Tim Davie takes over as acting BBC DG

nikobatallonesnikobatallones Posts: 3,987
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...with George Entwistle resigning after the McAlpine issue blew up on his face for lack of a better term:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/11/bbc-crisis-tim-davie-appointment

This won't exactly affect radio much since the BBC top brass has bigger things to deal with, but since Davie's a candidate for the DG position before Entwistle got it there's a possibility that he'll get the position full-time.

Also, Davie did handle most BBC radio stations, so I thought we'd discuss it here... if he does go full-time, what could happen to the radio stations? Or even now, if the search drags for too long?

Just don't touch 6 Music again, that's what I say (and I know that was Mark Thompson's idea).
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Comments

  • occyoccy Posts: 64,624
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    Another scandal on his watch. A editorial problem similar to Ross and Brand.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    I can't see controller of Radio 5 Live Adrian van Klaveren surviving either.
    He was the executive overseeing Newsnight when the McAlpine programme aired last week.

    Head of news Helen Boaden also faces the chop.

    Speaking on the Andrew Marr programme this morning former newspaper editor Max Hastings predicted a bloodbath in the wake of this and slated decisions such as the stupid move to Salford.

    The John Humphreys interview on Today was excellent.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9668884/George-Entwistle-under-fire-the-full-transcript-of-Today-interview.html
  • Rodney CollinsRodney Collins Posts: 831
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    I agree with what Old Pilot has said here - Helen B surely cant survive all of this. The DG really had to go after Radio 4's TODAY. He sounded hopeless.
    Meanwhile the Savile business rolls on with another arrest this morning, and I think probably an ex-BBC employee.
  • trendartrendar Posts: 499
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    old pilot wrote: »
    I can't see controller of Radio 5 Live Adrian van Klaveren surviving either.
    He was the executive overseeing Newsnight when the McAlpine programme aired last week.

    Head of news Helen Boaden also faces the chop.

    Speaking on the Andrew Marr programme this morning former newspaper editor Max Hastings predicted a bloodbath in the wake of this and slated decisions such as the stupid move to Salford.

    The John Humphreys interview on Today was excellent.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9668884/George-Entwistle-under-fire-the-full-transcript-of-Today-interview.html

    Someone said this morning that the Humphreys interview displayed the best (Humphreys) and worst (Entwhistle) of the BBC. It seems incredible that the then DG allowed himself to, again, come over as though he had no prior knowledge of what was clearly an important piece of investigative journalism.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    Quite frankly John Humphreys and Today did a superb job but I'm puzzled why a couple of key players have kept their heads down

    I'm shocked we have heard so little from Helen Boaden given that she has has overall editorial and managerial responsibility for UK-wide and global news and current affairs on radio, television and online.

    Given her high profile job as the person in charge of all BBC news she would have been in the loop and is an ex radio journo

    This from her BBC biog.
    Since April 2009 Helen also overseen the 12 English Regions and 40 local radio stations. Since April 2011 she has had responsibility for the Global News division, including World Service and BBC World News.
    She leads more than 8,000 staff who produce content that reaches 80% of the UK each week and 241 million people in more than 200 countries and territories globally.
    She is responsible for the safe deployment of her staff around the UK and the world.
    She is a member of the BBC Executive Board, the BBC Direction Group and the News Group Board.

    She get's paid £354,000 plus has a nice BBC pension coming up.

    Then we have another ex radio journalist,Adrian Van Klaveren, who was in charge of Newsnight on the day of this disaster.
    Adrian Van Klaveren is the Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, a role he started in April 2008.

    Adrian was formerly the Deputy Director of BBC News and Controller, News Production, with responsibility for developing and implementing News' production strategy and for overseeing new services, including news on-demand and the increasing use of user generated content. He also deputised for the BBC's Director of News, Helen Boaden.

    Previously Adrian was Head of BBC Newsgathering, the world's biggest broadcast newsgathering operation. The department brings in coverage from Britain and around the world for all BBC news programmes on TV and radio, both in the UK and internationally.

    Adrian is a former Head of Local Programmes for BBC West Midlands based in Birmingham, where he was responsible for the output of BBC regional television from Birmingham and five local radio stations.

