Did Entwhistle jump before he was pushed? Despite some crowing about his inadequate response before Parliament, I wonder what purpose is served by this action as the BBC is mired in scandal. When an institution is weak, its managers bound by rules replacing an institutional ethos, then short-term sacrifice at the top is chosen at the expense of root and branch reform. The resignation of the DG is designed to serve as a sacrifice to the public maw.
Yet the resignation serves as an irrelevance. No answers have been given to the allegations pervading the media and further events have demonstrated that certain current events programs have weak controls. Moreover, 98% of the BBC's coverage is not impacted by this scandal. The lack of transparency, the localised arrogance in certain quarters and the immunity to competition have all contributed to this mess. The BBC is as badly governed as a one party state. Draw the dotted line...