New BBC Europe Editor

Although I also notice that Guto is going to New York, to replace Steve Evans as North America Business Correspondent.

Caroline Hawley has been apearing on our screens here on BBC World very consistently for the last few months. So, not sure how you guys back home are not seeing her.

Isn't Tim Sebastian looking for a new role now that he's given up hard Talk? I would have thought he very capable in an Editorial role??

James

I'm sure I've seen Caroline Hawley on BBC1 a few times in the last few months - maybe its just that Iraq hasn't been maiking the headline news as much what with the UK election etc.

I think (but can someone confirm) that Tim Sebastian is now a freelance moderator of debates. For example, I found this page:

Doha Debates

Even though that these were shown on BBC World, I'm not sure whether Tim is still a BBC employee.

I think Tim has left the BBC as a full-time contracted employee. I think he wants to spend more time writing his novels, so I doubt he is looking for a new on-screen role.

I've read on another site that there were four candidates interviewed for the post last week: Mark Mardell, Tim Franks (Europe Correspondent), someone from Newsnight and an unknown fourth person. Although it has seemed for a while that Mardell was going to get the position, does anyone know who else was in contention?

I don't think Ian Hislop was one of them.....................

Well I've heard that Martha is the front-runner; and there is an "unknown" in the running - my money's on Elina Goodman....

The position of Middle Eastern Editor look likely to go to Orla Geurin; She's pretty already doing the job.

And just for the pot; Apparently John Simspon shall be retiring soon....

Oooohhh! I want his job! He's as good as retired at the moment anyway - Simpson's World is hardly on N24 any more and he seems to pick and choose what stories he covers. This year I think that I've only seen him cover the Pope's death and the Iraqi Elections. My shortlist for potential successors is:
- Ben Brown
- Jeremy Bowen
- Matt Frei
- Orla Guerin
- Fergal Keane (but haven't seen him recently either)

Feel free to suggest other ideas....

On a wild day Matthew Price; But he is a bit young.
Caroline Haughley and Jeremy Bowen seem like the most logical to me.
I understood that Fergal Keane had taken"time out" for reporting suffering from depression and alcholism.

That's right, I remember now, it was mentioned in Jeremy Bowen's documentary on being a war correspondent.

I can only apologise for posting three times in the last five minutes, but here is the BBC press release on Mark Mardell being appointed:


BBC Press Office