    Both of these people should do the decent thing and follow the DG.
  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    Speculation on LBC this morning (so pinch of salt is mandatory) that the job will will be changed to be more of a chief executive, with an editor-in-chief reporting to them rather than both roles being taken by the DG. Ofcom's Ed Richards being touted as the executive so he would need someone with editorial experience to control the content side, which rules out Tim Davie in the long term.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 831
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    old pilot wrote: »
    I can't see controller of Radio 5 Live Adrian van Klaveren surviving either.
    He was the executive overseeing Newsnight when the McAlpine programme aired last week.

    Yes, time for the inept AVK to go. He's presided over the dumbing down of 5 live and it's likely the next set of Rajars for the station will dip below 6 million.
  • CapitalLifeCapitalLife Posts: 650
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    I heard John Humpries basically flambéing the DG (this went beyond grilling) and did think he might fall on his sword after that. I guess it's interesting to see Ed Richards in the frame again, wasn't too impressed with his term at Ofcom looking at it from a Radio perspective.
    Yes, time for the inept AVK to go. He's presided over the dumbing down of 5 live and it's likely the next set of Rajars for the station will dip below 6 million.

    Haven't listened to 5live on the radio really since Cash Peters was forced out the first time and then when they brought him back after complaints I only listened on iPlayer for that 25 minutes with him and Rhod. Now that he's no longer there (https://fr.twitter.com/cashpeters/status/231586970135040000) I don't listen at all. 5live used to be on all the time but now I've stopped all that, I listen to Radio 4 more and some Magic in the evenings.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    AVK and Boaden have risen from the ranks of local radio without ever having worked for another major broadcaster or newspaper and it shows.

    The BBC has a talent for breeding pen pushing managers who have not got the sort of 'daily hands on' experience of national newspaper editors.

    It was interesting to compare the bumbling ex DG with the sharp incisive and switched on Steve Hewlett on R4 this lunchtime.

    I was surprised in today's World At One that neither had the courage to defend their positions.
    We asked for someone from the BBC to comment but no one was available
  • redvers36redvers36 Posts: 4,895
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    Yes, time for the inept AVK to go. He's presided over the dumbing down of 5 live and it's likely the next set of Rajars for the station will dip below 6 million.

    I agree. AVK 's obsession with dumbing down and the likes of Richard "the ego has landed" Bacon has made much of fivelive unlistenable.
  • Harris TweedHarris Tweed Posts: 1,613
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    OK.. I'll bite :)

    - If a year's salary for a negotiated exit is the going rate, fair enough I suppose - but pitching it as either "honourable", "resigning" or "taking responsibility" won't wash. It also sticks in the throat given that this amount would cover the cuts bill for a number of local radio stations.

    - The idea of getting shot of the old BBC board of governors to separate the "cheerleading" from the "regulation". That worked well, didn't it? Put the BBC under Ofcom for regulation and be done with it (and let non-execs like Patten actually account for their actions as part of a single BBC Board). It works for Channel 4.

    - I agree the "resignations" aren't done yet. Deputy heads will roll. Either Boaden or van Klaveren - and maybe both - have to be at risk, and others like Steve Mitchell over Savile. I say "either" AvK or HB.. that will depend on whether this is a one-off screw up (on AvK's watch) or a failure of systems or culture (ie long before HB stepped aside from Savile matters). And Patten will feel the heat over the pay-out. The only thing saving them all at the moment is that there would be a MASSIVE vaccum at the top if all those people went at once.

    - Indeed, the very idea that the whole management chain "recused" themselves from any story which talks about child abuse seems a bit odd. Fair enough not leading on the specifics of the BBC's response to Savile.. but ANY historic abuse story?

    - For all the outrage about his salary, the Deputy DG position formerly held by Mark Byford comes pretty close to the editor-in-chief/chief exec split now suggested as a panacaea. It's nonsense to suggest a DG should be across the editorial detail of almost anything.

    - Given which, the BBC badly needs a chief exec with some experience of running a(nother) large organisation, more than it needs a great broadcaster or editor. And either the likes of Helen Boaden and the rest of the board need to step up as the editorial leaders, or there needs to be a Deputy DG/editor in chief.

