Back from my holidays, this week felt a little bit like starting back at school. Not least because my return to the office coincided with the roll-out of new designs for this blog.
So, with a nice new look, it's an extra special pleasure to present this week's selection of ten moments from across the BBC, including a couple of launches, some thanks and some goodbyes.
Have a good week.
1. Paralympics
Director of BBC North Peter Salmon praised staff at BBC Sport and Radio 5 Live for their coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics in a blog post which also looked forward to new programmes in the autumn schedule made in and around Salford.
2. Strictly Launch
Celebrities participating in the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing were revealed at the beginning of this week, ahead of filming of a red carpet sequence at BBC Television Centre in London for the series premiere on Saturday 15 December.
3. Benjamin Britten Centenary Celebrations
Soon after the end of the 2012 BBC Proms, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Four announced plans to join forces with orchestras and arts organisations across the country marking the centenary of composer Benjamin Britten’s birth next year.
The BBC will broadcast a selection a selection of concerts, documentaries and speech programming across TV and radio, with a special selection of performances recorded from the 2013 Aldeburgh Festival and live relays to mark the composer’s birth in November 2013. Programming will also throw light on the composer’s relationship with the BBC using archive interviews and performances, plus a re-mastered version of the 1971 broadcast of Britten’s TV opera Owen Wingrave.
4. Derek Jameson
Former newspaper editor and BBC Radio 2 presenter Derek Jameson died earlier this week following a heart attack. He was 82. In 2010 Jameson had participated in a BBC One documentary series called The Young Ones.
5. BBC RE:THINK 2012
BBC North – the home of the BBC’s Religion and Ethics department played host to the BBC RE:THINK 2012 festival this week.
Head of Religion and Ethics Aaqil Ahmed introduced the events on this blog. Radio 4’s Roger Bolton delivered the keynote speech in which he called for BBC News to appoint a religion editor and that ‘liberal sceptical humanists tend to dominate television’ . The Daily Mail and The Telegraph covered the story too.
The discussion between Professor Richard Dawkins and Chief Rabbi Sacks is available via the BBC Religion and Ethics website. The BBC’s College of Journalism has a reporting religion subject guide for journalists on its website.
6. Armando Iannucci
Following his Bafta Television Lecture earlier this week, Thick of It writer Armando Iannucci spoke to Steve Hewlett on Wednesday’s Media Show about the state of British TV, commissioning and the BBC, saying he believed the corporation's “natural default is to hand itself into the nearest police station” when it comes under attack. Listen to the full interview via BBC iPlayer.
7. Mark Thompson says goodbye
After 8 years as Director-General of the BBC, Mark Thompson said goodbye to staff in an email distributed earlier today. Online staff magazine Ariel has curated some staff letters sent during the outgoing DG's tenure and offers a few tips for the new boss ahead of his start on Monday.
8. Chris Moyles’ last Breakfast Show
Another end to a long tenure this morning. Chris Moyles’ ended his 8 year run of breakfast shows on Radio 1, signing off saying “I’ve said it a million times, goodbye and thank you.” His penultimate show (in front of a live audience) was broadcast from the Radio Theatre in BBC Broadcasting House on Thursday.
Members of Chris Moyles' Breakfast Show team pose for a photograph after the last show.
9. BBC Audio Drama Awards
Audio & Music launched the 2013 Audio Drama awards this week. You can find more information over on the Radio Blog along with …
10. ... Radio Reunited: Radio @ 90
To mark 90 years since the first broadcast from BBC transmitter in London 2LO, Tim Davie, Director of BBC Audio & Music invites people to record their thoughts for radio audiences 90 years in the future.
