Tim in the kittens' den

  

I've just caught up on the whole of Tim Davie and Richard Sharp's appearance at the Commons Culture Select Committee today.

If you missed it and want to give over 1h 20m of your life to watching it, please click here.

Various things struck me:

Firstly, just how far the BBC's tentacles reach. Four out of the very small committee of MPs attending - I counted six or seven at most [as one may have been a clerk] - declared their BBC affiliations at the start. All four had been BBC journalists in a past life, and one even publicly declared his continuing financial benefits from the BBC. [What about the others?].

Secondly, how plausible Tim Davie is. He still talks a good talk. BBC chairman Richard Sharp was less assured. And the third musketeer, Leigh Tavaziva - the BBC's chief operating officer - came across as little but a babbler of corporate-speak. 

Thirdly, how soft the committee were on the BBC - including all but one of the Tories. 

Most of the Tories were kind to the BBC. And the Clacton Conservatory MP Giles Watling, who initially declared his continuing BBC financial rewards, turned out to be especially kind to them. He cocked his head and knitted his brow in sympathy for their financial flight and 'loss of talent'. It was like eavesdropping via video on a conversation between Tim Davie and Giles from the Samaritans. 

The SNP's John Nicolson [ex-BBC] quoted two contrasting emails from members of the public, one attacking the BBC from the left and one attacking the BBC from the right, and played the 'complaints from both sides' card, like he was some defensive BBC editor on Samira's Newsnight - which is intriguing. Are the SNP feeling much warmer towards the BBC now? 

Talking of which, Billy Bragg's chum Labour MP Kevin Brennan helped John Nicolson prove his point by going after Sir Robbie Gibb and The Tories Atop the BBC over JessBrammargate. Wonder what BBC returnee Jess Brammar made of Labour's Kevin Brennan being on her side? At least she's not retweeted him yet.

Fourthly, only Julian Knight, the committee chairman, really sunk his teeth into the BBC - though oddly, despite what he said the other day about the Mail on Sunday's latest piece, he didn't go after the corporation over Martin Bashir.

Fifthly, Damian Green - the Europhile former Conservative high-up under Mrs May - kept quiet. He was one of the four former BBC people.

All in all, it was a very easy ride for Tim and Richard. So many questions that could have been asked weren't asked. They were in a den of kittens and politicians.

A Knight in shining armour for the BBC?

Hopes of anti-BBC licence fee campaigners that the incoming chairman of the Commons' Culture, Media and Sport committee, Julian Knight MP, would aim his lance squarely at the BBC and skewer the corporation look increasingly forlorn. Though he doesn't want licence fee dodgers to go to jail, he tells the Daily Telegraph that fines for avoidance should double from £1,000 to £2,000. Though he says the BBC should axe middle managers on six figure salaries to save money, that's instead of cutting the number of BBC journalists. And he wants his fellow Conservatives to grow thicker skins and stop moaning about left-wing BBC comedy shows. 

A Knight in shining armour?

Fedup2 at Biased BBC notes that the Conservative MP for Solihull, Julian Knight, is campaigning to become the new chair of the Parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee in place of "BBC remainer fan" Damien Collins (also re-elected as an MP at the election).

Mr Knight wants a Commons inquiry into the future of the BBC because of its 'bias' and for being 'out of touch' with those who pay for it.

"It’s worth watching for signs of the real change this site is looking for", Fedup writes. (And  this one too).

Here's what Mr Knight says:

Don’t forget, the BBC, in terms of employees, is the size of a chunky town, it has its own culture, and this forms - often unconsciously - how it reports the news, particularly subjects which are against the grain for the west London media elites. And because of the existence of the licence fee people feel, rightly, they have a right to judge their output. They see or hear lop-sided views and they no longer think Aunty knows best. People want greater accountability. We are not happy being spoon fed and told what to think. We want the national broadcaster to reflect us. This will only happen if the way the BBC is paid for becomes fair and transparent and Aunty learns it is not all about her.

Here's his CV:

My experience:
✅3 years on DCMS Committee
✅journalist for 17 years:
🎥BBC reporter
📰Evening Standard & Independent
✅written 7 books, including “Cricket for Dummies”
✅passion for sport
🏏opening batter for Commons & Lords cricket team🎾play tennis🏌‍golf & 🚵‍cycle regularly

— Julian Knight MP (@julianknight15) January 13, 2020