is Paul Merton’s guest in Room 101, and says that, among the things he wants to get rid of are: kosher food, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bible. Is this a problem?" The result included 12 Hopelessly Unmemorable Guiding Principles, and an assertion that it's possible to have more than two different opinions on the same subject. (I apologise for the length of the extract below, but it's important to give you a flavour of the impartiality industry and how it works.)
Impartiality today requires a greater subtlety in covering and counterpointing the varied shades of opinion – and arguably always should have done. Whereas opinion used to be balanced in simple alternatives – and could be measured in tilts of the seesaw or swings of the pendulum – nowadays a more appropriate metaphor might be the many spokes of the wagon wheel, particularly the three-dimensional television graphic developed for cricket coverage to illustrate the trajectories (both plan and elevation) of balls hit by batsmen. The wheel is not exactly circular, it has a shifting centre, the ‘spokes’ are not necessarily evenly spaced, nor do they all reach the edge of the wheel, nor does one ‘spoke’ necessarily point in a directly opposite direction to another. So opinion is not confined to ‘left’ and ‘right’ but ranges through 360 degrees. One opinion is not necessarily the exact opposite of another, nor do they all reach the extremity of available argument.
So now in 2012, Stuart Prebble has been asked by the Trust to measure the impact of this searing insight on the modern BBC. Good luck, chum.
Medalling
I'm not currently anticipating many new tweets from Piers Morgan about audience figures during the Olympics.
On Monday his CNN show, from London, offered swimmer Ryan Lochte's mother, after he'd won gold in the 400-metre individual medley, and Mark Spitz on the controversy surrounding Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen. Audience return in the 25-54 demographic - 72,000.
On Tuesday, he feted viewers with Panasonic North America CEO Joe Taylor and Sir Steve Redgrave. Audience return in the 25-54 demographic - 73,000.
And before you say that real fans are watching the live Olympics on NBC, Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (261,000 and 280,000) and Bill Hannity on Fox News (358,000 and 339,000) are holding up a little better. Our Piers is even being pipped by Dr Drew on Headline News again...
On Monday his CNN show, from London, offered swimmer Ryan Lochte's mother, after he'd won gold in the 400-metre individual medley, and Mark Spitz on the controversy surrounding Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen. Audience return in the 25-54 demographic - 72,000.
On Tuesday, he feted viewers with Panasonic North America CEO Joe Taylor and Sir Steve Redgrave. Audience return in the 25-54 demographic - 73,000.
And before you say that real fans are watching the live Olympics on NBC, Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (261,000 and 280,000) and Bill Hannity on Fox News (358,000 and 339,000) are holding up a little better. Our Piers is even being pipped by Dr Drew on Headline News again...
- For context, weekly reach of BBC Radio Oxford is 68,000.
Rajar radar
The latest quarterly listening figures make it hard for the BBC to provide a warm bath of joy for all; total BBC listening is down 1,000,000 year on year - so those swimming even a little against the tide are doing well.
So, using year-on-year stats, Radio 2 has 491k more listeners, 6Music has 109k more, and The Asian Network has 47k more, up to a new record. A triple whammy for Bob Shennan. He must think he's in pole position, should Tim Davie still be bothering the headhunters. Or will Olympic sheen slide Roger Mosey into Broadcasting House ?
Radio 4 Extra has hit a new record, up 31k. Meanwhile Radio Cymru has lost 15k, down to 131,000. Figures for Radio nan Gaidheal aren't published.
Radio Manchester, now in the bosom of the MediacityUK mothership, will be pleased with an extra 65,000 listeners year on year - up to 230,000 - but still a little off 2001 peaks of 361,000.
At Talksport, a strategy blip for Moz Dee, never riddled with self-doubt. Making sport, sorry, football, the sole topic of conversation 24 hours a day coincided with a loss of 293k listeners.
So, using year-on-year stats, Radio 2 has 491k more listeners, 6Music has 109k more, and The Asian Network has 47k more, up to a new record. A triple whammy for Bob Shennan. He must think he's in pole position, should Tim Davie still be bothering the headhunters. Or will Olympic sheen slide Roger Mosey into Broadcasting House ?
Radio 4 Extra has hit a new record, up 31k. Meanwhile Radio Cymru has lost 15k, down to 131,000. Figures for Radio nan Gaidheal aren't published.
Radio Manchester, now in the bosom of the MediacityUK mothership, will be pleased with an extra 65,000 listeners year on year - up to 230,000 - but still a little off 2001 peaks of 361,000.
At Talksport, a strategy blip for Moz Dee, never riddled with self-doubt. Making sport, sorry, football, the sole topic of conversation 24 hours a day coincided with a loss of 293k listeners.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Uniquely
This blog has been following the rise of Mail Online for sometime, (cf last year's post "Beating the bikinis") and offers this advice to the BBC: don't trade stats with 'em.
This week the Mail claimed 44.7 unique global visitors, quoting Comscore figures, and said that put it 35% ahead of the BBC News website.
A BBC spokesman said that was wrong, telling Press Gazette: "In Q1 of 2012 the BBC News website was visited by an average of 39m unique browsers each week worldwide. In the UK, the BBC uses weekly figures as opposed to monthly because we see them as more accurate. The Comscore figures quoted by the Mail for BBC News do not include content from other parts of BBC Online such as Sport, Weather and the World Service, which also form part of our news and information services to audiences."
“Taking these into account, Comscore’s overall figure for the BBC website shows that it was visited by 57.4 million unique browsers in June.”
The problem is that the Mail Online has a staff of around 70 on the editorial side, and just over 30 on the commercial side. Even if everyone at Associated Newspapers was working on the website, that would 3,800. BBC News has close to 6,000 staff at its disposal.
This week the Mail claimed 44.7 unique global visitors, quoting Comscore figures, and said that put it 35% ahead of the BBC News website.
A BBC spokesman said that was wrong, telling Press Gazette: "In Q1 of 2012 the BBC News website was visited by an average of 39m unique browsers each week worldwide. In the UK, the BBC uses weekly figures as opposed to monthly because we see them as more accurate. The Comscore figures quoted by the Mail for BBC News do not include content from other parts of BBC Online such as Sport, Weather and the World Service, which also form part of our news and information services to audiences."
“Taking these into account, Comscore’s overall figure for the BBC website shows that it was visited by 57.4 million unique browsers in June.”
The problem is that the Mail Online has a staff of around 70 on the editorial side, and just over 30 on the commercial side. Even if everyone at Associated Newspapers was working on the website, that would 3,800. BBC News has close to 6,000 staff at its disposal.
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