Getting out

As you know, Lord Hall is leaving the BBC.

He's off to run the National Gallery - which is very nice for him.

Hopefully he'll carry on his fine work at the BBC and pursue its sacred mission - the diversity agenda - with just as much vigour there. The National Gallery is full of paintings by dead, white European males, which surely can't be allowed to continue. 

(Wonder if Ash Sarkar can paint? Tony Hall could still make her the Gallery's artist-in-residence, even if she can't). 

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The BBC's online report on the story is open for comments. As Bernard would have said in Yes, Minister, that's very brave. I think it's safe to say that, so far, they could be going a good deal better for the BBC. 

Here are the Top 10 comments:

1. Great, can we please have the BBC back? You know, the one that wasn't obsessed with gender politics, racism or anything snowflake, and could it return to being a dependable and unbiased organisation that produced great programming? Could we, please?
2. He has turned the BBC into a biased woke left wing organisation that does not reflect the majority view of the population. A population that is forced to pay for this and it is high time to get rid of the TV tax.
3. Hall has totally destroyed the BBC and turned it into a third rate tabloid! Should have been sacked years ago!
4. Box ticking BBC has lost its way with social engineering and biased views.
5. But he said he felt it was important the BBC had the same leader for the BBC's mid-term review in 2022 and the renewal of its charter in 2027. Who says the BBC's charter will be renewed in 2027 anyway?
6. He's getting out before the poo hits the fan.
7. I'd give it 18 months and there will be no licence fee.
8. I'm glad. Somehow over the last few years I've felt like BBC news was there to make me feel unhappy with everything, rather than informing me of national and world events.
9. Hope the new DG can crackdown a bit. BBC News (website in particular) is a biased joke, and they seem to think that the nation should do/think exactly what they want, or go swivel. It needs some serious reform. Look to how Reuters handle news: it can't ever be perfect but they try to be fair in layout and language and avoid trying to "spin" the news. 
10. I can only echo the comments of the highest rated. We don't recognise the BBC anymore. I would say under Hall's watch the company HAS proved to be divisive and bad for our country. It's all cookery shows, endless trailers, endless having minority groups rammed in your face.

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Although rumour has long had it that Lord Hall was grooming former Labour minister James Purnell to succeed him, pretty much everyone is predicting that his successor will actually be a woman. 

(I suppose James could always self-identify as a woman, if that helps.)

I doubt it will be Samira Ahmed. 

Should we predict who it will be? From the Guardian's list of runners and riders, I'll pick former Ofcom boss Sharon White. She'd certainly keep the diversity flag flying at the BBC.