The Future of the BBC

[amateur51]

So are you happy to see failure rewarded? -did he resign or was he sacked?
...and as with so many other things in life do we just shrug and pay up?

Is it really possible to judge success or failure within 55 days of starting? These are exceptional circumstances, surely. Obama would have gone in an even shorter time if your approach had applied

[kernelbogey]

So are you happy to see failure rewarded? -did he resign or was he sacked?
...and as with so many other things in life do we just shrug and pay up?

I think you ask one of those 'Have you stopped beating your wife?' questions.

If you read the Guardian article to which my post N42 provides a link you may read Patten's narrative which makes clear to me that there was a negotiation between the Trustees and Entwistle, in view of the fact that there were different costs attached to resignation or termination of contract; and because they needed his goodwill in order to complete the essential internal enquiries; and because they needed him out.

'Failure' is a black-and-white word for an outcome in a complex situation in a large and multi-layered media organisation. As I've said before above I don't think it's possible to blame Entwistle wholly.

One might admire Entwistle's integrity in resigning, given the extent to which this honourable course of action has gone out of fashion in Government, (The last such resignation I can remember was the Foreign Secretary immediately prior to the Falklands war.)

[Frances_iom]

..If resignations of the top people at the BBC and the Trust are going to become the standard procedure whenever there is a serious controversy then it makes a mockery of the independence of the BBC.

Thatcher made a mockery of BBC independence years earlier (along with much other damage) - the Hutton Inquiry was like many others (eg Hillsborough) more than lopsided, Tariq Ali had it well described as Alistair Cowley crowing like a cock on top of a dung heap - catch is Murdoch escapes with no punishment for sins of commision rather than in Entwistle's case sins of omission compounded I suspect by some deliberate non transfer of intelligence; I expect Murdoch to try to regain control of BSkyB etc as with friends such as Hunt still in gov and the BBC mired it will not even raise a mention in the country

[amateur51]

Thatcher made a mockery of BBC independence years earlier (along with much other damage) - the Hutton Inquiry was like many others (eg Hillsborough) more than lopsided, Tariq Ali had it well described as Alistair Cowley crowing like a cock on top of a dung heap - catch is Murdoch escapes with no punishment for sins of commision rather than in Entwistle's case sins of omission compounded I suspect by some deliberate non transfer of intelligence; I expect Murdoch to try to regain control of BSkyB etc as with friends such as Hunt still in gov and the BBC mired it will not even raise a mention in the country

it will in this household, let me tell you

[cloughie]

I think you ask one of those 'Have you stopped beating your wife?' questions.

If you read the Guardian article to which my post N42 provides a link you may read Patten's narrative which makes clear to me that there was a negotiation between the Trustees and Entwistle, in view of the fact that there were different costs attached to resignation or termination of contract; and because they needed his goodwill in order to complete the essential internal enquiries; and because they needed him out.

'Failure' is a black-and-white word for an outcome in a complex situation in a large and multi-layered media organisation. As I've said before above I don't think it's possible to blame Entwistle wholly.

One might admire Entwistle's integrity in resigning, given the extent to which this honourable course of action has gone out of fashion in Government, (The last such resignation I can remember was the Foreign Secretary immediately prior to the Falklands war.)

£450k can buy a lot of integrity - wasn't Nott's resignation during not prior - what were the terms of dropping down from the cabinet in those days - I know that in the 2000s when Blunkett and others left their ministerial post there were considerable parachute payments.

[aeolium]

wasn't Nott's resignation during not prior

I think kernelbogey meant Lord Carrington, cloughie. Nott, then Defence Secretary, offered his resignation after the invasion of the Falklands but it was not accepted.

[kernelbogey]

Thanks, aeolium, yes I did mean Carrington, but although I could picture him I couldn't recall the name. He resigned because of the failure of the FO to properly assess the level of Argentine threat.

(Nott was the 'here today, gone tomorrow politician' who walked out of his legendary interview with Paxton on Newsnight.)

[amateur51]

(Nott was the 'here today, gone tomorrow politician' who walked out of his legendary interview with Paxton on Newsnight.)

It was Sir Robin Day who so gleefully provoked poor Nott beyond endurance, kernel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3SpXXYTHY

[mercia]

(Nott was the 'here today, gone tomorrow politician' who walked out of his legendary interview with Paxton on Newsnight.)

walked out on Robin Day, a bit before Paxman

oops, crossposted

[kernelbogey]

walked out on Robin Day, a bit before Paxton

Showing me age, twice over!

[aeolium]

And who's Paxton?

(sorry - I know the feeling )

[cloughie]

And who's Paxton?

The last thing on his mind?

[Paul Sherratt]

Paxton?
Press baron.

[Serial_Apologist]

Taxman

[kernelbogey]

And who's Paxton?

(sorry - I know the feeling )

All RIGHT - three times then.