The spectator

Only at the BBC could a punishment be a promotion

SO THE BBC has suspended another person this week over the faked Children in Need winner. An unnamed female executivehas been asked not to report for duty in additionto former producer Donald MacInnes, now a BBC press officer. But will they have the same fate as 'Blue Peter' editor Richard Marson who was the first person to "step down" entirely from his duties. His punishment seems to have been a promotion. He is now an executive producer witha wider brief over children programming. This fact has not been lost on increasinglycynical senior staff. "He is one of the old boys and was always goingto get lookedafter," reports onehigh-up. "Whether his pay has changed or not, it's still effectively a promotion."

Good week for

THE MURDOCH FAMILY_ while pa was locked in an ultimately successful game of brinkmanship with the Bancroft family over the Dow Jones and its newspaper, 'The Wall Street Journal', son James Murdoch proves he's a chip off the old block. First was his swoop on ITV last year, buying 17.9 per cent of shares from under the nose of Richard Branson.

Now he snapped up Am-strad, designer of set-top boxes, for his Sky empire.

Bad week for

TURTLES_ who Ofcom said were being eaten at an inappropriate hour. A clipof Bear Grylls's 'Born Survivor' was repeated in 'Harry Hill's TV Burp', before the watershed and so upsetting to children. Harry Hill producers accepted that some viewers "did seem to believe that the turtle had been 'cooked alive', which was of course not the case". The Bear Grylls original also showed the slaughter of this blameless turtle.

Personal pilfering puzzle

STAFF AT 'THE OBSERVER' are scratching their heads over a recent spate of thefts. The burglar seems to be targeting significant personal effects. Items swiped so far include the spectacles of the usually sharp-eyed arts editor Sarah Donaldson and the trousers of deputy editor John Mulholland (an inside joke at 'The Observer', I understand). Hacks are keeping watch over their meaningful possessions. Editor Roger Alton must have his copy of the 'Viz Profanisaurus' under lock and key.

Telegraph's scratch team

AN OLD STAPLE OF the summer months: which newspaper office has been infested with vermin (in addition to the normal staff)? 'The Sun' has been already had its visitation from mice. Now it is the turn of 'The Daily Telegraph'. Undeterred by the digitally wizard offices, mice have indeed arrived, and for good measure a plague of fleas. Not that it will make much difference. With the demands of all that blog-ging and podcasting, 'Telegraph' hacks have long complained of being sucked dry.

My crime is that I did not compile that press statement and I did not read it sufficiently clearly

PAUL WATSON on his controversial Alzheimer's documentary for ITV

I found the matter quite humiliating and somewhat disrespectful to the plight of those I was reporting about

SUE TURTON, Channel 4 news reporter who was 'goosed' on camera while reporting on the floods

Shilpa breaks up with Max

MAX CLIFFORD ASSOCIATES dumped client Shilpa Shetty this week saying, rather ungallantly, it was because it was "a waste of her money and our time". Shilpa claimed the contract had ended. Intriguingly, it came weeks after the 'Daily Mail' ran the story that Shetty was stepping out with entrepreneur Raj Kundra. But how did the 'Mail' find out? Why, Max Clifford Associates had called, not realising he was a married man. Given Shilpa's much-vaunted virtue, one can't imagine her giving her blessing for that release.

Murdoch's Asian designs

A NEW FRONT HAS has opened up in the 'Wall Street Journal' speculation. Staff at 'The Times' have been asking why so few have noticed that Rupert Murdoch's Dow Jones acquisition incorporates the 'Wall Street Journal Asia', which surely is where the wily media mogul will want to focus his attentions and his top staff. Meanwhile, the latest name tipped for 'The Times', should editor Robert Thomson move, is 'Spectator' editor Matthew d'Ancona. He would at least maintain the paper's reputation for blandness.

He was born to edit the Daily Mirror. It was as if it was in his DNA

KELVIN MACKENZIE, on Richard Stott, former editor of the Daily Mirror who died this week

What is clear is that this process gives ministers considerable opportunity to influence the selection

LORDS COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE, on the appointment of BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons

Copyright 2007 Independent Newspapers UK Limited. All rights owned or operated by The Independent.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.