I have just remembered that about a hundred years ago I had an interview at the BBC...I can't even remember what it was for; I didn't get very far. It was fortunate, because I was most certainly not a BBC person. I've never been a corporate body, and the BBC has a very special culture indeed...managing to combine a civil service mentality with a creative spirit in a very home counties way underpinned by a sort of Oxbridge elitism which prizes the amateur so highly. Apologies to anyone who knows better.
So it's hardly a great surprise that yet again Auntie is tying herself up in knots. Newsnight undoubtedly felt the need to broadcast their story, worried that there would be a greater backlash if they did a 'Savile' and dropped the report. What has come as a surprise to me is that the BBC's DG is its Editor in Chief. As such he rightly resigned. But these days, it seems bizarre that the person that heads the organisation is considered it's Chief Editor - the thought that Rupert Murdoch is responsible for the content of The Times sends a shudder through my bones (there is some debate as to whether he does or not)...and it is unthinkable that the owners of our sophisticated media are also the editors. So whatever else comes out of this mess, I hope that the job of running the corporation is separated from the responsibility for editorial. I'm not going to even think about a year's pay-off for 54 days work, let alone address it.
Some of you will have received friend requests from me for Facebook...you may be wondering why...some of you are Facebook friends already. But I was idling away ten minutes yesterday and I wondered if I could create a Nota Bene Facebook page, so I did. I guess that I will just use it as a space for Nota Bene things rather than NB things....but I've no idea really. Anyway, I'd love you to be my friend, and I think you can find me here. Please send a friend request, I'm going to link this post on my shiny new Facebook page now.