Peter Horrocks' somewhat smaller world
Post categories: Feedback,ÌýWorld Service,Ìýcuts
| 14:00 PM, Friday, 4 February 2011
Spare a thought for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's newish Director of the World Service Peter Horrocks.
No sooner has he sat down in his seat in Bush House than his paymaster, the Foreign Office, announces an unprecedented cut of 20 per cent in its funding.
No sooner has Mr Horrocks announced the inevitable closures and loss of jobs that have resulted, after tortuous negotiations with the Board of Management, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust and the Foreign Office, than his chief lieutenant Craig Oliver announces that he is going to work for the Prime Minister whose Government has just inflicted such pain.
Mr Oliver is the new Andy Coulson or Alastair Campbell, running the media operation at No 10 and perhaps even now preparing to complain about the way his former employers have reported the latest Downing St initiative.
He certainly knows who to ring.
Craig Oliver ran the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's election coverage and edited its main TV news programmes, so jaws didn't just drop in the newsroom when news of his political appointment flashed up on screen, they crashed to the floor.
Of course I knew none of this when I interviewed Peter Horrocks in Bush House on Tuesday evening. I thought he looked a little distracted, but put that down to boredom with my questions, which were hardly original, as opposed of course to those which you, dear listener, had sent me.
When I talked to Mr Horrocks I asked him about the statement which William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, had made in the House of Commons, that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã had originally proposed that up to 13 languages should go but that the Government had refused permission for such a large cull. Was that true?
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Here at Feedback we are eagerly awaiting the appointment of a new Chair for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust, the person who is supposed, above all, to protect your interests. As soon as we know who he is (and it most likely will be a he) - we'll try to get them on the programme. Let me know what you'd like to me to ask him.
Roger Bolton is presenter of Feedback
- Listen again to this week's Feedback, produced by Karen Pirie, get in touch with Feedback, find out how to join the listener panel or subscribe to the podcast on the Feedback web page.
- Feedback is on Twitter. Follow .
- Peter Horrocks wrote about the cuts on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Editors blog last week.
- Richard Sambrook, once a Director of Global News at the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, has some advice for Peter Horrocks . Neil Midgley says that MPs are angry with the Foreign Secretary about the World Service cuts. Melanie McDonagh says that "life can carry on without the Ö÷²¥´óÐã World Service."
- The picture shows outside Bush House. It's by . .
Comment number 1.
At 5th Feb 2011, mahesh wrote:plez bbc bosses don't stop the world service programs...
the people who have no access to independent news and current affairs...
need world service..
and the part of the world i belong, most of people have no access to internet and mobile services....
plez don't stop bbc language programs on short wave..
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Comment number 2.
At 5th Feb 2011, Mordecai32 wrote:This morning on Today the presenter was questioning a representative of the Muslim Council of Britain. The rep was affirming muslim support of historic British values. The presenter then asked him, "What do you say about homosexuality ?" Does this mean that the practice of homosexuality is a historic British value ? Please note this question is not homophobic.
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Comment number 3.
At 15th Feb 2011, Gos wrote:Cameron is a Rat magnet, I hope they sink together.
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