    - Newsnight is badly holed. I'd bin it, and make the 10 o'clock news an hour-long in the style of C4 - more impact on BBC One, and a chance to bin some baggage. Fewer panels of retired politicians arguing the toss, and more incisive, investigative journalism with enough resources not to be rubbish.
  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    Excellent interview with David Dimbleby on R4 just now. He said that the BBC was staffed by people who worked long hours for little pay because they were passionate about public service broadcasting, but the management spoke gobbledegook and got their jobs by knowing how to play the system. He effectively said that the fact that Entwistle gave such a feeble interview showed he was the wrong man for the job, and that it would be a huge mistake to rush into appointing another DG.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    Former BBC presenter Mike Smith tweets: BBC News now have a live helicopter up at £1500 an hour. Filming the BBC. #bizarre
  • Harris TweedHarris Tweed Posts: 1,613
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    old pilot wrote: »
    Former BBC presenter Mike Smith tweets: BBC News now have a live helicopter up at £1500 an hour. Filming the BBC. #bizarre

    I was rather hoping it was the correspondent who was "LIVE" and not the copter shots.

    *Surely* they were library?

    Please?
  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    Why do we need to know what the BBC looks like from above?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 831
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    As the BBC's Labour chum Ed Miliband likes to say - "they just don't get it".
  • overlineoverline Posts: 1,898
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    old pilot wrote: »
    Former BBC presenter Mike Smith tweets: BBC News now have a live helicopter up at £1500 an hour. Filming the BBC. #bizarre

    Crazy, they could do it for a fraction of the price with one of these: http://www.maplin.co.uk/spy-hawk-2.4ghz-fpv-rc-plane-662404?C=73669&source=Webgains
  • BarnardBarnard Posts: 79
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    The Newsnight naughty little bit of Tory dirt digging was done whilst AVK was overseeing Newsnight. It reminds me of the same kind of digging for a story that happens on the Derbyshire show on Radio 5.

    In my opinion, everything that has gone wrong with Newsnight can be seen in some of the vacuous journalism that takes place on five live. It was simmering away on FiveLive and finally came to the boil on Newsnight.

    All that was needed was a little patience before going live.
  • trendartrendar Posts: 499
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    Davie might be doing the right things but he didnt come over too well on the BBC News 24 interview at Midday.
  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    trendar wrote: »
    Davie might be doing the right things but he didnt come over too well on the BBC News 24 interview at Midday.
    I was very surprised at how robustly he handled the interview on World at One today. He came across as authoritative and in control and as having a clear idea of what to do.
  • occyoccy Posts: 64,624
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    old pilot wrote: »
    Former BBC presenter Mike Smith tweets: BBC News now have a live helicopter up at £1500 an hour. Filming the BBC. #bizarre

    Isn't it Mike's company which provides the OB Helicopters? :rolleyes:
  • occyoccy Posts: 64,624
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    They put Tim Davie in front of the camera with the BBC embroiled with another Editorial mishap, just like the Ross and Brand scandal. I'm thinking will Davie start to kick arse - as it would feel that he's been used as a scape goat.
  • Martin PhillpMartin Phillp Posts: 34,659
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    Inkblot wrote: »
    I was very surprised at how robustly he handled the interview on World at One today. He came across as authoritative and in control and as having a clear idea of what to do.

    He came over a bit like a rabbit lost in the headlights on Sky News earlier.

    I can't directly link to the vid, but it's on the front page at http://news.sky.com/
  • InkblotInkblot Posts: 26,889
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    He came over a bit like a rabbit lost in the headlights on Sky News earlier.

    I can't directly link to the vid, but it's on the front page at http://news.sky.com/

    He doesn't look the part but he sounds like what the BBC needs: someone who can put his point across without resorting to management-speak gobbledook and who has a plan to sort things out quickly and decisively. Whether he succeeds is another matter.

    Murnaghan on the other hand acts like a cock in that interview.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 831
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    He came over a bit like a rabbit lost in the headlights on Sky News earlier.

    I can't directly link to the vid, but it's on the front page at http://news.sky.com/

    He reminds me of Ricky Martin from The Apprentice.
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