BBC Governors agree corporation’s short-term direction

The BBC's Board of Governors met at Broadcasting House in London on February 5 to review their future programme of business.
Mark Byford, Acting Director-General, reported to the Board on his and the Executive Committee's main activities over the previous week.
Byford emphasised that his objective is to provide calm and strong leadership of the BBC in the weeks ahead, while the board restated their unanimous support for Byford and his colleagues.
Governors were assured that “brave, independent and rigorous journalism” will be maintained under Byford's leadership, including investigative reporting set within a robust editorial framework.
The board were also briefed on the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's process and timetable for appointing the new BBC Chairman and welcomed the Tessa Jowell's decision, announced in the House of Commons on February 2, to involve Dame Rennie Fritchie and a panel of Privy Councillors in oversight of the appointment process. The board were particularly pleased to know that the DCMS intend to complete the appointment swiftly.
Additionally, the Governors agreed a schedule of business, up to the appointment of a new Chairman.
This includes the review of several BBC digital services, agreeing Statements of Programme Policy for 2004-5, assessing performance against objectives set by Governors last year and reviewing the impact of new arts programming on BBC Television.
The board also asked Stephen Dando, Director of BBC People, to start the process for the appointment of the BBC's new Director-General.
The board expressed their desire to “progress this appointment without delay in order that the final stages of the selection process can be made as soon as possible after the Chairman is appointed.”
Acting Chairman Lord Ryder again paid tribute to BBC journalists for upholding the highest standards of objectivity when covering the outcome of the Hutton report.
He reiterated the BBC must remain an independent organisation that serves the public above all else.
The Board of Governors fully endorsed the strength of these views and made clear that they will “never allow any external body to interfere with the BBC's crucial independence.”
(GB)