BBC1 controller to resign

I assume that was meant to be rhetorical.

The problem with the BBC has always been its obsession with it's self. Always inward looking and ready to naval gaze and worry.

It is also very vulnerable from influence from the palace'. I find it suprising that Nick Witchell is still royal correspondant after the Charlie wedding incident.

Controllers come and go, idents change, somehow the BBC survives - for now.

I really don't think a branding review will be a priority for whoever takes Peter Fincham's place at BBC1.

All the revamps in recent years took place for a reason...

1991. The need to establish a clear brand identity for the channel in the multichannel era.

1997 The wish to create a more flexible, visually engaging identity - combined with the new corporate look.

2002 BBC1's basic character was changing - and Greg Dyke probably had more to do with this strategic move than Lorraine Heggessay. Remember how BBC1 was becoming "ITV without the ads" - basically an entertainment channel rather than an entertaining one. BBC2 was taking over serious mainstream factual while BBC4 was taking the more arty and eclectic stuff from 2.

2006 Time for a new look. But, of course, BBC1 had by then returned to its traditional, wider programme mix. And although it was never publicly acknowledged, a significant number of viewers disliked some of the rhythm and movement idents.

I'll bet good money we're at least three or four years away from another major Pres revamp.

Instead, the big (and currently more interesting!) questions for Peter Fincham's replacement include...

*Should Children's stay on BBC1 in the afternoon?

*The decision on replacing Neighbours. (This is probably too important to be left to the controller of daytime alone.)

*Is The One Show working?

*Is Panorama really the best option for 2030 on Mondays?

They're not reasons though, are they? They're marketing guff.

Not forgetting...

1985 The need for a more striking visual identity at a time when C4 and ITV were adopting CGI branding, and the need to move away from mechanical models at a time when all other presentation elements had moved to solid state devices.

As for 2002, there was no valid reason for rebranding other than Lorraine Heggessey wanting to stamp her mark on the channel. She made it clear early on in her tenure she hated the balloon, yet when it came to be axed, she insisted she had "shared viewers' enjoyment" of it!


Even if they have, there's still plenty of time for Recycle Roly to axe the plans - after all the last Christmas ident was only filmed a month before it went on air.

His love of re-using Christmas idents aside, there's another reason to call him Recycle Roly. Namely the high amount of repeats on BBC2, especially off-peak. Why, for example, is it necessary to show the same episode of Heroes three times a week when Quantum Leap and Twin Peaks only went out once? We should be prepared for an increase of repeats on BBC1...

Firstly, agree it's a shame he's gone over this incident.

Trailers showing things out of sequence and being slightly misleading in an effort to entice viewers is nothing new - and if it was anyone other than the Queen I doubt the issue would have been raised.


Also, although many recent TV scandals have rightly been outed, it's a shame the industry as a whole has done very little to stand up for itself and instead just accepted everything which is thrown at them.



The bigger picture though - thank god he's gone. Maybe not as bad as Heggesey, but BBC1 is still a mess with the numerous dance shows and crap like last week's Elvis thing - plus the unforgiveable decision to axe Grandstand purely for the sake of it, replacing it with something that is Grandstand in all but name. Blue Peter's days are numbered now too.


So if we can find a faking scandal to get Roger Mosey axed from BBC Sport too please contact the Daily Mail!



As for who's next - it needs to be someone with the balls to axe EastEnders because as long as the channel is defined by a badly written, badly acted, badly dated mediocre soap, the strengths of BBC1 will never be given the chance to shine.

So, Peter Fincham aside, is this programme now ever likely to air ?

It was supposed to be one of the key highlights of the autumn schedule, or is it all too contentious now just because they showed a trailer out of context ?

Well Roly Keating has ruled himself out of running for the job.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcastnowarticle.aspx?intStoryID=171641

And there is a very real risk that Peter Bazalgette will get the job. That's all we need, someone who made his name with Big Brother and tacky daytime shows undoing all Peter Fincham's hard work.

What a bunch !

BBC controller of fiction, Jane Tranter;
Endemol's former chief creative officer, Peter Bazalgette;
BBC Worldwide's director of content and production, Wayne Garvie;
Kevin Lygo, director of TV and content, Channel 4.

Hasn't the BBC got anyone better than that lot ?

(It'll be Tranter, by default.)

Or of course Alison Sharman, the actual subject of the article you cut-and-pasted that from.

Well she's ruled herself out now.