Say What?

A bumper Christmas selection pack of choice words from the media world…

“Estimates for this year look positive” Rupert Howell, president of the IPA, presenting the Bellwether report in January and countering claims of a slowdown

“When are we going to get some leadership out of this bunch of inept broadcasting advisory cronies? ” John Billett at MediaTel Question Time on the inadequacies of the Communications White Paper (February)

“We should be reluctant to regulate, preferring competition and as much certainty for business as possible.” Patricia Hodgson, ITC chief executive, on the way media regulation should be under Ofcom (February)

“Much as I would love BBC Online to be shut down tomorrow, actually it does exactly what it should be doing” Emily Bell, editor in chief of Guardian Unlimited, at MediaTel Question Time

“Monopolistic and anti-competitive practices which threaten to suffocate the commercial radio sector”. How Kelvin MacKenzie, Wireless Group chief, described the restrictions on commercial radio which do not apply to the BBC (February)

“The Daily Mail is a rag which no self-respecting fish would want to be wrapped in” The then director of marketing for Channel 5, Jim Hytner, at MediaTel Question Time

“Those who have adopted multi-channel TV see it as a natural part of the future for everyone, whereas some of those without seem to be saying they’re just not interested.” David Fletcher, vice chairman of CIA UK, presents a survey into attitudes to digital TV (April)

“IPC has an aggressive launch strategy, and an important part of this strategy is the strength to take decisive action and close unviable titles.” IPC’s managing director Tim Brooks on why Nova had to go (May)

“The champions of the all you can eat cyber buffet” How an upbeat Adam Singer, Telewest’s chief executive, described his company when presenting first quarter financial results in June.

“Here in the UK we’re used to the back stabbing element of reality TV” TV Times features writer Olly Grant explains why, after Big Brother, Survivor didn’t light our fires (June)

“Women don’t want backpacking in the Himalayas they want real life” Simon Young, marketing spokesman for H Bauer’s Real magazine, on the title’s instant success (June)

“Hysterical scaremongering is really not helpful.” Carlton chief executive Gerry Murphy distances himself from Granada’s attempts to pressurise the Government into faster media ownership reformation (June)

“I am in no doubt that not all of us [in the market] will be here by the end of the year.” Company editor Sam Baker on the toughness of the women’s glossy market (July)

“We are delivering against our targets” ITV chief executive Stuart Prebble stays positive about the rebranded ITV Digital (July)

“[The advertising industry] should marshall its energies and talents and use its collective strength not only to keep our allies but to win over our critics, debunk the charlatans among us and build our clients.” Fighting talk from Hamish Pringle, as he takes up his position as director general of the IPA (August)

“Saving the soul of television isn’t just a job for one broadcaster, commissioner or producer, its a job for us all.” David Liddiment sets out his stall in the GEITF 2001 MacTaggart Lecture

“Privately, the BBC and commercial radio are wringing their hands about the failure of digital to take off, but neither can afford to admit in public that a technology on which they have staked their futures may never become a consumer reality.” Matthew Bannister, former director of radio at the BBC, writing in the Times in September

“We watched on giant TV screens in the office, which came to a complete standstill, to see something like that is absolutely dumbfounding” A spokesperson for Channel 4 describes his office’s reaction during the US terrorist attacks (September)

“Brands are a form of protection, not exploitation” Malcolm Earnshaw, director general of ISBA, urges members to increase confidence in the industry (September)

“This is the only sensible commercial course of action available to us” IPC chief executive Sly Bailey, on why six magazines and the events and exhibitions business had to go (November)

“I am not about to surrender ITV1’s position as Britain’s most popular channel.” David Liddiment, ITV’s director of channels, denies that downbeat comments at the winter schedule launch meant he was throwing in the towel (December)