Uphill battle for new BBC regime

[CHIMO]

The new regime at the BBC began the battle to reunite the corporation's shocked and angry staff yesterday as it became clear that the former director general, Greg Dyke, did not intend to go quietly.


Mr Dyke stepped up his attack on the Hutton report, described how the BBC governors had forced him out and accused the government of "systematic bullying" and "intimidation" during the Iraq war. He is reportedly considering hiring lawyers with a view to seeking a judicial review of the Hutton inquiry, according to today's Times.

Mr Dyke released a letter he had written to Tony Blair, who had complained to him about the BBC's war coverage, to illustrate the scale of the pressure from No 10 during the war. He told Sir David Frost: "It's perfectly valid for the government to try to pressurise us and it's perfectly valid for us to tell them where to get off."


http://media.guardian.co.uk/huttoninquiry/story/0,13812,1136837,00.html

Now for the rest of the story..

[Armstead]

1. The new man Mark Byford is a nitwit

Matk Byford has been head of the BBC World Service for a number of years. In 2001 he had the genius idea to end all shortwave broadcasting of the BBCWS to North America and Australia.

There was a huge outcry from BBC listeners, but Byford refused to reconsider. Thus, listeners in North America could no longer receive the previously clear signals from the BBC on the radio.

[Briar]

2. He certainly is....

In an interview yesterday, he even conceded Hutton's false judgment that no whistleblower's story should be printed till it had been checked in every minute factual detail and supported by other sources. That ensures the end of whistleblowing and a valuable means of uncovering illegal and undemocratic practices by governments, corporations, organisations and so on.

I hope Dyke continues to make his case - though how the BBC will survive when its backbone has been torn out and has to operate from outside I have no idea.

[Democat]

3. The BBC has a "regime" now?

No wonder Bush and Blair wanted them destroyed.

[JawJaw]

4. How Cosy

Byford is also an old friend of defence secretary Geoff Hoon. So, he'll be completely impartial then, won't he?