Media Question Time Panel Tips Dyke as next BBC DG

MediaTel’s Media Question Time panel was asked to address the issue of the next BBC Director General last night.

The question, put by Douglas MacArthur, chief executive of the Radio Advertising Bureau, gave a further opportunity for Kelvin MacKenzie, Talk Radio’s CEO, to lambaste the BBC’s bureaucracy and licence fee – but the general feeling was that Greg Dyke was the likeliest and (amongst the panel) the most popular choice.

Ray Snoddy assessed the most likely runners. Dyke, he felt was the number one choice, and would take an axe to the bureaucracy, but his candidature may get “vetoed by the Chairman”. Alan Yentob was a possibility – “likeable, but indecisive”. Richard Eyre, currently chief executive of ITV, remained the dark horse.

Chairman, Torin Douglas, admitted that even “inside the BBC” there were no clear signals. Indeed, Christine Walker admitted that she was puzzled as to why anyone would want the role at this point in time.

Bob Wootton proposed Rupert Gavin, currently running BBC Worldwide, as the most appropriate and far-sighted choice for Deputy Director General.