A SUITABLE JOB FOR A BARONESS

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This morning's Today programme was guest-edited by Conservative-supporting crime writer P.D. James. Several of these guest-editors have shown the programme's usual editorial team how to do it, as concerns lack of bias in choice of contributors. Baroness James may have requested a right-wing guest, the ever-entertaining David Starkey, but she also asked for Sunder Katwala, General Secretary of the Fabian Society, Jack Straw and biased policeman Sir Ian Blair. (She also invited on Lynda La Plante, who is best known for playing the hay-fever suffering ghost Tamara Novek in 'Rentaghost' - for those of a certain age!).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8435000/8435723.stm
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Especially thought-provoking, like, was the segment on exams then and now (at 7.41), which is, like, well worth a listen.
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Also, Phyllis's interview with BBC director general Mark Thompson was enjoyable, asking him several questions that bog-standard BBC interviewers would never have asked him - though, sadly, she didn't question him on the BBC left-wing political bias. The interview has already made The Daily Telegraph's website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6915329/PD-James-accuses-unwieldy-bureaucratic-and-wasteful-BBC-of-losing-its-way.html
And Philip Johnson is making some telling comments on what happened during the interview and how the BBC News website is spinning it:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/philipjohnston/100021010/bbc-pay-bureaucracy-and-ageism-p-d-james-speaks-for-the-nation/
The BBC article, Director General Thompson defends BBC top salaries, is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8435633.stm