Bad day for Broadcasting

The end of a long day. We started off at 7.30 am with the Director General of the BBC and his advisers. It ends with terrible scenes from Pakistan, a reminder that some are sadly dealing with life and death issues today. In terms of the BBC, it is to be hoped that this monolithic tanker can be turned round, reducing the cuts on programme makers and avoiding a loss of core public service values. The organisation is deeply unsettled and staff deserve to be treated respectfully and properly. Someone from the bridge ought to ask - isn't that an iceberg that is on its way towards us? At ITV, the findings of the Deloitte report have caused problems for the company and the industry. We are critical of ITV's approach to its public service commitments and to jobs however, it is to be commended for the way it has dealt with this issue, thus far (leaving to one side whether they sought to 'bury bad news' on a day likely to be dominated by strife at the BBC). They were the first to get in independent auditors they have now acted in a manner which has not sought to look for scapegoats. It would be good if others had acted this way in dealing with their own 'trust issues'.